Kodak Brownie Reflex 20

I have been fairly quiet on the blogging front, as I have been preoccupied with getting another 'zine ready. Monochrome Mania #3 is ready to go to print, and it just happens that I left out one camera from my selection of lo-fi cameras in the issue. I ended up buying a bunch of 620 cameras while preparing the material for the next issue of Monochrome Mania. Some of them were models that that I had owned at one time, over a decade ago. I wanted to be be able to photograph them all, as well as run a roll or two of film to see the results with a more nuanced eye than I would have had back then.  One thing I noticed right away, is that while some manufacturers kept putting the same camera out for years with nothing more than cosmetic changes (i.e., the Spartus Full-Vue), others, such as Kodak took a basic design and changed it up a bit, and gave it a different name with each iteration.  Such is the case with the Brownie Reflex 20.  I previously wrote a post about the Kodak Brownie Twin 20, which I found to be easy to use, and produced satisfactory results. The Brownie Reflex 20 is pretty much the same camera, but with only a nice bright waist-level reflex viewfinder. This faux-TLR features the same EV aperture selection, one shutter speed, and body shape and controls as the Twin 20.  The brilliant viewfinder is easy to use, and I think makes it a better "user" than the Twin 20.  

If you are out and about in the eBay Universe, or maybe your local thrift store, you should also take a look at the Kodak Brownie Flash 20 or the Brownie Flashmite 20. Again, these models have identical controls as the Twin 20 and reflex 20 cameras, but incorporate an eye-level viewfinder and a built-in flash, with the Flashmite 20 using a small AG-1 flashbulb, and the Flash 20 using an M8 bulb. The keyword in looking for these cameras is the "20" designation, which means they use 620 film.  Of course, you can respool 120 to 620 spools giving you a broader selection of film. The EV markings are equivalent to f/11, f/16, and f/22, all at about 1/100 sec.  I found that I could use the same 33mm Series VI filter adapter that I used on the Twin 20, so I presume that holds true for the other two models mentioned here.  These cameras are not to be confused with the smaller Kodak 127 cameras that look similar, such as the Starflex, Starmite, Starflash, or Startech.  

Using the Reflex 20 was the same as the Twin 20, except for the fact that the brilliant reflex viewfinder made composition easier and goes well with the placement of the shutter button.  

I loaded some respooled Tmax 100 that was about 20 years expired, and developed in in HC110B for 6 minutes. Results were excellent!  The Tmax 100 had been refrigerated for most of its life, and is a perfect film for these cameras.  I basically shot most of the 12 exposures walking around the Vance monument in Asheville, NC. 

Overall, I'd say this this is my favorite Brownie-labeled camera, a notch up from the Brownie Hawkeye, with better ergonomics and some means of exposure control and zone-focus.  The Brownie - 20 series cameras were made from 1959 to mid-1960s,and I feel that the Reflex 20 is the best of the bunch. All four models take 6x6 cm negatives on 620, have the same zone-focus and EV aperture settings, but the Reflex 20 has the best viewfinder and a separate flash unit that most people will never use, anyway.  Drop in some 100 ISO film and you are ready to go.

Here are a few images.  Those lenses are actually quite good, in comparison with a Holga or Diana.

It's the Holiday Season

Holiday Flash Brownie

Now that I can develop my own C-41, it's given me the chance to catch up on some larger roll-film developing, and this roll of Kodak Portra 160 that was respooled for 127 had been sitting on my shelf since after World Toy Camera Day (back in early October).   I shot it in a Kodak Brownie Holiday Flash, an unassuming little Bakelite camera that has been sitting on my shelf, as well. As far as 127 goes, it's a full-frame model, meaning that the negatives are ca. 4x6 cm, giving 8 shots per roll. This camera has a Dakon lens, so it was manufactured  between 1955 and 1963.
I didn't know what to expect from this little camera, but I took it out for a walk to peach Mountain Observatory near Dexter, MI, and it turns out that it may have given me the best images for WTCD that I've taken in a while.
It certainly qualifies as a toy camera, as there is only a shutter button for control.  That's as rudimentary as any box camera.  The Holiday Flash Brownie also has a glass cousin, a Christmas tree ornament that I bought about 5 years ago. It's one of

my favorite ornaments, and looks very much like the real thing.
So, I developed the roll of Portra today, and I was astonished at how good the negatives were.  I don't have any film holders for 127, so I simply used the area mask in my V700 scanner, laid the negs emulsion-side down, and covered them with a sheet of 8x10 glass to flatten them out.  I had to tweak the orientation a bit, but overall, the scans came out quite good.  Peach Mountain is mostly UM property, and there is a radio astronomy observatory, as well as a Lowbrow Astronomers Observatory with a 24" optical telescope, and an abandoned UM observatory. All make for some interesting images.  The sunny day and open shade did not thwart the Portra 160's latitude.  I can see why this film was used in school portrait cameras, which is where the bulk rolls of Portra 160 come from.

Here is a screen capture of the negatives, followed by some of the scans.

Noteworthy News Regarding Street Photography

Union Station, Chicago, 2012.

Usually, my blog posts are all about me.  Today, I'd like to share a couple links to some other sites and both of them happen to involve street photography.
 From Toronto -- the Stephen Bulger Gallery has acquired the Vivian Maier negatives from the Jeffrey Goldstein collection.  This effectively protects them from the clutches of anyone in the Cook Co. IL government that had silly ideas of claiming copyright on them, and also facilitates their protection and continued showing via a legitimate gallery.  The interview on CBC radio is excellent, and it is quite interesting to hear from a gallery owner.  I have hope that the legal challenges will be tossed out or resolved soon so that we can all see more of Maier's work.

The Lomo LCA 120 camera is making the news. The Phloblographer has a review of it.  I like what I see so far, except for the price.  However, consider this -- the 38mm on 6x6 equals about 21mm in 35mm format.  The only 6x6 medium format camera with a 38mm lens is the Hasselblad SuperWide, a camera which I have actually used.  The Lomo LCA 120 is a pocket camera, has a glass lens, auto-exposure, and zone focus.  The Hasselblad SWC will set you back over $1500 for a used model, and it has nothing auto about it and does not fit into a pocket.  As street photography goes, I see the Lomo LCA 120 as a winner, and I sure wish I could get one to test out.  I was not enamored with my Lomo Belair, and frankly, was very disappointed with it.  The Lomo LCA 120 is a different beast.

Lomography's LCA 120 (image from lomography.com)

Based upon the images I have seen and some other online comments, I believe Lomography has found a niche with this camera.  Anyone that loves shooting 120 film for street photography ought to rejoice.  It's not supposed to be a crappy  toy camera, and it fits in a pocket. It shoots very wide.  It has auto-exposure.  What's not to like? Just the price.  HOWEVER... it's actually in line, given the paucity of new film cameras.

The third thing I want to mention is that I found out last night that Camera Shopper is still being published.  For years, I picked up copies at camera shows in the Detroit area.  For those of you that have never seen an issue, Camera Shopper was a small publication that catered to collectors and always featured fun articles on classic and collectible cameras and accessories.  The buy/sell/trade ads were there, of course, but I really enjoyed the articles.  Then, with most of the shows gone, I had assumed that the magazine went under, a casualty of ebay and the web.  Not so!  It is still being published and a yearly online-only subscription is only $15/10 issues.  A bargain.

...and the last thing... A wonderful overview on the history of the Eastman Kodak Brownie, and how it democratized photography is up on the BBC website.  Check it out!  I have owned a number of Brownies at any given time, and although the name kept being applied to more than cardboard box cameras, simplicity and utility was the hallmark of the cameras that bore the Brownie label.  I think they reached their apex with the Brownie Hawkeye Flash, a wonderful Bakelite-bodied camera from the fifties.

Brownies at George Eastman House