Quickie Review - The Beacon 225

Last September, I purchased a lovely Beacon 225 in the lether case for the sum of $5 at the PTO Thrift shop in Ann arbor.  It was a banner day, because that is when I also bought the Olympus Trip 35 that I have enjoyed using.  The Beacon sat on the shelf over the winter, until I decided to re-spool some 120 film onto 620 spools a few weeks ago.  I loaded some 1997-expired Verichrome Pan - a perfect film for simple cameras such as the Beacon 225.

The Beacon 225 was made by Whitehouse Products in Brooklyn, NY, between 1950 -1958.  Whitehouse Products is another of those post-WWII camera companies that lasted about a decade. The Beacon II is very similar, but it's smaller and takes 127 film.  The Beacon 225, like the Beacon II, has a collapsible lens box that snaps into place when pulled away from the body. Then, the shutter will fire.  The Beacon 225 takes 12  6x6 cm images on 620 roll film.  The shutter speeds are Instant and Bulb, with aperture settings for sunny ("brite") (f/16?) and cloudy ("dull") (f/8?).  The lens is a 70 mm coated doublet.  There is a tripod thread on the bottom of the camera.  The red window in the back is set in a rectangular frame. The camera is mostly black plastic of some sort, and is actually rather attractive.  It collapses to a respectable size that would fit into a coat pocket.

On March 20, I shot the roll of Verichrome Pan, mostly along the beach in Muskegon, MI.  The wind was really gusty, and sand was blowing all over the place.  What better conditions to use a cheap camera?

I developed the Verichrome Pan in D-76 1:1 for 9 minutes.  Overall,  I am quite pleased with the results, and the subject matter was perfectly suited to this camera.

6x6 Folding Cameras

Agfa Isolette 4.5

6x6 Folding Cameras

When I first started getting serious about being a photographer, I picked up a medium-format (120 film) folding bellows camera for something like $15. It was an early version Agfa Isolette which surprised me with the quality of the images I got from it. That was back around 2000-2001, and the camera was probably given to someone over the years. I have had a few other 6x6 and 6 x 4.5 folding cameras, as well as 6x9 folders. In my opinion, a 6x6 folder is the optimal MF pocketable camera. You get the full benefit of the square negative, portability, and 12 exposures/roll. While a 6x9 cm folder will give you more film real estate, you also have a larger camera, and many of the cameras available are quite old, with problematic bellows, and the additional problem of anything Kodak probably needing 620 film. There are a plethora of folding cameras out there by Balda, Franka, Certo, Voigtlander, Zeiss-Ikon, Kodak, and Agfa, to name a few. Here, I want to focus on only 6x6 folders, which I believe offer the best value and ease of use.

For some reason, there are fewer choices for 6x6 folding cameras, and your most common examples available are those made by Agfa and Ansco. Most of the models are post WWII, made from 1946-1960.


Ansco Speedex

The Speedex B2 and Standard and the Speedex Jr. were made in USA. The Speedex B2 (B2 was the Ansco film size = 120) appeared in 1940, and featured ½ sec - 1/250 shutter, + B.

• The standard Speedex appeared ca. 1950, and featured an f/6.3 - 22 lens, B, ½ - 1/100 shutter speed, and a black plastic top deck. 
• Speedex Special - ca. 1952, had an Agfa Apotar f/4.5 lens and Prontor shutter. 
• Speedex Jr. - 1945-48, 1 shutter speed. Basically, a folding box camera. 
• Super Speedex - 1953-58, couples rangefinder, Solina 75mm f/3.5 lens, Synchro Compur shutter with 1 sec - 1/500 (same as the Agfa Super Isolette). In 1953 it sold for $120. 
• Ansco Titan - Ansco Anastigmat 90mm lens with f/4.5 lens, 1/2 sec - 1/400, T, B. 1949. 

Agfa Isolette (sometimes spelled Jsolette)

• Agfa Isolette - The original model was made from 1938-1942, and was dual format with a mask and two red windows for 6x4.5 and 6x6 negatives. There are various lens and shutter combinations. 1960 was the last year of manufacture. 
• Isolette 4.5 - (1945-1950) 6x6 only. Apotar f/4.5- f/22, 8.5 cm lens in Compur-Rapid or Prontor-S shutters. 1-1/500 sec, T, B. 
• Isolette I - (1951-58) Vario Shutter, B, 1/25, 1/50, 1/200; Agnar 85mm f/4.5 lens. PC sync on rim of shutter. 
• Isolette II - (1950-1960) Prontor-S shutter, B - 1/300, Apotar f/4.5 85mm lens. 
• Isolette III - (1952-1958) uncoupled rangefinder, Solinar or Apotar lens, Synchr-Compur (B, 1- 1/500 sec) or Pronto shutter, B - 1/25 - 1/200 
• Isolette V - (1950-52) 85mm Agnar f/4.5 lens, Vario Synchro shutter, B, 1/25, 1/75, 1/200 sec. 
• Isolette L - (1957-1960) can use 35mm or 120, uncoupled meter, Pronto Synchro shutter, Apotar f/4.5 lens, B, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/200 sec. 

While many of these cameras are quite usable, the one single problem that most have is the green grease that was used on the focus helical has solidified. This usually requires some dis-assembly, and use of Naptha to free up the helical. In some cases, you may think the helical is working, but you are only turning the lens via loosened mounting screws. Once you have a free-moving helical, and if the lenses are clear and shutter is firing properly, you’ll have an excellent pocket 120 film camera.

Ansco Speedex, ca. 2003

Things to check for in buying any folding camera:

• Pinholes in the bellows 
• Fungus or haze on the lenses 
• Properly working shutter 
• Focus mechanism 
• Clean interior. 
• Winding knob turns freely. 

Using a 6x6 folder is quite easy - press the release button to drop the bed and the self-erecting lensboard pops up and extends the bellows. Figure out your distance, aperture and shutter speed for four situation, cock the shutter and fire. Advance film to the next frame, and repeat. While these lenses are not as fast as most TLR cameras, they are probably going to produce excellent results at F/8 and smaller apertures, anyway. Most of the Ansco/Agfa 6x6 cameras feature a “cold shoe” on the top deck, which can hold a rangefinder attachment or a flash with a PC connector. The Isolettes have an array of lens/shutter combinations that often have a PC connector for flashbulb, and later, X-sync. Any single model will have several variations.

Ricoh Six Image

Other Manufacturers


Balda, Certo-Six, Franka Solida, Ricoh-Six, Voigtlander Perkeo, Zeiss Ikonta , Zeiss Nettar, Zeiss Nettax. There are as multitude of confusing names and features in the Zeiss-Ikon family, and the Ikonta B is a place to start exploring. Luckily, the majority of 6x6 folders were made in Europe, so 120 film usage is a certainty in those cameras.





Prices
Prices are all over the place for the Isolettes, but the higher-end models will always command more money. Most sellers do not know what model Isolette or Speedex they are selling, so carefully examine the images to see what model you are bidding on. Go to Certo6 and Camera-Wiki to get more information on the various models.

Is this the end?

Yesterday, all of the online sites were abuzz with the news that Fuji was no longer going to produce FP-100C, the last peel-apart film for Polaroid pack-film cameras.   We should have been warned when Fuji stopped manufacturing FP-3000B in 2013 -- the beautiful black and white film that many of us really loved.  I love using the Polaroid Land Cameras -- the results are fun, unique, and the Fuji color film is especially vibrant.  

Some rumors claim that the FP100C that Fuji has been selling was the last batch anyway, and whatever is left in stock anywhere is all that remains.  Consequently, prices have shot up from the $8.99/pack that I paid last year, to over $32.00 on some sites.   I have about 4 packs left, so I will use what I have for special projects, and that will be it for me.  Likewise, prices for pack film cameras will tumble.

Will another company take over production the way the Impossible Project did?  I wouldn't hold my breath.  It's a niche market. Fuji is making a ton of money on its Instax film.  They have the market cornered there.   The newest pack-film cameras are 15 years old or so, and the film represents a small percentage of sales.

It is ironic that the announcement from Fuji came on the anniversary of Edwin Land's death - March 1, 1991.

The end.

Point and Shoot Review - Canon Sure Shot Max

This plastic-bodied, slim point and shoot from Canon appeared in 1991. Called the Autoboy Mini in Japan, and Prima 5 in Europe, it is a pretty sensible camera that does not try to do too much.  With its 38mm f/3.5 lens, the Sure Shot Max is a compact AF camera that fits in a jacket pocket and can be ready for photography almost immediately.  It has one odd little feature - you turn the camera on with the switch located on the lens bezel.  With the lens retracted into the body, it sure does have a thin profile.



Features:

• 3 point smart AF, prefocus is enabled.
• 38mm f/3.5 lens  (3 elements in 3 groups)
• Shutter: Electromagnetic programmed shutter and aperture. Range of f/3.5 to f/22; 1/8 sec - 1/250 sec shutter speeds, all automatic. 
• Self-timer
• Viewfinder: 85% coverage, parallax correction frame, OK to shoot indicator, flash-ready, red-eye reduction indicator, and close-up warning.
• DX coded ISO setting from ISO 25-3200. 
• Flash: Built-in, Guide No. 9 (at ISO 100). Flash can be turned off. Red-eye reduction lamp.
• Battery: 1 3V CR123A.
• Film winding is automatic, rewind automatic at end of roll. 
• Weight: 245 grams w/battery; dimensions- 125 x 68 x 43mm
• Tripod socket

My overall impression while using this camera is that it works pretty well as a walk-around camera.  I shot a roll of Kodak Tri-X over the course of a week, and found it was easiest to leave the camera on while in my jacket pocket, which means its ready to shoot.  One thing in its favor is the fixed focal length, which not only makes the camera lighter, but also more nimble.  There are a lot of P&S cameras out there that lack some of the features of this Sure Shot Max, and definitely many that surpass it, but I think Sure-Shot means just that.  It was a relatively cheap snapshot camera (okay, I paid 50 cents for this one) that is going to get an image in most situations.  I have not yet tried it with any color film, but it looks like it will get a spot in one of my camera bags to shoot with again.

Here are some sample images from lunch-hour walks around town:

The Argoflex E and 120 film

Argus (located right here in Ann Arbor, MI) started producing a twins lens reflex camera before WWII, and the first model was the Argoflex E (1940-42).   It is a Bakelite-bodied camera with gear-coupled taking and viewing lenses, and actually very similar to  the Voigtlander Focusing Brilliant TLR.  The Argoflex E can use 620 and 120 film in the pre-war model, which can be easily distinguished from the post-war version by the presence of a small spindle knob on the upper left side of the earlier camera.  The post-war  version merely has a circular piece of trim in the same spot.   Film is wound with the advance knob on the right side, and you look through the red window (which has a turnable shield) to watch the film advance.

The Argoflex E has a 75mm f/4.5 Varex Anastigmat lens (uncoated in pre-war version).  The shutter speeds are 1/10 – 1/200, sec, plus B and T.  Apertures range from f/4.5-f/18.  There is a place to screw in a remote release on the rim of the shutter housing.    The viewing lens features a depth of field scale that you can view from above.

The post-war Argoflex E (1946-1948) can also use 120 film, contrary to Henry Gambino's assertion in Argomania. Of course, with Argus always tweaking things, it's possible that some cameras made later in the cycle do not accept 120 in the supply side of the camera.  The post-war Argoflex E also has a coated lens, which should help with flare.

The Argoflex E does not have double-exposure prevention, so it can be used to make multiple exposures.  For some, that may make it a very ideal TLR.

What about other Argoflex models?
After Argus shelved  the Argoflex II and replaced it with the Argoflex EM (1948) and EF (1948-1951), these metal-bodied cameras took only 620 film, and 120 film spools cannot be used in them.

The later Argoflexes do not have coupled taking and viewing lenses, and except for the Argus Super 75 and the Argus 40, do not have adjustments except for “Instant” and “Time.”  None of these models can use 120 film rolls.

So, the Argoflex E is certainly still a usable camera, and since it readily accepts 120 film, it's worth a try.  Some things to look for and to be aware of, though.  Number one is the reflex mirror, which is now  over 70 years old, and may be de-silvering or corroded, or just very dusty, depending on where the camera was kept all this time.  In other words, the image in the viewfinder will not be as bright as that of a Rollei or a Yashicamat.   The shutters appear to be fairly dependable, but remember that these are old cameras, so they could be sluggish.  The lenses may also need cleaning if they are hazy.  In addition, the lack of coated lenses will probably give you less-contrast in the image. One remedy would be to find a UV filter that can slip in place over the taking lens (there is no threaded filter ring). The Argoflex E is certainly as better camera than the Kodak reflex cameras, all of which require 620 film.

Should you buy one?  I would say it depends on the condition of the camera and of course, the price.  While not as complex or as well engineered as cameras from the 50s - 70s, it can  produce sharp images when stopped down.  Depending on the lens condition, wide-open quality will vary.  The reflex mirror's age will also produce a dimmer image in the viewfinder, but using the pop-up magnifier may help with focus.  I would not pay more than $40 for one.

On  February 6, the A3C3 met up at Matthaei Botanical gardens.  I shot a roll of Ilford Delta 100 in the Argoflex E, and developed it in D76, 1:1.   Overall, my light-meter estimation worked pretty well, and the images came out better than expected. Here are a few.