Week 48 - Zeiss Tenax I

Tenax I, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

I'm sticking with the 35mm square format this week, the Tenax I takes 24mm square negatives, and the film is advanced using the lever next to the lens, which also cocks the shutter.
The Tenax I was first produced in 1931, but this is one of the post war examples made in the late 1940s.

photo from week 47 - Bilora Radix

reflected self-portrait with Bilora Radix camera and crumpled plastic witch's hat, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

With a fixed shutter speed of around 1/50th of a second, there wasn't enough light for a hand held exposure, so I mounted the camera on a tripod and stopped to to f16 to maximise depth of field (there is a rudimentary, un-marked 2 position focus ring). Using the B setting, the exposure was around 4 seconds.

photo from week 47 - Bilora Radix

pavillion diptych, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

Inside of of the pavillions shown in the previous photo.

photo from week 47 - Bilora Radix

West Pavillion, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

Taken in Sheffield's Botanical Gardens on a dull afternoon.

Week 47 - Bilora Radix

Week 47 - Bilora Radix, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

This camera was made in Germany in the late 1940s, it uses the Agfa Rapid (or Karat) system, in which 35mm film is loaded into a spool free cassette, and advanced by direct driving of the sprockets into another cassette. The most common image size is 24mm square, as used in this camera, but there were also half frame (see week 33), and full 24mm x 36mm cameras.
I've loaded approximately half of a 36 exposure roll of Rollei Retro black and white film into an old Agfa Rapid cassette.

Week 46 - Pentax Auto 110

Week 46 - Pentax Auto 110, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

For a couple of decades, this little camera and it's set of lenses were what I used for day to day photography, holidays, family occaisons etc.
I bought it new in 1981, there were various "kits" available, I had the one with the 18mm, 24mm and 50mm lenses, a motor drive and flash unit. There were more extensive kits including a whole range of filters and close up lenses.
Over the years I acquired the 70mm and 20-40mm zoom lenses, together with various close up lenses, and even a third party tele-converter.
I last used it nearly 10 years ago, and the film I have expired in 2003, but I hope to get something out of it. With a new set of batteries, after a few hesitant exposures, it seems to be fully working.
There are still several mail-order firms that process 110 film, even though the format is no longer manufactured (though there are rumours that this may change.)
I'll try to use the 24 exposures next week and get it in the post by the weekend, but it will be a little longer than usual before I can upload the results.

photo from week 45 - Kiev-15 TEE

one camera, five lenses, originally uploaded by pho-Tony.

Scan of five consecutive frames, each taken with a different lens. See the Flickr caption for details.