Accidentally collecting old / obsolete cameras
Discussion
I guess we inhabit the less mainstream topics on here as we all have slightly obsessive tendencies. Hence old cars, watches, etc. and I am becoming worse so my wife tells me. I see something that interests me and it starts a train of events. In this case an old camera in a charity shop.
A long time ago, early 80s when I was a kid, I got into photography, always taking a camera with me. I partly liked the creativity, partly the wait for the photos to come back by post (my kids cannot believe the idea of a 2 week wait) and partly the mechanical nature of the camera.
Anyway through Uni and into my professional career, a camera came with me to Le Mans, trips away and into the aircraft up until the mid ‘00s. Eventually the curse of digital caught up with us and my interest slid.
But I always kept my old cameras. Then when out and about, if I say another I buy but not to use but just as a nice piece of design and stylish item. So here some of them are if anyone interested!
My first camera was a Halina from my mum. I think it belonged to her dad
So basic, you had to cock the shutter with a lever on the side of the lens. If you didn’t, you lost the exposure and had to wind the film on.
Then my grandfather gave me his old Agfa, which had a focus ring and split image in the viewfinder.
Then I bought my first modern machine, a Pentax MX. I owned this from the 80s for 20 plus years adding lenses etc but some sod stole it in a house break in when I was away. Worthless by then but gone.
At this time the APS system came out and they were proper cool, being the size of a cigarette box. Bought on a deployment to the Gulf and kept with me everywhere to capture the unplanned opportunity. I think sort of iconic.
However I ended up with a couple of digital ones and not the film is no longer available.
Then I saw an ad it the local shop window of an old boy doing a clear out. Pentax K1000. Again sort of iconic and one of the early Japanese built rather than Hong Kong or China. Think I paid £25 for it. It had belonged to his day from new and went round Africa in the 70s.
The next was spotted in a charity shop for £10. A proper bit or agricultural kit. Stamped with Made in USSR. And a good comparison with the Pentax.
And the most recent was a bit of a surprise. I thought the K100 was the 1st of the SLR affordable line. But having bought it ‘cause it looked nice, I discovered that the Spotmatic predates the K1000 from ‘64 onwards and this is one of the early ones.
I got several lenses with both the Pentax but ironically they are not interchangeable as the bayonet mount of the K1000 was the start of that system. The Spotmatic uses a thread.
When I’ve more time, I think I’m going to start putting some film through them. And probably buy some more as old film cameras are cheap as chips. Please feel free to comment or commiserate with my wife until this fad passes. Regards.
A long time ago, early 80s when I was a kid, I got into photography, always taking a camera with me. I partly liked the creativity, partly the wait for the photos to come back by post (my kids cannot believe the idea of a 2 week wait) and partly the mechanical nature of the camera.
Anyway through Uni and into my professional career, a camera came with me to Le Mans, trips away and into the aircraft up until the mid ‘00s. Eventually the curse of digital caught up with us and my interest slid.
But I always kept my old cameras. Then when out and about, if I say another I buy but not to use but just as a nice piece of design and stylish item. So here some of them are if anyone interested!
My first camera was a Halina from my mum. I think it belonged to her dad
So basic, you had to cock the shutter with a lever on the side of the lens. If you didn’t, you lost the exposure and had to wind the film on.
Then my grandfather gave me his old Agfa, which had a focus ring and split image in the viewfinder.
Then I bought my first modern machine, a Pentax MX. I owned this from the 80s for 20 plus years adding lenses etc but some sod stole it in a house break in when I was away. Worthless by then but gone.
At this time the APS system came out and they were proper cool, being the size of a cigarette box. Bought on a deployment to the Gulf and kept with me everywhere to capture the unplanned opportunity. I think sort of iconic.
However I ended up with a couple of digital ones and not the film is no longer available.
Then I saw an ad it the local shop window of an old boy doing a clear out. Pentax K1000. Again sort of iconic and one of the early Japanese built rather than Hong Kong or China. Think I paid £25 for it. It had belonged to his day from new and went round Africa in the 70s.
The next was spotted in a charity shop for £10. A proper bit or agricultural kit. Stamped with Made in USSR. And a good comparison with the Pentax.
And the most recent was a bit of a surprise. I thought the K100 was the 1st of the SLR affordable line. But having bought it ‘cause it looked nice, I discovered that the Spotmatic predates the K1000 from ‘64 onwards and this is one of the early ones.
I got several lenses with both the Pentax but ironically they are not interchangeable as the bayonet mount of the K1000 was the start of that system. The Spotmatic uses a thread.
When I’ve more time, I think I’m going to start putting some film through them. And probably buy some more as old film cameras are cheap as chips. Please feel free to comment or commiserate with my wife until this fad passes. Regards.
My first SLR as a teenager in the 80s was a Pentax Spotmatic just like that one. Inherited from my grandad who bought it new in the 60s or 70s.
It taught me all about the basics of focus, exposure and shutter speed, being fully manual but with a basic through the lens meter.
I think it is still in a box somewhere. I stopped using it completely once the mercury batteries for the meter became unobtainable.
It taught me all about the basics of focus, exposure and shutter speed, being fully manual but with a basic through the lens meter.
I think it is still in a box somewhere. I stopped using it completely once the mercury batteries for the meter became unobtainable.
ric p said:
The next was spotted in a charity shop for £10. A proper bit or agricultural kit. Stamped with Made in USSR. And a good comparison with the Pentax.
I got several lenses with both the Pentax but ironically they are not interchangeable as the bayonet mount of the K1000 was the start of that system. The Spotmatic uses a thread.
As far as I can remember, the Spotmatic has an M42 thread/screw mount.I got several lenses with both the Pentax but ironically they are not interchangeable as the bayonet mount of the K1000 was the start of that system. The Spotmatic uses a thread.
That should be the same as the one found on your Zenit-B, so you should at least be able to swap lenses between the Zenit-B and the Spotmatic.
ETA - In fact before bayonette mounts were intorduced, the M42 screw mount was very common across a wide range of cameras including Pentax Spotmatic, Zenit, Praktica etc..
More info on the M42 screw mount here.
You can also still get an adaptor allowing you to use M42 screw mount lenses on more modern cameras (including your Pentax K1000). Example here.
Edited by C n C on Friday 16th December 14:49
Know the feeling, I collected from ebay a whole load of 35mm cameras that were around when I was in my teens, mainly russian, fed 3,4, four zenit versions, e, em, etc, kiev ( owned by high up party members, I am sure). Still the zorki 4k I had from when I was 17 and a couple of practicas. OM10, pentax mx etc.
The russian ones tended to gum up the shutter and lenses, so I did a lot of relubing etc so they worked. In comparison the pentax lens from about 1972 is as smooth as it ever was.
When it got to over 20 and I had enjoyed playing around with them , I thinned the collection out to about 6 after wifely complaints.
Used to have one at my desk at work as a 'worry bead' , quite fun having a zoom call winding a camera. Changed them around every few months.
Even today I cannot use a camera that doesn't have a viewfinder, cant' stand looking at screens.
The russian ones tended to gum up the shutter and lenses, so I did a lot of relubing etc so they worked. In comparison the pentax lens from about 1972 is as smooth as it ever was.
When it got to over 20 and I had enjoyed playing around with them , I thinned the collection out to about 6 after wifely complaints.
Used to have one at my desk at work as a 'worry bead' , quite fun having a zoom call winding a camera. Changed them around every few months.
Even today I cannot use a camera that doesn't have a viewfinder, cant' stand looking at screens.
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