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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

LOMO Lubitel 166 Universal

Marcy’s Lomo Lubitel 166 Universal Camera Experience: My original thoughts regarding this camera: “This camera is really too good for me. I found it at a junk store in Grayland, Washington. It is capable of making some fabulous images! Like I said, It’s  capable of making them , but I don’t know if I’m capable […]

Polaroid SX-70

My Gala Edition SX70. Embellished with glass beads.

    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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Hollywood Reflex

They say Hollywood is a tough town to get a break in … and this is one tough camera. A cast metal twin-lens reflex “style” (meaning, not the real thing) camera. Manufactured in 1947 … well, what do you know? I just happen to have a roll of 620 film that expired in May of ’47! […]

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 […]

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 […]

Stellar

  The setting: A garage sale in my home town in Michigan. In the back of the nifty old wooden dusty-musty garage was this beauty. No price tag. I brought it up front to the old guy sitting in his chair in the shade. “What do you want for this?” He pondered and he pondered. He took the camera […]