Vintage Cameras

[Dr Bill]

Part of my vintage camera collection, most from the turn of the century. 

[Dr Bill]

Hidden camera Bogey finds inside a statue in the 1946 Howard Hawk's film The Big Sleep.

[Dr Bill]

Jimmy Stewart's Exakta Varex in Hitchcock's 1954 Rear Window.

[Antoine1973]

This is fascinating, those cameras are absolutely stunning.  I love the ones from The Big Sleep and Rear Window!

[okiehawker]

They look to be in amazing condition, Dr. Bill!  Are those the actual cameras used in those movies?  Okie

[Dr Bill]

They look to be in amazing condition, Dr. Bill!  Are those the actual cameras used in those movies?  Okie

Not the actual cameras from the films, but fully working examples from the same date. I'll soon have a 400mm telephoto that was teamed with the Exakta.

Rear Window


The Big Sleep

[Harry Caul]

Great collection!  Do you get to put film through them very often?

[Dr Bill]

Great collection!  Do you get to put film through them very often?

Thanks - I ran a roll of 35mm B&W through the Exakta years ago when I found it, but not lately. The Zeiss Super Ikonta (from the Big Sleep) takes 120 film, but it's harder to find these days and I no longer have a darkroom to process it. Many of the others shown took emulsion coated glass plates - not something I've tried, although I do have some of the plate holders used with them.

[Dr Bill]

This is fascinating, those cameras are absolutely stunning.  I love the ones from The Big Sleep and Rear Window!

Thanks, Antoine. Most were obtained from various auctions. I've learned to see beneath the dirt and grime and many times I'm able to get cameras in great condition for a good price. I've become pretty good at refurbishing them, mostly disassembling, cleaning, and bringing old shutters back to life, but many of my more complicated Zeiss Ikontas were sent to a pro for CLA (clean, lubricate, and adjust). I do take care not to do too much restoration - no repainting or refinishing the mahogany on the plate cameras. Finding a close-to-mint camera is the key, then just enough care to bring it back to life. It's pretty amazing to find 70-100 year-old cameras still in operating condition.

[redman]

Hitchcocks cameo from Young and Innocent

[Neo]

Awesome collection.  The fact that they're in great condition is amazing - 70-100 years old.  Wow.  I have a few film cameras from the 80s and 90s, and a few of them I had to buy/return 2-3 examples before I found one in great condition.