HIT Camera
Here’s a fun cam! Mike Levy sent me this HIT camera way back when. She fits perfectly inside the box she arrived in, though I’m not convinced this camera originally came from the factory in this box. I have a HIT knock-off (and have reviewed it). This actual HIT camera is quite chunky for […]
Rollei 35
A friend gave me this camera. She was going through a major life change – divorce & moving out of the state. Anyway, she stopped by before she left. She told me she had a camera for me and began to wax emotional about how her father had given her this camera when she was in high […]
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 […]
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: […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Canon FT QL
It’s a Canon Ft QL. A client of mine said, “I know you like cameras. I’ve got a Minolta I want you to have.” Then she handed me a Canon FT. I’ve always been a Nikon girl, but what am I gonna do? I gave her a polite thank-you, deciding that I’d discretely throw it […]
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 […]
Rollop
The Rollop. When my friend first gave this camera to me the name kept reminding me of Trollop. After a while, it became Roll-up … like, fruit roll-up. It hung out in the studio for nearly a year. I picked it up one day and thought, “I’m going to load this sucker!” I opened it […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Mercury Satellite
I believe this camera was a giveaway from “Mercury Prize Headquarters” when you bought a new Mercury. Circa 1964, this little plastic wonder takes 12 exposures on 127 film. No time exposure. The camera arrived in a shipping box from Mercury in “Detroit 31”. I’ve come across a few of these cameras, with maybe only slight […]
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 […]
JEM Jr. Box Camera
Here’s a nifty all metal box camera that I picked up in Conway, WA. It’s got top and side viewfinders. Made by the J. E. Mergott Co. in Newark NJ, the camera takes eight 6×9 images on 120 film. On the top of the body is a small lever for “I” and “B” […]
Photo Master Camera
Manufactured in Chicago, this small plastic camera is only 1″ thick, just over 4 inches long and, including the viewfinder, is 3″ high. I don’t remember where I got it, but I think it was something like 49 cents. The shutter has a time setting. This camera uses 127 film, which it refers to as […]
Mar-Crest Camera
With a name like Mar-Crest, you would think this camera was born, catching a wave, on a beautiful beach in southern Cailfornia or maybe a lovely sun-soaked island somewhere south of where we are now. Alas, she comes to us from the fair city of Chicago, Illinois. A pretty much typical half frame 127 roll […]
Coronet 3-D
Mike Levy of SELECTING AND USING CLASSIC CAMERAS fame gave me this camera. It was kinda bunged up, but in working condition. Just the way I like ’em. Sporting a binocular viewfinder, this 3-D camera was manufactured in 1954. It has a little finger that you slide across the front to cock the shutter. […]
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 […]
Conley Kewpie #2 Box Camera
I bought this Kewpie #2 at a camera show for $15.00. That’s more than I usually spend on any camera, let alone a simple box camera, but it was in great shape. I bought it for Mike Levy, who ended up trading me his book SELECTING AND USING CLASSIC CAMERAS for it. But not before I […]
Dover 620-A Camera
Manufactured in Dover, New Hampshire, the Dover 620-A is one of the weirdest cameras I’ve used. I bought it at a camera show. I bought it because it’s weird and four bucks was within my budget. When I carry this camera, I need nothing more … other than maybe flashbulbs. Stamped on the camera’s back is what might […]
Anscoflex and Anscoflex II
The Anscoflex and the Anscoflex II cameras were designed by Raymond Loewy (the same guy who designed the Studebaker Avanti & Lucky Strike cigarette package). The Anscoflex & Anscoflex II cameras have big, fabulously bright viewfinders. The Anscoflex II has two built-in filters, one yellow, one close-up. Only one filter can be used at a […]
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 […]
Ansco Shur Shot
Doesn’t everyone have a pile of Shur Shot box cameras? Sometimes they’re Ansco, sometimes Agfa. The graphics differ as do the limited features. The Agfa Ansco Corporation introduced the Shur Shot camera in 1932. One model had a 6×9 cm frame. Another model, with a smooth front, had a 6.5×11 cm frame. That same year, Ansco introduced […]
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 […]
Empire Baby
The very first time I saw an Empire Baby Camera on eBay, I thought it was the cutest little thing. Someone from Australia was auctioning it. I bid $5 and was outbid .I bought my first Empire Baby at the annual camera show in Puyallup, Washington. There, I paid my five bucks. This tiny (3 1/2″ x […]
Kodak Duex
The 27 page (!) instruction booklet says the camera accepts 620 film. I trimmed down a 120 spool and got 16 images per roll. Very Kodak Bullet-like, in that it has a helical-telescoping front. (Them’s fancy words for – the front screws out.) If you forget to unscrew the lens to make it pop out, […]
Rocket Camera
In the mid 1990’s we were driving to Alaska in an old beater Ford pickup, stopping here and there along the way. One of our stops was a junk store in Spuzzum, British Columbia. It was fate. It was kismet. It was absolutely meant to be. I can’t describe to you the importance of that moment in my life – and not […]
Agfa Click-I
Not as cliquish (get it? clique-ish?) as the Dianas and way more reliable, the Agfa Click-I camera takes 12 square images on 120 film. I bought this Click-I for $2.99 at the Seattle Goodwill. It came with a nifty brown vinyl case & shoulder strap. I got this call from Orla at the Raleigh-Durham […]
Imperial Debonair
Olive drab Bakelite, inlayed with stylish graphics, this camera has Herbert George’s DNA all over it . With its little carrying strap sticking straight up out of its head, it grows on you. It takes twelve wide-angle-ish images on 620 film. (Here’s a link about how to respool 120 film onto a 620 spool.) The […]
Agfa A-8 Cadet Box Camera
The Cadet uses 127 film and is smaller than your average box. It fits nicely into one of the smaller size Crown Royal felt bags.* I recently took the Cadet on a snowshoe trip that didn’t pan out. But it was a great time in the rainy North Cascades nevertheless and I took the waterfall and […]