One Two Crap - or Using Underperformer Cameras pt. One (Bencini, Orizont, Meikai)

As anyone who's been reading this blog knows I am partial to the not-so-great cameras of the world. Today we'll have a look at two of them. And go back to one I've written about before, at the end of the post.

No. 1: Bencini Comet NK135
The first one is the one appearing in the topmost image: Bencini Comet NK135. I like how it looks like a cross between a rangefinder and an SLR camera with its peak on the top.

I also like the shutter speed control to the right in the image, situated on the front left of the camera. It is rather light, despite the slightly bulky shape of the camera, mostly I think due to the plastic lens barrel. I think that the lens itself is glass - but I can't be sure.

These are the photographs from the first film I exposed with the Comet NK135. Again - apologies for the crappy scans made with a rickety rig with a digital camera. The pictures were edited using the Negative Image app and Google Photos app.

There was a film in the camera when I bought it from Italy last year. Here's a link to the post where I show the results from when I got it developed.

No. 2: Orizont

The Orizont. It's a Hungarian camera from the early 1950s. It's a very obvious clone/copy/rip-off/licensing of the high-end Altissa Altix.

My Orizont didn't work. The shutter release was all limp. Since the camera was so cheap to buy and so obviously not precious to anyone I dared to try my hand at fixing it. I did get it to work, and all parts but one made it back into the mechanism. I now have to put it to my ear to listen for a little click to know when the shutter is properly wound and the shutter is cocked.

Again - I will update the scans when I have upgraded my stuff.

As you can see the focus is not really there. And it's not only due to my shaky hands or the bad scans. The lens is misty, most probably uncoated. I do like the look to the pictures though. Very retro. I will try the camera with b&w film and expose in better light in the near future.

No. 3: Meikai Harmony EL

Last but not least of the bad cameras, linked here is my slightly older post about the Meikai Harmony EL at 35mmc.com.

Thanks for reading this post! Don't hesitate to comment or check out my Instagram at #ourbooksmalmo. Visit my Etsy shop getOurBooks where there are cameras aplenty to choose from.

Comments

Chaika Leica

Well, here's a Chaika 2M that I bought from Alex Helios via Instagram. It's a great full manual viewfinder half-frame camera. The wheel on the top is for shutter time selection, from B to 1/30th to 1/250th of a second. The square button on the front right of the camera is the release/exposure. The lens mounted on the camera in the picture is not the original Industar-69. The Chaika is a rare model compact camera since the prime lens is detachable. What is more is that it has M39 screw mount. But - like with the Paxette M39 system - you can't get focus with a lens from another M39 system. Unless you adapt the lens or - in this case - the camera (mount)! The Chaika mount is easily detached from the body by loosening four screws. If I want to mount the Leica thread mount M39 (LTM) lenses on the Chaika - which is my goal with this mod - I have to add 1.3mm to the mount. That is what is needed to change the camera's flange focal distance (FFD) from Chaika system to L

Leaving a House - Departure from My Childhood Home with a Lumix GF2

My father left his house for a much smaller apartment this summer. My and my brother's families helped with some of the transition, and I documented parts of it with my Panasonic Lumix GF2. My father's house was where I grew up - from my 6th to my 19th year. He lived there for 43 years - 1979 to 2022. The light in this house was always amazing. Its situation on a western leaning hillside offers playful beams of light or reflections during every stage of the day. Little brother (me, 49), big brother (52), dad (80). Visit my Etsy shop for cameras and related stuff, the facebook group on modding lenses and cameras or my Instagram account ourbooksmalmo .

These great cameras show up everywhere in Europe. Flea markets, second-hand shops, car boot sales, you name it. AGFA cameras were sold for decades, in many models, much like the Kodaks. I've had the pleasure of using two of them. And I own three. The magic shutter buttons! The AGFA Compact. It's an auto exposure compact camera with manual focusing! The lens retracts when you shut the camera off. AGFA Silette LK which has full manual exposure control and a built-in light meter. The lens is super duper sharp with pleasant out-of-focus areas. It does not have a rangefinder. Nor does the... ... AGFA Optima 335 which has auto-exposure and manual focusing. The aperture numbers you see are for flash photography with 1/125th of a second fixed shutter. I will not write much about these my cameras now, but will in the future. The Compact isn't working properly, so I am in search of advice on how to repair it. It (auto-) winds the loaded film to its end, without giving me an opportu

getOBphoto

Search This Blog