January 27 - Happy 127 film day

Shanghai's GP3 127 film - the only currently available fresh  b&w 127 film

Well, my buddies at the Film Photography Project have announced today as 127 film day, and let's take a little look at the film that was once called "vest pocket" film by Eastman Kodak. 127 film was introduced in 1912 by Kodak for its Vest Pocket cameras.  The reason it is called 127 is because it was the 27th roll film introduced by Kodak since the 101 size in 1895.  (Which means that 120 was the 20th size that Kodak introduced, - sorry to deflate you, 120mm idiots). The Kodak Vest Pocket camera was truly an innovation at a time when "real photographers" were still using glass plates.  The camera collapsed into a thick object the size of a tobacco tin, and did fit into a vest pocket, back when men wore vests.  The VP Kodak was possibly one of the few cameras used by soldiers in WWI to document what it was like in the trenches.  Collapsed, it could be easily hidden, and quickly brought out to use.  The "trellis struts" held the front standard away from the back. The lens was a Meniscus Achromatic with a Kodak ball-bearing shutter. This YouTube video on the VP in WWI is definitely worth a watch.

The OG VP Kodak.  1912-1914. Image courtesy of SBA73 on Flickr

From the start, 127 was the "miniature" film, as other cameras at the time used much larger formats. Back in the heyday of folding cameras and consumer-oriented box cameras, you typically received contact prints from the drugstore where you dropped off your film. For 120, 116, and larger formats, the contact prints were of a decent size, but with 127, the biggest size was 1-5/8 x 2-1/2 inches - what we might call wallet-size photos today. 127 film is a roll-film, and the full frame size is 4 x 6.5 cm. However, you can also have 4x4 cm  and 3x4 cm negatives (half-frame), resulting in 16 exposures.  A fairly economical choice for the casual snap-shooter. 

From the Bell & Howell Electric Eye (2004)

from the Kodak Brownie Reflex (2011)

from a Beacon 127 camera (2004)

 Kodak went on to produce a lot of 127 film cameras, from the Vest Pocket (1912) and the No. 0 Brownie box camera (1914) to the last one, the Brownie Fiesta in 1966.   To Kodak, the 127 film format was for every-day consumers, and the cameras they produced for it reflected that.  However, with the introduction of the 126 Instamatic in 1963, the days for 127 were numbered.  Mom and Pop no longer had to thread the film from the spools. Just drop in the cartridge and you were ready for at least two holidays.  That would have been 126 day - yesterday!

Kodak's Bakelite wonders - Baby Brownie Special and Baby Brownie

Imperial Mark 27

The Fed-Flash

One of the varieties of the Clix-O-Flex

About as cheap as you can get - a Deluxe Cinex

There are a plethora of cheap US-made 127 cameras available - and most of them are simply nothing more than toy cameras, such as those sold under the Falcon name by the Utility Mfg. Co. in New York. Metropolitan Industries in Chicago sold a slew of 127 cameras, with the Clix-O-Flex being the most well-known. Spartus in Chicago sold many inexpensive 120 and 35mm cameras, but also a couple for 127- the Cinex and the Spartus folding camera - which greatly resembles the original VP Kodak. Almost all these cheaper cameras appeared in the late 1930s until WWII.  

A shot from my Clix-O-Flex, 2007

There are also lots of European cameras that were made for 127 film. Some from Ferrania, and the first Exaktas from Ihagee before the Kine Exakta I. The Bilora Bella 44 was sold in several versions..  The Purma Special (1937-51) from Great Britain might be one of the most elegant and yet strange designs for a camera.  Ruberg and Renner in Hagen, Germany, manufactured a bunch of 127 cameras in the 1930s. Zeiss Ikon sold the Baby-Box cameras and the Kolibri in the 1930s. Nagel's Pupille,  Ranca, and Vollenda cameras are well-made 127 models, sold before Kodak acquired Nagel in the late 1930s.  

Ferrania Rondine - cute, eh?

Kodak's Vollenda, made by Nagel A.G.

Balda's Micky-Rollbox Model II

Looks much better than it is! The Light Super.

Meanwhile other companies did take the 127 format seriously in the 1950s, and made cameras to take advantage of the smaller film size.  The Baby Rolleiflex, the Yashica-44, and the Sawyers Mark IV are all 4x4 cm Twin Lens Reflex cameras with good optics, a range of shutter speeds, and of course, focus via the TLR method.  I'd say that the 127 TLRs are the most desirable cameras to use for that film size.  So, if you are interested in trying 127 film, look for one of those TLRs.  I'd shy away from any of the cheapest toy cameras to shoot 127, since the film is certainly expensive due to its limited availability, and stick to b&w, so you can home develop.  

The Yashica-44 is a nice little TLR

I sure miss Verichrome Pan film

Kodak stopped producing 127 film in 1995.  It had a long run for a consumer format. Longer than 126, 110, 828, and APS!  

So, happy 127 day!  

Ansco Cadet outfit

Monochrome Mania No. 7 Available

It's taken me longer than I anticipated, but The Magic and Allure of Toy Cameras, Vol. 2 - 35mm, is now available from my Etsy store. At 40 pages including the covers, it's chock full of information and images of 35mm toy cameras, from the very first "35mm" the Kodak 00 Cartridge Premo, to the latest Reto Ultra Wide and Slim.   You can purchase The Magic and Allure of Toy Cameras, Vol. 2 - 35mm at my Etsy store.

First of all, let me tell you about my journey with 35mm toy cameras.  Starting in 2000, when I was really becoming a student of photography - not in the literal sense as a student, but as someone serious about learning all that I could about photography, toy cameras were not on my mind as a creative tool.  I had grown up with the Kodak Instamatic as the camera that was close at hand, and when I got my first 35mm SLR, an Exakta Exa 1a in 1973, it was my every-day camera for a number of years.  My experience with "toy cameras" didn't really happen until the early 2000s, and when I started playing around with them, I found them to be fun adjuncts to the more serious Nikons and my Rollei TLR, and as I shot more with the Holga and other crappy cameras, I saw how they could become a real asset to anyone shooting film that wanted something out of the ordinary.  Over the years, I have always had my share of toy cameras, and when I published the third issue of Monochrome Mania that featured 120/620 toy cameras, I knew that a follow-up with 35mm cameras had to be done.  It turned out to be not as simple as I thought it would because there are so many more cameras, and I also needed to hunt down and purchase certain models that I knew had to be covered if I were to do a more complete guide to them.  

some sample pages from MM #7.

So, after quite a few more months, I had written a large part of the text, but it really wasn't until late in 2021 that the issue really started coming together. Some days. I would find myself down the Google rabbit hole pursuing information on cameras that just a decade ago, were brand-new, and now very hard to find.  I also knew that there was no way that I could test them all in time for the this issue, nor could I actually get my hands on every single model.  My goal here is to give the reader a good overview of the history of these cameras, with examples of the many types that have been available.  One could spend many years tracking down every example of a 35mm toy camera, and I'll leave that for some other soul.  I think that you will certainly get a lot from this issue, and I hope that I sell them all in a short time!

Due to the full-color printing and the price increases in the publishing industry and postal rates, I have raised the price of MM #7 to $12 + $3 US shipping.  Friends tell me that I am underpricing this issue and should sell it for twice the price.  However, I want to keep it affordable for everyone so long as I cover my expenses and make a small profit.  The price certainly doesn't include the money I spent in obtaining cameras to test and photograph.  I'll recoup those expenses by selling many of these cameras in my Etsy store, so after reading this issue, be sure to check what I have on Etsy in a few weeks, as I start including some of the cameras in the zine in my Etsy offerings.

I look forward to hearing from the readers what they think of this latest issue!

This image

shot with this camera.

It's About Time

The Phochron XA shutter tester and a Kodak Duex

In issue 3 of Monochrome Mania, I provided estimated shutter speeds for most of the cameras that I listed. At the time, I had not tested the speeds with my shutter tester - The Phochron  XA. I probably should have done so before publication, but it just didn't happen.  One of my readers asked me if I had checked the speeds or used the ones given in the literature. The ones provided in the various sources are what I used, because they are the benchmark numbers that provide a basis from which to work from.  I don't expect any of these cameras to have the same shutter speed across all examples.

Today, I went and tested a number of my toy cameras. I repeated each shutter activation 6-10 times, and got an average speed.  The numbers listed below don't mean that every example of a camera will have the same speeds, but you can compare what I found with the published speeds and go from there. All shutter speeds from my test are given as the average.

120 Cameras (Listed in the same order as in MM#3)

The Diana

DIANA

First up is the mighty Diana, and the shutter speeds of the original versus the Lomography Diana + are definitely different. The original Diana shutter speed was given at about 1/60, and the Diana + at 1/100 sec.  Here's what I found.

• Original Diana - 1/130 sec 
• Banier - Diana clone - 1/140 sec
• Diana + No. 1 - 1/72 sec 
• Diana + No. 2 - 1/190 sec

HOLGA

I realize that I didn't provide a shutter speed for the Holga, but it's considered to be about 1/100 sec.

• Holga 120N - 1/170 sec 
• Holga 120S No. 1 - 1/171 sec
• Holga 120S No. 2 - 1/155 sec

DEBONAIR 

The number typically given is 1/60 sec.  My example has an average speed of 1/36 sec.

Agfa Isola I

AGFA ISOLA I

The literature says the shutter speed is 1/30 sec.  Mine has a speed of 1/32 sec., which is certainly within the tolerances!

ANSCO SHUR SHOT 

The typical speed provided is about 1/35 sec.  My example has a shutter speed of 1/50 sec.

SPARTUS FULL-VUE

The shutter speed given is about 1/60 sec.  My example's shutter speed is 1/53 sec.

620 Cameras

ANSCO PANDA

The shutter speed given was 1/30 - 1/50 sec., and my example has a shutter speed of 1/35 sec.

KODAK BROWNIE BULL'S EYE

The instant shutter speed is supposed to be around 1/50 sec, and my example has a shutter speed of 1/38 sec.

KODAK DUAFLEX III

My Duaflex III witha Kodar lens has a shutter speed of 1/48 sec

KODAK DUEX 

The Duex shutter speed is supposed to be "about 1/30 sec," and my example's shutter speed was 1/66 sec.

Beacon 225

BEACON 225

My example of the Beacon 225 has a shutter speed of 1/60 sec.

IMPERIAL MARK XII

Posted shutter speeds are in the 1/30-1/60 sec range. My example has a shutter speed of 1/63 sec.

IMPERIAL SIX TWENTY

My example's shutter speed was 1/50 sec.

IMPERIAL REFLEX

I guess my example's shutter must be a bit fast, as the shutter speed was 1/106 sec.

Photak USC Reflex III

USC REFLEX III

My example of this camera has a shutter speed of exactly 1/60 sec.  

I did not test all of the cameras that are in Monochrome Mania, as some have film in them, and the construction of some makes it difficult to do a speed test.  Your examples my be different from what I found for my cameras, or they may be the same.  However, I think that even if they were fresh from the factory, there would still be variance in the shutter speeds. These are not precision cameras, so do not expect precise shutter speeds.  My biggest surprise was with the Diana and Holga cameras. I did not expect the Holga speeds to be over 1/150 sec, nor did I think that the Diana+ examples would be so different.  However, as I have said before, the variance in performance of those cameras makes them ideal candidates for owning several, as they seem to have individual character. 

The Magic and Allure of Toy Cameras

Just a few of the cameras in Monochrome Mania #3

If you have been following this blog for a while, you have probably seen a few recent posts about 620 and 120 low-fi cameras.  Whether you want to call them toy cameras, crappy cameras, low-fi cameras, or plastic fantastic wonders, is up to you. I’m sticking with toy cameras, because it’s a pretty simple term, but also a bit misleading.  To some, the "toy camera" conjures up a child’s toy that doesn’t really take photos, sort of like one of those Fisher-Price cameras with the rotating images.  That’s not what I am talking about here, or in my new issue of Monochrome Mania #3, "The Magic and Allure of Toy cameras." These are cameras that lack a lot of the controls that we typically use in our photography, or have at best, a reduced amount of functionality.  That puts box cameras, plastic brownies, Dianas, Holgas, faux-TLR Duaflexes, and a bunch of other simple cameras under that umbrella. That lack of precise control is what makes them alluring, and you can make magic with them. 

Some of the crowd that attended the 2007 Cheap Shots exhibit

The work for this latest zine actually started in 2007, when I typed up a partial manuscript for a book on toy cameras.  I had just hung my "Through A lens Softly" show at Pierpont Commons at the University of Michigan, and I was also in the planning stages of an exhibit by members of the Ann Arbor Crappy Camera Club, called "Cheap Shots." While I had been using a Holga since late 2001 and an original Diana a little after that, it wasn’t until the formation of the Ann Arbor Crappy Camera Club in 2006, that I really became encouraged by the use of these cheap cameras. Finding kindred souls just as the digital onslaught was underway was a propitious event that influenced my creativity and social circles.  While I am no longer living in Michigan, I still keep in touch with my Crappy Camera friends.

The many iterations of Kodak "Brownies" not all are 120/620.

The manuscript sat dormant until 2019. As COVID-19 eliminated many of the activities that I had planned, I knew that working on a toy camera issue for my new zine Monochrome Mania would occupy my time.  What I soon realized, was that if I was going to expand the selection of cameras, I needed to go on eBay and purchase camera models that I once owned so that I could photograph them as well as run film through them. At one time, I probably had well over 250 cameras in my house in Ann Arbor, and over the course of a decade, sold off a lot of the ones that I had lost interest in, were shelf queens, or were just unrelated to my photographic interests at the time. Luckily, the market for cheap Bakelite cameras is not an expensive one, and I was able to procure ones that I felt should be in the issue. I limited the scope to medium-format toy cameras for a reason -- 120 and 620 film cameras offer the largest negatives, and one gets all the benefits of cheap lenses. There are quite a few models to choose from, as well.  I left out 127 cameras even though there were hundreds of models made. The film just isn’t readily available, and that made little sense to include them. I do plan on doing a follow-up issue with 35mm toy cameras sometime in 2021.

I don’t know how many hours I spent on writing and rewriting the text for this issue, but the text went through several iterations, and several people received copies to read for any errors of fact and readability. My wife Adrienne is my copy editor and found places where I needed to be more clear.  I was also busy trying out cameras and re-spooling 120 onto 620 spools into October, before I felt that I had enough cameras to include in the issue. In searching for examples from the various models, I ended up going through all my filed negatives back to 2002. It turns out that I had scanned very few of those older negatives because I had made prints of some of them for shows, and the early work really pre-dated the explosion of social media. I found myself scanning in hundreds of negatives, and in doing so, found a good many excellent images that I had forgotten about. I realized that I had nearly 100 negative sheets from my Holgas alone. Another plus for film, as looking only for digital files would have been a real difficult task.

sample pages from MM #3

So, the issue "The Magic and Allure of Toy Cameras" is now available.  It contains reviews of over 20 cameras with historical information, tips on using them, how to modify them, and a multitude of images taken with these cameras.  Every camera reviewed is one that I have shot.  With over 100 figures, this zine is filled with photographs in its 36 pages.  I think it’s one of the best pieces of writing that I have done, and people that have already received a copy are really enthusiastic about it.   At $12 in the USA (which includes shipping) it’s one of the best bargains you’ll ever find.  

Erwin, TN, Spartus Full-Vue

You can order from my marketplace on Square -- links are to the right, and if you live outside of the USA, there are additional order options.  Like all of my issues of Monochrome Mania, this is a real, tangible, in-your-hands item. I do not offer digital versions. If you love film cameras, or know someone that does, this makes a great gift for yourself or others!

Imperial 620 camera

It's been a month!

Yes, it has been a month since my last post. June has been busy, as I have been away over 3  weekends. From the 10-12 of June Adrienne and I were in Bellaire, MI for the Michigan Entomological Society Meeting.  From the 16-19, I was at Photostock in Harbor Springs. And I returned Tuesday from the 23-28 trip to Amenia, NY for Adrienne's mom's 90th birthday.  Lots of miles on my Ford Escape, lots of film to process (starting today),  and lots of digital files to edit. One of the things I have greatly appreciated is being able to use my smartphone (Android) to update during a trip. The images and comments become sort of like placeholders to remind me where I was on these trips. They also inform family and friends where the heck I am at.  I do try and keep a written diary of the photo aspects of a trip, but Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are useful for documenting my travels.  Of course, the snaps I take for Instagram are not of the quality that my real cameras take, but they have their own low-fi charm.

Preparing my equipment for any particular trip is always an interesting dilemma. What cameras do I bring? How many bags? What film? Which digital system?  You are probably saying "This guy has too many cameras."  Truth is, I probably do, but i have pared down quite a bit.  My digital gear is in 3 categories:

• Fuji X100S -- ideal for street shooting, gatherings, and travel.  Limited to only the 35mm-equivalent f/2 lens.   Image quality is fantastic. 
• Nikon D200 or D3200 - full range of lenses, etc.  The 3200 is lighter, more compact, and has a better high ISO ability, but the D200 is more versatile, better overall camera, but fewer MPs.
• Nikon 1J1 - Don't laugh -- this little camera is very capable, and my favorite lenses on it are the wide-angle (28mm equiv.) and my 25mm CCTV lens with the swirly bokeh.  It's a compact, non-threatening, and very creative tool.

Film cameras are a whole different environment.  35mm or medium format? Polaroid or Instax? Toy cameras? Rangefinders? Which SLR system?  and so it goes. June has found me on a Nikon SLR kick, and mostly I have been using the Nikon FG, F3HP, and FM2N.  The FG now sits in my all-purpose bag with the Yashica A TLR, Holga, and Vivitar ultra-wide P&S.  With a 50mm 1.8 and the 36-72mm zoom, for the FG,  it is a nice package.  I love the viewfinder in the F3HP.  As a glasses-wearer, it is perfect for me.  I also know that the F3 is pretty much the perfect camera, unless one is using flash a lot.  The Nikon FM2N is another great camera, and I should use it more than I do.  All manual, and I like the metering.  Solid.

I knew that I would not be doing much photography at the MES meeting, so I took only the Fuji X100S, Nikon D200 bag, and Nikon FG.  

For Photostock, I tried to limit my choices, and ended up taking the Mamiya C330 bag, Fuji X100S, Nikon F3HP bag, and the all-purpose bag, with a sack of Dianas and Holgas for good measure.

For the New York State Trip -- Nikon 1J1 bag, D3200 bag with external flash for the birthday celebration, all-purpose bag, and Nikon FM2N bag. Oh, and also the Leica M2.  The only thing I had forgotten was a Gorillapod for some low-angle shots. My carbon-fiber tripod with a ball head is ALWAYS in the back of the car, and it gets used a lot.  I brought a 19mm lens to use with the FM2N along with a deep yellow filter to shoot a roll of FPP color Infrachrome film.  I hope to have it developed soon.

I know one can go really minimalist for a trip, and I have done so in the past.  However, if I have the room, I may as well bring what I think I'll need.  A long trip has many photo opportunities, and I hate it when I am limited by the tools I can use for a shot.  Also, as you can see, I am not averse to shooting digital, and am not limited to only film.  It all depends on the situation and my desired result.  All these things are tools to be used to get whatever I am after.  It has been a busy and productive month, and  I hope to process all of my film over the next week or so.  In the meantime, here are a few shots from the digital cameras.

fence, Amenia, NY, June 27

Dingmans Falls, PA, June 23

Alley, Clare, MI June 10.

farm at Birchwood Inn, June 16

A.D. Coleman in foreground, Photostock, June 18.

Fishtown, Leland, MI June 19.

Alex, June 16, Photostock.

Letchworth State Park, NY, June 28.

Amenia Burial Ground, June 26.

Some of the images shown here will be part of photosets elsewhere, and some are parts of long-term projects.   I have some specific shows/print projects in mind for the Amenia Burial Ground and the old Murphy Crest farm in Amenia, NY.  Once I develop my film, I'll know here I stand in regards to other imagery.

Is the Holga Factory Closing?

Last night I saw a post on the A3C3 Facebook page, telling us that the Holga factory in China had closed  and whatever stock retailers had would be it.  Shocking!  Freestyle Photo has a page up that indicated this is the case, and it's not April Fool's Day.  So, if this is true, it comes as a complete surprise.  Holga has been the mainstay of toy camera users for nearly 20 years, and has been producing 35mm to 120 wide-format pinhole Holgas, twin-lens Holgas, etc.  Still very basic plastic cameras, and probably cost a fraction to make compared to the selling price. I found this Wall Street Journal article on the Holga factory, which is quite interesting.  Hand-assembled.  Maybe they cost more to make than I thought. In doing some searches, I found this blog, which showcased some of my work from 2012!

After reading the FB post, I went online to Amazon and bought a spare for $31.  I'll leave that one in the box until I actually need to use it. The plain old Holga 120N -- my favorite.  You may love this article I found from 2012.

So, stock up while you can.  In 2002, I paid $15 for a Holga, and now they are over $30 each.   You can also buy a true bargain, the Debonair Camera from the FPP store for the very reasonable price of $19.99.

UPDATE:  It's official. Phone call to Freestyle confirms closing of Holga.