I have joined this group but in all honesty I feel that I'm not really qualified, as I don't own a half frame camera.
If I promise to buy at least one camera that's a half frame will I be permitted to stay ?

Dai.

You get a HALF permission - for the time being!!

Good luck hunting, and tell us all about the outcome.

As a tip look out for a Canon Dial, which was one of the most covetted half-frames, besides the Pen F, it had a cult following among atrists, like painters, writers, sculptors in both europe and USA. A friend of mine from boyhood days, painter, visited Ayers rock with his, and documented the trip with it, picking up rare earts around the rock which he later used to mix colors for his paintings and sold off to $$$-rich americans living in Switzerland..........

What about this list? It contains probably all half-frame cameras ever made:

http://corsopolaris.net/supercameras/half/halformat1s.html

For the Robot aficionados there is an extra chapter:

http://corsopolaris.net/supercameras/robot/robot.html

Erik, can you describe the method in detail, please? $$$-rich americans living in Switzerland are a nice target group, and they can't live without my prints.

You start out being an "artist" then you expand into something unusual or freaky. In this case schlapping together some un-distinct pictures where onbe could vaguely reconize Ayers Rock, Australia, pointing out, no SHOUTING to the whole world that the artworks was made with colors mixed from the colored rock itself mixed with environmentally-good linseed oil (this was 25 - 30 years ago, before the current environme4nt craze....). As I understand the "art" sold like hot cakes.............

Maybe you should consider printing & coloring your prints in some similar style? Environment is a surefire thing thses days! (although I saw on Nat. Geo TV that removing rocks and soil from Ayers Rock is now totally banned! Musta been a booming industry for 25+ years)

Erik

So,,, does a Burke&James sliding back for a 5x7 to make 3 1/2x5 count as a 1/2 frame?

I'll end up with a Pen of one sort or another sooner or later. I've been looking for a reasonable small rangefinder that'll take a common (35) film size.

He he I guess that would set an all time size record for a halfframe!

Well I now own a CHAIKA 2 half frame camera, so I guess that makes me an eligible member of this group, except the camera doesn't work.

I have pulled it apart and thankfully it looks a fairly straight forward design, and I am hopeful of getting back together and working. Of course a description of the workings would be very handy, but I am unable to find any on the www. Still it keeps the little grey cells going.

The only thing I'll need then is a lens !!

Dai.

I am posting my gloat, as the Russian camera turned to be a very sad and unhappy story, I am now able to tell all that I have become the very proud owner of a Fujica Drive.

It's a very sturdy and pleasing camera to own, I now only have to clean the aperture blades to allow them to open and I feel sure I will have a very useful camera.

More to follow.

Dai the happy chappie.

More gloat, I now have two Canon Dial 35's. Neither of which work at the moment but I have enough bits to make a good one.
Anyone with knowledge of how the shutters charge (or cock in English) I would welcome some advise.

Dai.

OK, the gloating is over, the two canon dial 35's I was convinced I would get a working camera out of hasn't happened, and I don't seem to have the time to pursue the repair.

So it's on the back burner for a while.

I am still buying cameras which is now getting out of hand, I need rehab !!!

Dai.

Well I could not resist it, I am now the proud ? owner of my third canon dial 35, and this one works, or so the seller has said.

I'll let you know.
Dai.

Good luck, Dai. I admire your persistence.

An old friend died and his widow gave me all his collected cameras and among them is a Pen F and a donor body from an Olympus gastroscope of long ago, like before digital cameras. I understand the spring on the FT shutter needs replacing and I'm wondering if I really need another camera. A CLA is pretty pricey but it would make me feel better if I had it done for his memory.

We'll see.
Murray

Murray, my persistence is starting to flag, this 3rd camera is the worst of them all. It has been worked on and left in a very poor state, but on the bright side it has given me the impetus to take it apart. I can see why not many people are game to work on these cameras, they are very difficult.

I now have one camera in bits and they break down into a few major parts, the lens and shutter, the light meter and the winding mechanism. I have problems in two areas the light meter and the winding mechanism.

I feel sure that I can make up a good camera, but not at the moment, I'll have to come back to it.

Meanwhile my Fuji Drive is looking good a just yet.

I am pleased toe hear that all is well with you.

Regards Dai.

Gee, Dai. You have the most terrible luck. Only the Chaika was a cot case and I haven't progressed beyond looking at the donor you sent me, I confess. A 'parts' camera was just that - a Kiev 4 and I passed that on to another for his needs except for a couple of bits.
I note the price of FSU cameras is rising although the rationale for that escapes me. So is the Oz$ & it compensates a bit temporally.
Keep battling

Murray

In half-frames I've been sticking with an Olympus Pen-S a nifty littie camera that is as easy to use as it is well built. A great package that came from Goodwilleys at a great piice - -- even found the solf leather case in a "bargain" bin . Some of these "mature" metal cameras are just not in the memory banks of the sorting crews. (under $6 bucks) This looker works as new!

My father had a saying that it was better to be born lucky than rich. My luck in opshops so far is pretty poor. I once looked at a Nikon SLR but it wasn't what I wanted and a guy next me grabbed it and said to the staff that it was a 'valuable' camera. OK - but only to someone who wanted it! Best buy so far is an Agfa 110!

40 years ago I had a Pen auto half and it was great. It was used extensively thru Europe when we lived there. I foolishly gave it to a grand-daughter who promptly lost it. You don't appreciate anything you don't pay for with your own good money at that age. Even my daughter lost a Pentax MX I gave her.. Grumble, grumble.

Murray

Went to the Queensland Photographic Society "Cameraholic Meeting" today and managed to resist all the hugely overpriced film cameras except for a Canon Demi. Half frame yes, but 'demi' in size, no.

Is a but misty in the viewfinder but it has had a soft case all theses years it looks like cos the meter is still working and the UV filter has saved the lens from any injustice.

There is always a but - and that is the inside which the matte finish is in poor shape. I won't know how much it is important until I try some film thru it. No rough spots to rub on the film everything else OK inside.

The camera reminds me a lot of the Canonet 28 I had here but w/o the rangefinder. Like that one on manual it reverts to 1/30th otherwise automatic which is why it's important the meter functions OK.

Pleased with my $10 buy. May be no bargain if the meter is out and I don't want to shoot @ 1/30th.

Just fished a piece of slit Shanghai GP3 from the Pentax Auto 110 but have to develop it yet. I must remember to always pull the paper backing out and the film will follow. The reverse doesn't work - the paper just jams it solid. I had to crack it open in the dark! Done it twice now but it was so long ago I forgot.

Murray

Yo Murray, Lucks holding out . My other1/2 frame is a Minolta Repo . A 12.95 buy some time ago. Its Rokkor 1:2.8/30 lens and meter both work fine. A more resent find on the Internets big auction site yealded a much larger(and heavier) Minolta Uniomat! This beauty ,at a cost of 5 bucks +shipping came with a description of "no issues except for a small ding on the filter ring " Yup it showed in the picture. Well a sm.pair of pliers and on went the UV filter. The Minolta Rokkor lens in 1:2.8/45 uses a Optiper Uni Citizen shutter , the Repo, a Citizen-L. Guess they were the go-to folks back in the day. Fifty plus years ans these guys act like they just walked out the camera store. Wonder if the fancy-smancy digi's will hold up as well.

Hi all, just another update, I am now the owner of an Olympus EE-2 half frame camera, the loose lens seems to be not much of a problem ( famous last words ) but the rust on on the rear door may be ???

Well I do like a challenge, and if it works it will be well worth the effort to make it "like new" ish.


Dai.

Among my souveniers I found a Vivitar plastic camera (35mm) which came as a gift for subscribing to Readers Digest or whatever. I notice it has a 25mm lens and that would be a perfect half frame lens. Everything is plastic (dunno abt. the lens) and I am tempted to crack it open to see if the winder could be modified to wind 4 teeth instead of eight of the sprocket wheel per single frame wind. Wouldn't it be a hoot if one could make a half frame onesself? .

Murray

I ran a strip of film thru the canon demi and despite my misgivings there is no light leak. Hopes remain eternal.

It's been a long time since I posted on this site.

This is an update to my Olympus acquisition, it was very rusty and hence of no use to me.

So apart from my three Canon Dial (none of which work and I can't even make one good one out of the three) I do have a Fuji drive which works sort of (the film wind on is not the best) but I can take photos with it and, my luck so far is not very good.

I am however having lots of luck with digital cameras !!

Dai.

Challenge Work

G'day, Dai and Stephen. I was disappointed with the film I used in the Canon Demi. Rollei 80s. I really didn't expect it to be quite so 'microfilm' in character and therefore needing special developers.

I know the digitals are so neat and pocketable. I bought a Samsung {?ST30?} and with 10Mpx and 3x zoom and built-in flash it's of the same volume as my Minox B with the flash attached. Cost me all of AU$60. What with that and seeing some spectacular phone pictures I now have a 1000; of film with nothing to do.

I must get back to that Chaika. It's a challenge for me as I've been very ill these last 9 months - in and out of hospital and still largely house bound. Gradually getting stronger but I lost 10kg. Not a method to lose weight I can vouch for. :-(

Murray