Cheap Shots II - Recycled and Reloaded

It was almost three years ago that the Ann Arbor Area Crappy Camera Club (A3C3) held it first exhibition of members' images. In the spring of 2007, we had Cheap Shots at a gallery on the second floor of Nichols Arcade. It was a tremendous success, and we gained a bit of exposure because of it. Since then, we have had some smaller shows, though the one in the fall of 2008 at the Argus Building was certainly very much a large group effort. This year, we are showing Cheap Shots II - Recycled and Reloaded at the ReArt Gallery, located within the Recycle Reuse Center at 2420 South Industrial Road in Ann Arbor. It will run from Jan. 4-31, with the show reception being held on Jan. 9 from 2-4 pm.



The main emphasis for this show wasn't so much that of using "crappy cameras," but that of using cameras that were obtained second-hand, at thrift shops, reuse centers, flea markets, etc. to show that old film cameras are actually part of recycling and reusing. In addition, the frames, glass, and some of the mats are recycled, many obtained right from the Recycle Reuse Center.

Mike and John

I finally got all the cats herded, and Mike Myers and John Baird helped me hang the exhibit today, and it looks pretty darn good. There are 24 images from 11 photographers, and all of the prints are really pretty darn nice. A wide variety of imagery, and I think others will like it as well. Heck, maybe someone will even buy a print. I really like getting a show like this together, and once I had the pieces of work in hand or on the way, I felt pretty relaxed about it.

another wall...

A Lesser-known Agfa - The Solina

I do like trying out old cameras. Sometimes I am disappointed in the results, other times surprised. In today's digital world, most of the cameras operate so similarly that one can pick up a Nikon or a Canon or an Olympus and begin using it without too much thought. Not so, back in the days of vintage cameras. Some designs (like the Kodak Retinas) had the film advance lever on the bottom, or on the left (Exakta), or perhaps it was a knob to wind the film (many designs) instead of a ratcheting lever. Some cameras have rangefinder focusing, others scale focusing. The variations on a pretty basic set of features is amazing, and perhaps that is why so many people like collecting old cameras.

The Agfa Solina pictured above, was made from 1960-62, and features a 45mmm Agfa Color Apotar lens (I'm thinking 3 elements), witha maximum aperture of f3.5. Shutter speeds range from B-1/200, and it has scale focusing. According to McKeown's it was distributed in the USA by Montgomery Ward. Current value is from $25-$40.

Okay, enough of the the geeky stuff -- how does the camera perform? Well, I have shot 2 rolls of film in the camera, and it reminds me a bit of the Kodak Retinette with similar features. The only knock on the camera might be the scale focus, since that's always a problem between 3 feet an 20 feet at wide-open apertures. Otherwise, it is a lightweight camera with a nice clear viewfinder and is simple to operate. Here are a few recent photos:

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