Yashica MF-1
I love to travel and now that I have the time I’ve been doing it quite often. I don’t travel high on the hog, my modes are dirt cheap. I joined a site that used to be called Scottscheapflights, though they recently changed their name to something much shorter and trendier. They send alerts to […]
SEM Baby
I like to think I don’t have a “type”. I like colorful, little plastic cameras that make snapping noises. I like tin and Bakelite 127s. I do have some nice cameras – cameras that are too good for me. These are mostly gifts from people who never in a million years would have given me grampa’s […]
Mamiya U
Seriously? He was ALL HANDS! Super HANDy to use. If you’re not too picky about making decent images, the Mamiya U might be for “U”. Maybe I’m just not all that good with the zone focus? Sporting a 2.8 Mamiya Sekor 35mm lens, it’s a bit picky on the closer focus increments. My infinity shots […]
Tammy
For those of us with low expectations, this camera will make your heart sing like a violin. She looks like a 126 film camera, but don’t let her fool you. She’s uses 127 roll film. Every time I touch her I hear Debbie Reynolds singing. Her Hong Kong manufacturer was one of those who felt […]
Fujica MA-1 Pinhole
My friend, Philip, passed this camera on to me. Before he passed away from cancer, he asked me to come get his camera collection. In that collection, there was this. A Fujica MA-1 that he had converted to a pinhole camera. It had a somewhat exposed roll of film in it. I had no […]
Fotodiox Camera Review
Despite a few glitches, this camera has brought more fun into my life! While using it I had quite the epiphany. More on that later. As I have mentioned before, my friend, Philip, recently passed away from cancer. He fought for a long time and he did not want to go. Before he passed, he […]
Minox
This is a page for my Minox experiences. The Minox B is arguably the most-dropped camera of all time. That’s the first thing I did after taking it out of the box. It’s the first thing the next person did after I handed it to them. I need to get another Minox repaired and when […]
KOA Happy Camper Kamera
I believe I pikked this kamera up at a Puget Sound Photographik kollector’s sokiety camera show in Kent, Wa. If you volunteer to work the club table at the event, you get to come early. You also get a $25 certificate to spend at any table. You get first dibs on anything that was donated […]
Split-cam
Image Fusion! I bought this camera a while back at Archie McPhee’s. It’s supposed to be able to meld two images together. It has these little sliding black doors across the lens and viewfinder. You close both sliding doors. You advance the film (35mm). You open one door (top or bottom) on both the lens […]
Beseler Pinhole
Here’s one from the archives circa 1998. It was yet another dark rainy night in Seattle. Amid the general din of tires swishing by on the wet street and the noise of freeway traffic in the distance, my husband pulled up to the curb. I jumped in the car, all aglow from a fabulous day […]
World’s Fair
Kodak World’s Fair Flash Camera: Oh man! How I have missed the “pop …fizz” of flashbulbs! 2 AA’s and a few AG1B’s later, I’m sated. Manufactured in 1964-65 specifically to commemorate the New York World’s Fair, this little plastic number shoots 12 square images on 127 roll film. Use a penny to loosen the access […]
Ansco Dollar
If you fork over a dollar for an Ansco Dollar Camera, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck. My Ansco Dollar camera is a simple box camera that I picked up in Belfast, Maine. It takes 8 images on 127 film. I’m sure I paid more than a dollar, but not much more. […]
Bedfordflex
The Bedfordflex: “Simple to operate! Everyone can use it!” I like this spiffy, little camera! Its a “double-lens reflex camera” . The Bedfordflex takes 12 images on 127 film. I bought it for eight bucks at a camera show. When I opened the box recently, something fell out and glanced off my foot. At […]
Foto-Flex TLR Camera
Marcy’s Foto-Flex Camera Review: Manufactured by Hadds Manufacturing in Chicago, the Foto-Flex has to be the ugliest camera I’ve ever seen. The Foto-Flex takes twelve square images on 127 film. It was in a box of cameras that I bought at an auction. Its made of metal, with a plastic viewfinder hood, and weighs close […]
Imperial 620
Imperial 620 and Imperial Herco 620: The Imperial Six-Twenty Snap Shot camera was made in the USA. It’s completely plastic, right down to it’s cute little plastic handle. It’s 2 3/4″ wide 3 1/8″ deep and 3 3/8″ tall (not including the viewfinder). There are absolutely no settings to have to fiddle with on this […]
Penny King
The Penny King Camera: Who cares if the Penny King is the cheeziest of the cheezy? As long as it has the MAGIC LENS. That MAGIC lens? It’s not made of diamonds or crystal … it’s not even cubic zirconia. It’s plastic. Magic plastic. Must be rare earth plastic. Made in Hong Kong, this camera […]
Kodak Bullet
My Kodak Bullet camera review: I truly love the 127 film format. I always have. This camera takes surprisingly large (and kinda surprisingly clear) images on 127 roll film. I’m thinking that lens wasn’t quite locked into place. Hence, the crooked frame. Click on any image for a larger view: […]
Voigtländer Vitoret 110
The Voigtländer Vitoret 110 is the most fun I’ve had with a camera in a long time! Teeny tiny (a mere 4 5/8″ x 15/16″ x 1 3/8″) this 110 instamatic is made of very high quality plastic. There’s a sliding switch on the bottom that opens both the lens and the viewfinder covers. The […]
Beirette beroquick KB 135
The Beirette “beroquick” KB135…a camera so sweet it makes your teeth hurt. I got it as a trade from a sweet guy in Germany. Decided to take it with me to the county fair. A little bit o’ wrist candy. The Beirette has settings for cloudy, partly cloudy, partly sunny and sunny, with stops in […]
Meikai EL
The Meikai EL is a very nondescript 35mm manufactured in Japan. It’s metal AND plastic. I believe the focus free “New MK Lens” is glass, so this ain’t no toy we’re dealing with here. Also says “Tougodo” – I think that means “To good”. (Just kidding.) And, around the lens “Meisupii”. It’s got an imitation […]
Yashica Electro GSN
I received the Yashica Electro G from Bob Hickey. It’s in great shape, except it’s missing the little button that you press to test the battery. No biggy. The GSN was in a box of junk I purchased at an auction for $6. I saw the box had a camera in it and I simply […]
Polaroid SX-70
My history with Polaroid goes like this: The 60’s: My brother got a Polaroid camera. You had to use a tube of some sort of noxious chemical … and rollers, or brushes or something. But it was totally cool to have [nearly] immediate gratification. The 70’s: I lusted after an SX70 – and […]
Zeiss Ikon Contessa 35
Contessa? An Italian countess? Italian royalty horning into this delicate photographic ecosystem that is my studio? My friend, Joanie, gave me this camera. She said, “Hey! I’ve got this old camera. Do you want it?” Like I’m going to say no? Turned out, it was this super cool little number – the Zeiss Ikon Contessa […]
Purma Special
At first glance, this camera appears too big for its britches. In classic, hulking 1930s Bakelite this 127 fixed-focus camera is a bit on the portly side. But there’s a reason for that, which we’ll get to in a minute. With its Beck lens , it’s not a loser, baby and love is what it’s […]
Auto Flash Super 44
One day in an effort to promote world peace through junk store cameras, to lighten my load and to possibly get a little run in, I took a short train ride from our Airbnb rental ( a converted garage) into Brighton, England. I ended up lessening my load by one camera, then adding three, then […]
Bencini Comet
The guy at the Mini Flea Market in Brighton, England asked me, “Why did you choose that particular one?” The question surprised me and I halted for a moment. “What drew you to it?” he asked. As I’d sifted through his boxes of junk cameras, I kept in mind I only had just so much […]
Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2
Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 folding camera: My friends, Rosann and Bill, surprised me with this little beauty. A change of their home decor caused them to pass it on. The side struts are crazily elegant. I was just about to head out on another WORLD PEACE THROUGH JUNK STORE CAMERAS trip across the northern plains […]
Imperial Lark 127
We have tidal rivers around here and there’s this thing I do. On a low tide, I go down to the river’s edge and find things. Things left behind by long dead people. Beachcombing is fun, but this river thing … it’s addicting. One day, I found out that traipsing along the river’s edge […]
Argus C3
This review is out of control. It’s nearing springtime and I need to weed it and trowel the rows. I’m not one for thinning my seedlings however so, if you’re going to read this, you’re going to suffer. I think it’s turning into my quest for World Peace, rather than an actual Argus review. My […]
Birdseye Camera
I had some fun with the Birdseye camera today. Took my friend’s eagle sculpture out for a photo opp. (That’s at the bottom of the page.) The original review is here: Cam McCubbin sent the Birdseye to me, all the way from Canada. It accepts 620 film, so I re-loaded some 120 onto 620 spools. […]
Imperial Delta
OK… poor man’s Sprocket Rocket? Nah. It’s not panoramic. I picked this camera up at the 2018 PSPCS camera show in Kent, WA. I bought it from a guy who had a small table of stuff. This plastic beauty takes 127 film. There was tape residue (there still IS tape residue on it – since […]
Action Camera
Marcy’s Action Camera Review: “really works!” This camera was sent to me all the way from Washington, NJ -so you know it’s seen some action. The cardboard backing looks like a cartoon version of one of those New York Institute of Photography ads you used to see in Popular Photography magazine … “I never thought […]
Minolta Supreme Freedom Zoom
The Minolta Supreme Freedom Zoom bestows upon each image just a bit of a tough/soft-ness that’s somehow reminiscent of a late night 1980s coke party. (Not that I would know what that was actually like.) Fully retracted, the camera has a slippery, sexy soap bar sort of feel to it. When its 38-115mm lens is […]
Mark XII
I found this Imperial Mark XII camera on eBay. The year was 2000. It had film in it. This camera accepts 620 film and the film that was inside had been exposed oh way back when. I processed the roll and … well… I really don’t have much to say about that. Fast forward […]
Cub
I can’t believe I just spent 45 minutes trying to fix the shutter in this thing. Finally …You know what? Fuck it. I soaked it in lighter fluid and, if it isn’t working tomorrow, I’ll stick it open and use a piece of tape for a shutter. At least this experience has prompted me to reload […]
SceneX
This camera came all the way from Iowa – in its original box – “From DIXIE”. It came with it’s original instruction sheet. There was even film inside! This teeny tiny (2″ x 3 1/4″) plastic camera was made in the U.S.A. It takes 8 images on 828 film. I finished off the roll. The […]
Tony The Tiger
Tony has always been a sexy beast. He didn’t see it coming however, when Tony was inundated with “Furrie” fetish folks on Twitter. He’s masculine, yet gentle. Gives them the hots. Who knew? This camera arrived in a Swiffer Sweeper box and was sent to me from Ian. I put a roll of Kodak BW400CN (a C41 process “b&w” film … like, fake […]
Victoria’s Secret
I found this camera at a Goodwill store in Kentucky. It had a roll of exposed C41 in it. I swear these are photos of the women of Victoria’s Secret! Looks like someone had opened the back about 100 times. There were scary bits and pieces on the film. This camera […]
Valiant
The Valiant 620 film camera. I think Pete Lutz sent me this camera from Texas. The shutter button didn’t seem to allow the shutter itself to release correctly. Well, I don’t really know why it took me so long to use it. It ain’t like it’s rocket science to figure out how to synchronize it […]
Traid Fotron
My Fotron Experience: Found this Fotron at a favorite antique mall in Wheeler, Oregon. It came with its original leather case, warranty and a promotional brochure. There’s even a film cartridge attached to the back. I was willing to pay the stated price of $12.50 but it turned out that the owner was having a […]
Transparent Camera
I found this camera at a Value Village in Tacoma. The price tag said 99 cents but it was half price day so I got it for $.50. I know, I got screwed out of a half a penny. There was a roll of film inside and I’m such a sucker for exposed film. Okay […]
Univex Iris
The basics: Made by Universal Camera Corp. USA. The lens is an Ilex Vitar 50mm. 7.9 – 22f. Shutter speeds are “I”, “B” and “T”. Very deco, with a viewfinder on the top. It takes six exposures on Univex film. The lens assembly pops out, away from the body. Made of heavy metal and 2 […]
Keystone K1020 SLR
These are all of the images from a roll of Verichrome Pan that expired in 1983. Though I used the film in 2004 you really wouldn’t know it. Phillip Arney sent me this camera along with that cartridge of expired 126 film. 35mm film is pretty easy to reload into a 126 film cartridge. Click here […]
Thunderbird
The Thunderbird Camera… named after “The American Classic”. Long after receiving this camera, I happened into a small fortune of c41 127 size film. Thought I’d blast a roll through the Thunderbird. I was shocked to find that this camera expressed itself in true form as a pillar of visual culture! The images! After the […]
Canonet QL17 GIII
The Canon Canonet QL17 GIII: A practical camera for practical folk. This camera is so easy to carry and so easy to use that I’ve been carrying it and using it for most of recent history. In the past three months I’ve taken it to Michigan, the Grand Canyon, and twice to San Francisco. I’ve not […]
Perfex Fifty-Five
A Perfex to ponder: This camera sat on the shelf of a junk store near here for months! They wanted six bucks for it. Six bucks is well within my camera-buying budget, but what the heck was I ever going to do with a camera in THIS condition? It sat there for so long…I […]
Norton Camera
This is what I hate. It really bugs me when you click on something thinking you’ll get information about it but instead the person goes on and on about something completely unrelated. [Just wait for it, ok? I’m getting there.] Today, I’m working on updating my Norton Camera review, which I originally wrote nearly 20 […]
Agfa Isolette
A friend’s dad died and I ended up with this Agfa, a Kodak Retina, a Brownie, some Polaroid gear (hey! did the earth shake just then?) and some movie camera stuff. The Isolette is your typical pop out camera. You press a little button and out pops the bellows. You can focus it, you can […]
Agfa Chief
Agfa Chief: This camera looks a lot like an Ansco Pioneer, only bigger. It’s got a metal body with a round chunk of Bakelite sporting a glass lens. The little red shutter button can be set for “i” and “b”. What’s interesting about this camera is the lens rotates for near and far. “N” and […]
Kiev 60
Forget the gym membership. Hefting this thing around will give you not only an upper body but also a core work out. A friend gave me this camera. With that TTL meter on top, it looks like it’s wearing a baseball cap sideways, doesn’t it? Meter and all, it weighs in at almost 4 pounds […]
Pilot 6
While tumbling the Pilot 6 camera about in my hands, I had this vision of Jessica Lang in the American Horror Stories series “Freak Show”. The thought holds true for my menagerie of messed up junk store cameras … “Zeez are my munsters.” I said, in Jessica Lang’s pretend German accent. “Zay ah my family, zeez […]
Mini Camera
The hell I went through to get these images! The hell I say! I bought this “mini camera” off the Internet. When it arrived, there were two mini cameras in the box. I’m sure it was an oversight on the sender’s part, but it turned out to be a good thing for me. I have […]
Reader’s Digest
Marcy’s Reader’s Digest Camera Review: I’ve been using my cameras way more than writing about them. I decided it was time to break this block using a true classic. Not a Diana. Looking back, I didn’t really have many good things to say about them. Well, that, and the fact that they’ve all been […]
Just Ducky
Marcy’s Just Ducky camera review: Well, it’s no Deluxe FryCam. It arrived as a surprise in my mailbox. The timing couldn’t have been better! I was searching for the perfect camera to document the 2017 eclipse experience. Something somewhat technical and scientific-ish. I loaded her up with some Efke 400 which had expired in July of […]
Arghole Pinhole Camera
One thing they don’t teach you in chemistry class… alcohol and eBay don’t mix. That’s how I ended up with 35 plastic Argus cameras. It’s that darn eBay Wholesale Lots section… I can’t stay away from it sometimes. What am I going to do with THIRTY-F’n FIVE of these things? Ha! Pinhole cameras! That’s what! […]
Traveler 120
I found the “time” Traveler 120 camera in a junk store in Wheeler, Oregon. It weighs enough to anchor a small boat. Its made of metal. I think they call it pot metal? Manufactured by PHO-TAK CORPORATION, Chicago USA. It actually says “Time Traveler 120” on the front, but I don’t believe the word “time” is […]
Univex Uniflash
Made in the USA by Universal Camera Corp, this little bakelite camera accepts those special Univex #00 film rolls. I used 828 size film and just kind of jammed it into the battery compartment. I kept having to open it in the dark bag to advance the roll, but it worked. The camera has simple […]
Arrow
The Arrow is one of Diana’s many sisters. Her aim is a bit off, as the area of focus is somewhat ring-shaped and circles around the central spot on the frame. I’ve put a few rolls through her and they seem to glide through without a problem. There are quite a few light leaks – […]
Sunbeam six-twenty
I purchased this camera at the Puget Sound Photographic Collector’s Society camera show. They hold this show every April in Kent, WA. I paid a whopping five bucks for it. It’s gray deco self is cute enough, but I knew I had to own it when I turned it upside down to find, “HELEN’s. 1956 Won it for a […]
National Geographic Binocular Camera
My friend, Phil, gave me this camera. I was shocked he could bring himself to part with it! He spent $2.99 at Value Village (unless the discounted color that day was blue, which is a good possibility). They actually work as binoculars! Granted, they aren’t very good, but I’m not necessarily an avid birder or anything […]
Pro Camera E
This “single use” camera looks like cardboard but is actually hard Bakelite. I picked it up for four bucks at a camera show. The little window on the bottom reveals a piece of ribbon that says “pull to number 1″. This proves to be too much for my willpower and I’m going to pull […]
Sea & Sea MX-5
The Sea & Sea MX-5. Into the surf with a plastic camera. The Sea & Sea MX-5 appears to be a nice waterproof shell around what is actually a point and shoot plastic camera. Though it’s heavy, most of the weight seems to be due to the plastic shell, not the actual camera workings. […]
Tower One-Twenty Flash
The Tower camera, sold by Sears, Roebuck and Co, takes eight 6×9 images on 120 film. The lens says “Precise” (impressive, eh?) “f110mm Tower lens”. This camera is all metal and weighs a ton! The viewfinder is on the side. As you can see, my flash attachment is kinda missing the most important part. I’ve […]
Wardette
The Wardette box camera … oh boy. Now we’re going to reminisce about Montgomery Ward. Monkey Ward’s used to have a photo section where they sold cameras and darkroom equipment. This camera was sold at Montgomery Ward stores and is a typical box camera. I like the patriotic theme, with those stars across the top of the […]
Ansco Rediflex
I spent a whopping eight bucks on this camera at a junk store in Raymond,WA. I even referred to the store as an antique store in front of the owner and she said ,”No, this is a bunch of junk.” There was film already in the camera. The photo of the boat on the […]
Photo Champ
This camera has definitely got a fightin’ chance as a contender for the title of coolest plastic camera. Manufactured in the U.S. by Cardinal Corporation, it’s got the same bloodlines as the Buckeye Camera. The Photo Champ gives 16 exposures on 127 film. Keep in mind, the shutter actuates on both the down and up movement […]
Kodak Autographic 3A
I’m ready to admit my new addiction. The Kodak Autographic 3a. I can’t have just one. The first one was free. So was the second one, come to think of it. But the third one I had to pay for. I transformed the first two into Gala edition cameras. I was beginning to get […]