Week 65 - Agilux auto flash super 44

Agilux auto flash super 44, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

This 127 rollfilm camera was made by the British firm "Agilux" between 1959 and 1964. It has an automatic exposure system bases around a Selenium cell. I like it's rounded dumpy design, and the space age decorations. It takes 12 4x4cm square pictures on a roll of 127 film, I've loaded it with one of my slightly expired rolls of Macocolor.

photo from week 63a - Sirius Action Tracker

police quadchrome, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

This colour image was made from 4 separate black and white images, click on the photo to go to the Flickr page for more information.

photo from week 63a - Sirius Action Tracker

two trees, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

Click on the photo to go to the Flickr page for more information

photo from week 63a - Sirius Action Tracker

old buildings, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

Click on the photo to go to the Flickr page for more information

Week 63a - Sirius Action Tracker

action tracker with coloured gels, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

This is one of a number of "ActionTracker" cameras that were all the rage 15-20 years ago, then were more or less given away in bootsales up to about 5 years ago, when they started to get scarce and the prices went up. I picked this one up for next to nothing a few years ago, and have added some crude home made filters to it.
It takes four exposures on a single 35mm frame, each one about half a second apart.

Week 64a - Vivitar 110 Point 'n' Shoot

Vivitar 110 Point 'n' Shoot, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

This brightly coloured camera was in a box of "junk" cameras in my dad's garage. It's the most basic point and shoot type of camera, and even calls itself the "Point 'n' Shoot". It has a matching case, and the instruction leaflet is also the same colour.
We've had some bright weather, so I've transferred the 110 cartridge (with 7 remaining exposures) from the Action Man camera into this one.

photo from week 63 - Action Man camera

Hollinsend War Memorial, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

I tried to include some military subjects in the photos I took with the Action Man camera. I hope the framing of his video camera is more accurate than the 110 camera is!

photo from week 63 - Action Man camera

Liverpool War Memorial, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

I tried to include some military subjects in the photos I took with the Action Man camera. I hope the framing of his video camera is more accurate than the 110 camera is!

Week 64 - Coronet "Vogue"

Coronet "Vogue", originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

This small, stylish Bakelite camera dates from around 1937, it takes its own "Vogue" V-35 film, which is unperforated 35mm film on a backing paper. The format is 5cm x 3cm, and there were probably 8 photos on a roll, but I haven't got an original film or backing paper to confirm this. I've cut down a 127 backing paper to make it the right width, luckily the numbers are in the right place for the Vogue's red window, and the spacing, 6cm, between frames is about right. I've re-spooled enough for six exposures, I only have one spindle for this camera, but the spindle from my Boltavit will fit, though it doesn't engage with the wind on knob, which doesn't matter so long as it is only used on the supply spool.
The camera has a single speed (and B) shutter, probably around 1/50th second with an aperture of perhaps f16.

photo from week 62a - Vivitar PN2011

machine knives, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

This long wall of a deserted factory seemed a suitable subject for the panoramic aspect ratio of this camera. The extreme grain is due to this being an ISO 3200 film.

photo from week 62a - Vivitar PN2011

reflected self-portrait with Vivitar PN2011 camera, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

I just about managed to get enough light for this one, the ISO 3200 film allowed me to use it indoors.

photo from week 62a - Vivitar PN2011

sycamore, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

One of my regular subjects, I think the grain adds to this particular image.

photo from week 62a - Vivitar PN2011

burger and chips, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

The Tmax P3200 film was very grainy, which added to the cheap camera gives a very lo-fi result.
I don't know whether this burger and chips was tossed aside in disgust, or was dropped in a tragic accident.

Week 63 - Action Man Camera

Action Man Camera, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

I picked this one up in a bootsale last year for either 50p or £1, I've been waiting for the light to improve before using it, as it's a very basic 110 camera and needs good daylight. I've loaded it with a Boots colour print film, which expired in 1995, but based on recent experience, I hope to get some pictures out of it.

photos from week 62 - Argus Instantload 270

cemetery angel, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

This was taken with the camera in automatic mode.

photos from week 62 - Argus Instantload 270

reflected self-portrait with Argus Instantload 270 camera and battered straw hat, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

I manually set the aperture to maximum (f2.8) for this one, as I'm not convinced that the shutter speeds are varying as they should in the auto mode, I suspect the shutter may be firing at top speed all the time, and wanted to avoid under-exposure if I could.

photos from week 62 - Argus Instantload 270

BROS, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

This is from the same cartridge as I used last week in the Kodak Instamatic 500. I moved it into this camera after 14 exposures.

Week 62a - Vivitar PN2011

Vivitar PN2011, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

There are numerous versions of this cheap little "panoramic" camera, this one was £1.25 in a charity shop a couple of weeks ago. There is a switchable mask, which cuts down the frames size to 36mm x 13mm (from 36mm x 24mm) to give a panoramic format.
There is a single speed shutter and a fixed aperture, so the camera needs good light. I loaded it with a roll of Kodak ISO 3200 black and white film to allow me to use it in duller conditions, and/or to hold an orange filter in front of the lens to accentuate blue skies (when we get them!).

photo from week 61 - Kodak Instamatic 500

gherkin top, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

The top of London's iconic "Gherkin" building in the financial district. It is built on the site of the Baltic Exchange, which was destroyed by an IRA bomb.

photo from week 61 - Kodak Instamatic 500

reflected self-portrait with Instamatic 500 camera, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

This week's self portrait, the light was poor, and I set the shutter manually to the slowest speed, 1/30th sec, and the aperture to the widest, f2.8 knowing that there would be very little depth of field at such close range. I set the distance by eye, and the sharpest plane seems to be somewhere below my chin, with the camera being quite out of focus.

photo from week 61 - Kodak Instamatic 500

Chelsea College, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

This is the Chelsea campus of the University of the Arts, but before that it was the headquarters of the Royal Army Medical Corps. Although this was a colour photo, I felt it worked better in black and white.

photo from week 61 - Kodak Instamatic 500

Friday afternoon in the City of London, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

I was relieved to get any photos at all from this 20 year old film, the results were surprisingly good given its age and storage conditions.

re-spooling film again

Following my technical success re-spooling an old Boltavit backing paper with new film, I'm going to try to use my Coronet Vogue camera. This takes its own "Vogue" V-35 film, which is unperforated 35mm film on a backing paper. The format is 5cm x 3cm, and there were probably 8 photos on a roll, but I haven't got an original film or backing paper to confirm this. I've cut down a 127 backing paper to make it the right width, luckily the numbers are in the right place for the Vogue's red window, and the spacing, 6cm, between frames is about right. I've re-spooled enough for six exposures, I only have one spindle for this camera, but the Boltavit spindle will fit, though it doesn't engage with the wind on knob, which doesn't matter so long as it is only used on the supply spool.
The camera has a single speed (and B) shutter, probably around 1/50th second with an aperture of perhaps f16. The film I've loaded is ISO400, so it should be OK in normal daylight. I'll try to find some suitable subjects in the next week or two.

Week 62 - Argus Instant Load 270

Argus Instant Load 270, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

This is another 126 cartridge camera, one of the relatively few models that were anything other than basic point and shoots. Last week I used the Kodak Instamatic 500, and this week I have transferred the half used cartridge into this Argus camera. The film is very expired (1993) and it is possible I may have nothing to show for either week. With 126 film being long obsolete, and expired film being scarce and expensive, I decided to risk spreading my one and only unused cartridge across 2 different cameras.
The Argus Instant Load 270 has a CdS exposure meter, with automatic control over the aperture and shutter speed, the aperture certainly alters with the light level, I'm less convinced that the shutter speed does though. We'll see...

photo from week 61a - Boltavit

gherkin top, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

The top of the iconic "Gherkin" building in the City of London.

photo from week 61a - Boltavit

reflected self-portrait with Boltavit camera and top hat, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

The tiny Boltavit camera is dwarfed by the tripod head! Approximaelty 2 seond exposure using the B setting, and the aperture at f16.

photo from week 61a - Boltavit

horse chestnut in the snow, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

One of my regular subjects, a horse chestnut tree in my local park, this was taken when we had an unexpected return of the snow at the end of February.

Week 61a - Boltavit

Boltavit, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

The inevitable has happened, I've started on a second camera in the same week.
This is the Boltavit that I blogged about a couple of weeks ago, it dates from 1936, and had a roll of film in it, which I shot and developed, but was not surprised to find totally black.
I've re-spooled the original backing paper with some unperforated 35mm black and white film. Last week and this week I took all 12 exposures, and developed the film yesterday. The images have an old fashioned look to them, and there is quite noticable vignetting, but I'm glad I've been able to get some pictures out of this camera.