It's a c. 1929 Voigtlander Bessa I folding camera.
The focusing system is such that you pretty much have to guess how far you need to stand from your subject. Fun, huh? You can either focus using the side view or the small circle-shaped finder near the lens.
The original case. He couldn't remember how to get it open (or if a key was actually needed), so he had to slice it.
It's rather weighty, but folds up nice and flat.
The two red glass parts are where you look through to wind/advance the film. The camera uses 120/6x9 cm film, which is nearly obsolete. I found it on a couple websites for $600. Yes, $600. Oh, and the film only has 8 frames. We're skipping that little purchase.
The owner with his camera.
Nice write up. So how did he react when he heard $600 ?
ReplyDeleteNice job! He is the cutest man alive! I wonder why he waited until 2010 to use a camera from the 1920's. And is that your reflection I see on the lens in shot #4?
ReplyDeleteHe just laughed about the price and said it would have to be a "display camera."
ReplyDeleteHe misplaced the camera for several years and only just found it, so I think that's part of the reason for the rekindled interest. And yes, that's my reflection. :)