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17/4 2010 Leica "sceptic" ?. Get your head examined ! The internet is full of "Leica sceptics" who don't miss any chance to critizise Leica cameras, and issue bad reviews and experiences they probably never had. I have read so many negative reviews about the Leica MiniLux Zoom P&S camera, but after finding a test roll of film that I shot some time ago with the Leica MiniLux Zoom and the Leica CF flash I was actually stunned. Allthough many shots were made with a wrong flash setting, I got 36 perfectly usable exposures all shot on a Fuji 800 asa colour film.
I don't give a shit about what
people say about the Leica MiniLux Zoom. I love this camera and it delivers
full value for money and especially when you add the CF flash to
the kit. The CF can be found for as little as 39,- Euro, new and unused on
eBay.
Leica MiniLux Zoom with CF flash on
Fuji 800 ASA film.
A sad situation..... As You may have read elsewhere on my webpage, my health isn't too good, and at the moment it's unfortunately not getting better. Of course i'm very concerned about the future, and especially the future of my humble collection. At the moment only 50% of my collection are shown and described on this webpage, and the missing items include my entire Leica collection, including the extremely rare "Ulzenheimer/Barnack" Leica III, and f.e. Contarex, Steinheil Casca and many others. In addition there's the large collection of Japanese and other Asian cameras too... If I could have my way, I would without any doubt prefer to actually donate my entire collection to a public museum/collection, and keep the collection intact and available on display for everyone who have an interest in analogue photography and classic cameras. Unfortunately there are only 1 (one !) museum in Denmark, and they are not interested and will not guarantee or commit to actually displaying the collection. That makes me very very sad... So what are my options ? Should I sell off my collection piece by piece, or forget all about it, and let my estate take care of disposing of my collection after my death ?. Both options are really heartbreaking for me.. Any suggestions ?? 27/8 2009 Lies, deception and manipulation... Did I say a blonde ?. Of course I meant brunette !!. I lied....;-) There has always been elements of deception and manipulation in the world of photography. Even back in the really old days, some of the first daguerrotypies were colorized by hand, and the art of retouching have employed many skilled craftmen during the history of photography. There has also always been photographers that have manipulated their photographs, put forward trick-photographs of dancing fairies, UFO's, celebrities etc etc etc... When claiming that these photographs are real, authentic and non-manipulated or have been "fixed" these photographers become frauds, simple liars, and nothing more than liars. These guys have always been around, but luckily many of them have been exposed... There are also photographers that arrange and set up their so-called photo-journalistic work that really was supposed to be spilt seconds of reality. I'm sure most of you knows about the controversy concerning Robert Capa's famous "Falling soldier" photograph. I'm not capable of judging this particular photograph, but if he indeed DID arrange and set up this shot, even Robert Capa would be a liar because the photograph were submitted and published as being "the real thing". Of course i'm well aware, that trick-photography can be an artform by its own rite, but only as long as there are no fraudulent intentions, or if it's apparent that it's a creative way of expressing light and shadow. Just yesterday I watched a TV program about a mediocre portrait photographer who were very very proud about the fact, that she could select the face from one shot, and merge/morph it digitally with the body from another shot from the same session, and she were even boasting about it. Well, she's also a liar, and i'm afraid that we have just seen the top of the iceberg when it comes to limitless manipulations that comes out of the world of digital photography and image processing. These possibilities, or should I say temptations, have been made available for even the most unskilled and un-experienced amateur. In the years to come, it will be more and more difficult to tell the difference between reality and fiction, authenticity and frauds, manipulations, lies and thruth.. I would like to say, that to me the core of photography, the essence and primary quality are the unique capability to capture reality, the present, light and shadow and human life in a fraction of a second. It's the capability to freeze one true, unique moment in time in a way that no other media can do. It allows the photographer to share with others what he sees with his eyes, his experiences and feeling of that particular moment. A moment that will never come again.....The pure magic of a moment... This is both a great gift, a privilege and a great responsibility. Don't be tempted to sell out, but stay true to the qualities of the art of photography. Don't become just another liar.. I don't know if your familiar with the Danish film instructors, who back in 1995 created the "Dogma 95" rules, and who have made the most wonderful and expressive motion pictures based on these rules. If not, please take a look at this link: Wikipedia: Dogma 95 Analogue photography still offers the best and superior possibilities of the most genuine, authentic and physical dynamic capture and rendering of the world. The question is whether you recognize this and wish to face up to this responsibilty, philosophy and the integrity that must follow? Or have we come to a point where we really need a kind of "Dogma rules" for still-photographers that want to stay true "to the cause" and to the essential and basic qualities of photography ?. What's YOUR opinion ? What's YOUR rules ?
12/8 2009 It's summer in Denmark, and I really should be out there shooting roll after roll of film and testing a lot of cameras that have piled up. Unfortunately i'm working too much and doing too much overtime these days. As a Danish humourist said some years ago: "They say that work is good for you, and that you can keep up your good health by working. If thats correct, please offer the jobs to those who are sick !!". I really need a break, a blonde, a hotel suite, a Leica and 3 rolls of film !
30/7 2009 Weltini Warning ! Please read !! I received an email the day before yesterday from a visitor that drew my attention to an auction on eBay, asking me if I had put my Weltini I up for auction on eBay. He kindly linked to the auction in question, and would you believe that the seller had used my photograph of the Weltini I in my collection without my permission !. I regard this as not only a violation of my copyright, but also as fraudulent as the photograph does not show the actual camera he has up for auction. In his first reply he just said "he was sorry" and removed the photograph. In 2 later emails he has accused me of "scamming". This is my photograph of the Weltini I in my collection:
Obviously the seller doesn't realize that this particular camera has got one very unique feature; it has an accessory shoe fitted which is not original, and which is unique to this camera. I have of course reported this seller to eBay. If you EVER see my photographs of my cameras anywhere on the internet, and in particular on eBay, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. I can assure you, that I will not sell any of my cameras on eBay unless it is clearly stated that the camera are part of the retrography.com collection, and you can rest assured that if you see any of my (characteristic) photographs on eBay its a fraud !. Please email me at any time if you have any doubts. I have absolutely no respect for neither thieves or frauds and that goes for those from f.e. California in the US as well.....
08/07 2009 Debutantes and beginners... The other day I got an email from Louis. He reminded me that my "For beginners" section of this website is not online and accessable yet. I know, and it's a little embarassing I must admit. The email from Louis also made me think about the term "beginners". Actually there are several kind of beginners. There are the older beginners who, in some way or another, have used an analog camera before, and who are familiar with the film media. But there are also the young beginners, who have never used an analog camera but only digitals, and who would like to explore the world of classic photography. Would you believe me if I told you that I regularely receive emails from young people who now wants to "go analog". The fact is though, that these people require a quite different kind of introduction, because they sometimes have never even held a film cartridge in their hand, and in fact they don't even know how film "works". They still think in "data" and "bits" and "pixels".
26/05 2009 Collector snobbery ? When I, by mistake, occasionally look myself in the mirror I can't help asking myself if I have become somewhat of a camera snob. Do I really practice what I preach ?. Do I really put just as much effort and entuisiasm in acquiring low cost and, low or medium level cameras as I do in getting those expensive and highly acclaimed shooters ?. Am I really a hypocrite ? The answer is no (I think...) Lately destiny and chance has worked in mysterious ways, and quite a lot of those rather expensive cameras has suddenly, and unexpeditely, turned up within a few months and a very favorable prices too. So it's really about picking up those rare and beautiful pearls when they turn up right in front of you. Carpe Diem, you know ;-) But it's also about "strategy". I still want that plastic Diana in my collection that was my very first camera, and I still want a Kodak Instamatic too. Of course any collection should include a Kodak "Brownie" and many other low cost cameras that can be regarded as "milestones" in someway or another. But there are yet plenty to go around, and maybe I will not have the same financial possibilities to get the more expensive items in the future. So I get them when I can and can afford it. Who knows, maybe i'll be out of a job next month, and will have to focus on boxcameras and Instamatics. All in due course.... There is another aspect of this "snobbery". If you've never used and handled f.e. a Leica M2, a Contarex or a Rolleiflex you can't really compare the low costs cameras with the high-end shooters. You don't really get to appreciate that Contax, Rollei or Leica if you haven't tried a Kiev or Zorki, and on the other hand you don't get the same wonderful experience when you meet the solid, pure and liberating simplicity of a no frills, low cost camera like f.e. an Altix N, a Voigtländer Vito CLR or a Ricoh 500G. Speaking of Ricoh I would like to draw Your attention to a totally neglected "classic" IMHO. I am referring to the medium level Ricoh KR10 / KR10 Super SLR, which are so very common here in Denmark. These Ricoh's are ever so reliable and offers the P/K mount which opens thousands of lens options and at a very VERY low price. A true "classic" should not be defined as a camera that is only rare and expensive, but should also be treasured because of its popularity and impact in the strange world of photography.
09/05 2009 The mystery of the missing strap-lugs Many people have wondered about those cameras, german in particular, that doesn't have any strap lugs on the camera body. To some this is a mystery, but when you move focus from the consumer point of view, and look at this "mystery" from the manufacturers point of view and with a businessmans eyes it actually makes perfect sense not to have strap lugs on the camera bodies. One thing is certain, and that is that the production cost (material, assembly, labourcosts) are so unsignificant that this is not the reason why they are missing on so many german cameras. The simple explanation are, that the missing strap lugs makes the sale of a ever-ready case an almost sure thing, and an "optional extra" that isn't really optional but a necessity, right ?. The post war years in the german photoindustry were not easy you know, and even the factories that produced all kinds of leather cases for bothe cameras, lenses and accesories had to start from scratch in the ruins of a devastating war. It's not that far fetched to imagine, that, during negociations between the camera manufacturers and the "case/leather manufacturers", it would have been a strategic demand from the latter to have their piece of the camera case market. If the camera manufacturers wanted cases for lenses and accesories, they also had to make sure that there would be a market for camera cases. In fact the idea of offering the ever-ready case as an optional extra that is really a neccessity, would be a win-win situation for both the camera manufacturer and their subcontractor. Also, if you were to buy a 300,- D-mark Kodak, you would already have calculated with the ever-ready case before visiting your dealer with money in your hand. Well, the fact is also that a leather ever ready case protects your camera (and investment) in the best possible way. Period... You can still experience this way of thinking in the european market if you f.e. want to buy a german car. Almost evrything is "optional extras". Most asian cars are loaded with all kinds of extras, but if you buy a 2009 VW Caddy van, even the electrical operated windows, and electrically operated side mirrors are optional extras. This way of generating additional sales and profits are not uncommon even today. If you buy a flat screen TV you'll most likely need to buy the right wall brackets too, and if you buy a Canon scanner you'll have to get an USB cable also... It's just business.... So you see, the missing strap lugs aren't really a mystery. It's just plain business and common sense ;-)
03/05 2009 WANTED ! Do You know this camera ?
This is the Revue Zoom Date, also known as Fuji Zoom Date. It's supposedly very rare, and I would really appreciate any informations about this camera that you might have. In this case Google is apparently not my friend, and I haven't been able to find anything about this camera anywhere. Help !! Please email me here !
02/05 2009 On the "Welcome" page I state, that "passion is extremely contagious". Well, the last month I have discovered that passion can also be very expensive. Within one month several of the cameras and other items on my want-list that I have been looking for for a long time suddenly turned up. Faith, chance, destiny. Subsequently I have learned that passion can also mean living on porridge, bread and water for a whole month ! ;-). On the other hand I am childishly happy that I have included the Dr. Wöhler "Favor", Finetta 99 from P. Saraber, Ricoh GR1s, Rollei 35 AFM, a snakeskin Leica Minilux DB and several other wonderful items in the Retrography collection. By the way, there is a good chance that my humble collection will be on public display next year on a very prominent location in Denmark. This would make me very happy because I really wan't to share my passion "in real life" and not only on the www. If you enjoy the passion of collecting something, whether it is ball pens, dolls or cameras, you might as well also experience the wonderful feeling that you get from sharing your passion with others. Or what is your opinion ? 26/04 2009 These days i'm enjoying the springtime in Denmark, and shooting some testrolls with different 35mm compacts such as Leica MiniLux + MiniLux Zoom, Olympus mju II and the Pentax Espio Mini (aka Pentax UC-1) and the Contax TVS. Especially the Espio Mini has turned out to be a very pleasant surprice. It's compact, very user friendly and very very fast to operate. No awkvard delays but fast and precise action all the way. I have heard that the 1:3,5 32mm Pentax lens are really good, so i'm looking forward to seeing the testshots. Also, i was struck by the pure genious in the totally manual zoom operation on the Contax TVS. The TVS hasn't got any motor that changes/adjust the zoom focal length, but instead a manual lever operated by your left hand fingers. What a relief !!. It's fast, quiet and wonderfully simple. BUT: Maybe you have allready come to the same inevitable conclusion as I have, that motordrives and electronics and auto-programs are not always an advantage and, strangely enough, not fast enough. Winders may be too slow, motorized zoom-operation too slow, too many programs, settings, overrides and stupidlly small buttons, auto-off functions and bla bla bla.. I would claim, that you can operate and shoot at least just as fast with f.e. a 1960's Voigtländer Vitomatic once familiar with the few and simple settings... The truth is, that in the search for "the simple" you'll most likely end up struggling with all the settings and decisions others have made for you, in stead of just taking pictures. Just read the reviews of modern Point & Shoot cameras. Evrybody is whiiiiining and complaining about not being able to override the programs and electronics. Well, just get a classic and totally manual camera !. There's nothing to it Folks ! :-)
25/04 2009 The beauties and the beasts ? One of the cameras that I have been looking for for a long long time are the very desirable Voigtländer Bessa II with the magnificent Heliar lens. So far this "belle of the ball" has not been within my reach, which of course just makes her a much more desirable german lady ;-).
The 1930's Bessa RF (E-messer), the Bessa I and the Voigtländer Bessa II are in my honest opnion some of the most beautiful medium format folders ever made, and regardless if they are fitted with either the Vaskar, Color Skopar, Heliar or the APO-Lanthar its simply pieces of art and true high quality cameras. Your can read more about the Bessa II on Jürgen Kreckels website (click here)
Now be prepared for a really strange story: If i told you, that some japanese guys have decided to introduce a 2009 Voigtländer Bessa III would you believe me ?. No ?. Well it's actually true, because the guys at Cosina are about to launch a Cosina, which is also a Fuji 667 that has been rebranded as a Voigtländer Bessa III 667. I have never quite been able to understand why Cosina (which owns the Voigtländer brand) doesn't simply sell their cameras under their own name. No matter what label they put on their camera, its still a Cosina, nothing more and nothing less. You can find a original Voigtländer Bessa II in really good condition from app. 400,- Euros to app. 1000,- Euros for a minty one with a Color-Heliar. A 2009 Cosina/Bessa III/Fuji 667 are being launched at 1.999,- Euros !!. So you can save 1000,- Euros by choosing the "real thing", the true original, the famous classic... Whats your choice ?
Above: The Cosina/Voigtländer Bessa III 667/Fuji 667. More info here: www.voigtlaender.de
09/04 2009 Solms in the morning mist I've just returned from a 3000 km journey that took me from north to south through Germany and back to Denmark in 5 days. Having plenty of time to make small detours and overnight stops I had planned to visit Leica in Solms, close to Wetzlar, last tuesday. Unfortunately my travelplans were suddenly changed, and I only had an opportunity to stop by in Solms on a quiet and lazy sunday morning. Of course Leica AG was closed on a sunday, and it may seem strange to You that I made the trip to Solms anyway. But I did, and in fact i'm very happy that i did.... You'de maybe expect that Leica AG are situated in an typical industrial area of the small town of Solms in Hessen, but this is not the case. On the contrary, you have to follow the narrow road from Wetzlar to Solms, and an even narrower winding road takes you through a residential area with wellkept private houses until you reach Oskar-Barnack-Strasse which also are a typical residential area, and a neighborhood with typical german family houses painted in all kinds of light yellowish nuances, from almost white to warm yellow. At the very end of Oskar-Barnack-Strasse, on your left, in the absolute outskirts of Solms, you'll find the discrete Leica headquarters, just alongside the railroad, and with a view over the beautiful valley and the river Lahn.
What could possibly come from a visit on a sunday morning to Leica in Solms you might ask, and with good reason too. What really happened to me was nothing less than a revelation, and a deeper understanding. I'm sure you have read endless theories and hundreds of explanations dealing with the (still un-explained and un-defined ?) subject of the "true magic of Leica lenses". What is it, that the Leica lenses can catch and transfer onto a 35mm B/W negative like no other piece of glass in the world ?. What is really the magical secret behind those lenses, regardless if it's a Summicron, Elmar, Summitar or a Summar, that makes a "Leica image" unique, special and just that bit more expressive and rendering just those inexplainable nuances of light and shadow?. Well, driving through the countryside from Wetzlar to Solms in the early hours of the day, and seeing the morning light between the soft mountain ridges, and the gentle mist in the valley I suddenly realized that it is exactly this that a Leica lens can do better than probably any other piece of glass in the world, capturing all those subtle shades and nuances of grey. From pitch black to bright white. From the almost black mountains closest to the viewer to the whiteish ridges in the far distance. The houses in their yellow nuances that would appear in all kinds of greys on a B/W film. The medieval houses with their black wooden beams on the Eisenmarkt square in Wetzlar. The view over the valley from Altenberg Monastary, the wet cobblestones reflecting the morning light, the arched bridges built from precisely carved pieces of light yellow natural rock, and the black cast iron lampposts in the empty streets.. Oskar Barnack must have experienced mornings like this many many times on his way in and around Wetzlar, and judging from the reels of small films he made in the 20's in Wetzlar, this it also what his eyes saw. Bringing a Leica and its lens out of the workshops and laboratories for practical testing, this is exactly the atmosphere and ambiance he would have strived to catch onto 35mm still photographs, and that Leica lenses delivers to perfection in a palette of subtle and finely tuned variations. The magic does not only come from the workshop, engineering and perfect craftmanship, but also from a way of looking with an artists eye on the surrounding world. The range of Leica lenses with all their different qualities and capabilities are to the photographer what a selection of different brushes would have been to a painter sitting with his canvas on a beautiful misty morning in Wetzlar or i Solms. It all suddenly made perfectly sense to me this beautiful misty sunday morning in Wetzlar and in Solms.
22/03 2009 Mr. Diddly Shit and You...... I guess most people wishes to be recognized, either for what they are, who they are or what they can do and accomplish. It's almost as if it's a primal instinct to seek recognition and aknowledgement from the other "members of the flock". This is also the case with many photographers who posts their work on all kind of websites, and put them up for evaluation and criticism by their peers and fellow "flockmembers". Some prople benefit from the feedback and get even more inspired, whilst other get devestated and looses their courage and incitement all together. Let me be absolutely clear about my personal opinion about this issue: If you are a beginner and newcomer, don't waste time and energy by trying to please evrybody by submitting your photos for evaluation by people that probably don't grasp your ideas, your style or ways of expression. There are no end to all the stupid and narrowminded feedback, comments and evaluatuons I have read on the internet. Believe in yourself and your style and your own ideas, and if you want to improve yourself and learn more, then learn from the true masters and not from "know it all" people who basically don't know diddly-shit about the art in photography. Keep your selfrespect and pride and develop and refine your own expression in your photographs. If you really want to learn, you should spend an afternoon now and again by watching the interviews and documentaries on f.e. YouTube about Henri Cartier-Bresson, Joel Meyerowitz, Garry Winogrand, Helmuth Newton and all of the other masters of photography. Listen to what they have to say, watch, learn and get inspired. Remember also to hear what they dont say !. They fact is, that they very seldom talk about cameras and lenses, but much more about "the moment", geometry, chance, patience, luck and of the many many rolls of film used without getting just one really good shot. Study their methods and work, and try to absorb their quiet, and often unspoken, wisdom and knowledge which are reflected in their photographs. You don't really need Mr. Diddly Shit to become an outstanding photographer.........
17/03 2009 Today I have posted an interesting new link on my "Links" page to Radek Syka who is a military reenactment photographer living in The Czech Republic. Radek and his friends uses classic period cameras and acts as war correspondents in reenactments. I think that they deserve the title of "true retrographers", don't you ?. Go pay them a visit !
15/03
2009 I know, it has been some time... nevertheless don't think that I have been in total hibernation, and have forgotten all about this never ending project I have called "Retrography". During the follwing months I will display even more of my collection, and hopefully the "Geisha section" will be uploaded and opened for your viewing pleasure. So whats in store for you ?. Of course the Leica section needs to be uploaded, and a new page about the wonderful Praktina from K.W. I have used a lot of time hunting down interesting "new classics" especially for the asian "Geisha" section including an almost complete collection of Kyocera RF Contax'es, The Pentax UC-1 (Espio Mini), Olympus, Ricohs, Yashicas and Petris. More than 150 cameras are yet to be uploaded and evaluated, so please have patience !.
26/06
2008 Patience is really the secret if You want to find those rare and cheap bargains when going to fleamarkets and carboot sales. You might have to visit that same fleamarket many times before you strike gold. Evidence of this is the fleamarket I visited earlier today. I have been there many, many times but have never found anything interesting. This all changed today when I spotted this small leather pouch lying on a table. It had no logo embossed, and I was very excited to unzip the pouch to see what was hidden inside. Honestly i suspected it to be just another Agfa. But it was not an Agfa.... Inside the leather pouch I found the most beautiful and minty chrome Petri Color 35 in perfect working condition, lightmeter functioning and still with a film inside and with the golden "passed" sticker totally intact... Not only did the seller have this small treasure, but she also had the original Petri metal sunshade, an original UV-filter and the original cartons for the 2 latter. Furthermore she threw a Gossen lightmeter into the deal also.. The price ? 10,- Euros !! So dear Possums; , patience.. You've got to visit those fleamarkets frequently and often, so don't be discouraged if You don't find the pearl in the oyster the first time. Now, get out there !! ;-)
01/06
2008 Yes it's a phrase and a saying, but nevertheless I experienced this just today when I strolled through a fleamarket in central Copenhagen. Lying there on a folding table in the sunlight between old porcelain and books I spotted a wonderful little treasure which I have been looking for for quite some time. It was a beautiful Adox Golf III 6 x 6 folder, also known as the "mess Golf" because it boasts an uncoupled rangefinder. It has a few signs of use, but when I released the folding mecanism, it popped out with a "clack", I cocked the shutter which was set to 1 sec., and it was just smack-dab right on and accurate.. A test of the rangefinder reveiled that that too was totally accurate. The lens ? A crystal clear and un-scratched Steinheil Cassar 1:4,5 75mm triplet. Apart from the joy of finding this particular camera, it's hard to describe the joy that comes from discovering that this old camera works like clockwork, perfectly and smoothly, after all these years. The price ? 20,- Euro..... I may not have any luck when it comes to the love of women, but with this kind of luck... who cares !! 25/05
2008
20/05
2008 If you do, you should really try to "google" some of the photography forums, and I can especially recommend threads about lenses. It's a blast !. Let me try to illustrate what is so entertaining about these posts and threads and forums. The fun begins when some guy asks a classic question as f.e. "I have considered to get a M42 blahblah standard 50mm lens, but are they any good ?". And then the fun begins..... "I've heard that the
blahblah lens performs quite well, but I don't like the bokeh" Isn't that a gas, and a load of crap all together ! :-P. Can you imagine a sales meeting at one of the leading camera manufacturers which would start off with the sales manager saying: "We are now ready to launch our latest quality SLR the Blahmatic QT 5000, which our engineers have spent the past 3 years designing and developing. It features faster shutterspeeds, a more reliable shutter and state-of-the-art metering that is more accurate than ever seen before !". and he continues: "Furthermore everybody, both engineers and sales executives, have agreed, that it would be a very good idea to fit the Blahmatic QT 5000 with a really crappy lens that is absolutely no good". The truth is, that all the wellknown cameramanufacturers have designed and produced wonderful and very capable lenses, and if you really set out to compare lenses you should also take quite a few other important details into cosideration as f.e. What film is used ?. Processing, development and enlarging ?. Did you at all manage to focus ?. If You're, for example, are looking for a good and capable standard 50mm, M42 lens it might as well be a Pentax Takumar, a Fujica Fujinon, a Ricoh Rikenon, a Yashica Yashinon, a Zeiss Pancolar, a Mamiya-sekor or even a russian Helios 44 that gives you the shots you expect. By the way, the latter Helios 44 are surprisingly good. Any of the above mentioned lenses can produce sharp images. It's not the lens but YOU that have to be capable or lucky to get that special shot that wins the photo contest. As far as the Leica Summicron are concerned, it is probably not without good reason that this particular lens are used as a reference lens.
18/05
2008
WANTED !
09/05
2008 This year we have had almost no spring here in Denmark, but have gone almost directly from winter and right into summer with 25 deg.C, blue skies and a blazing sun. It's just incredible. Summer is also the season for outdoor fleamarkets and garagesales, and I think my season has started out quite well actually. Within the last week or so I've found the following small gems:
Ricoh 500 G with
everready case, almost minty: 3,50 Euro So you see, it actually pays off to explore these fleamarkets. For example the Yashica T4 was lying in a suitcase, almost covered by crappy power supplys and old banged up remote controls. When I finally got it out of the suitcase, I just turned on the power-switch and "Bzzzzz" it was ready to shoot... So look carefully when you're out there.. Just recently I got a really good deal on a Voigtländer Bessa L body. Well actually it's got nothing to do with a Voigtländer neither in build quality or finish, and as evryone knows it's really just a Cosina. The only purpose of this purchase are some future tests and comparisons of M39 lenses. But I will admit that you can find a Cosina Bessa L body at very reasonable prices, but if you also want the matching Cosina-Voigtländer lenses you should be prepared for outrageously high prices. And if that isn't enough, shrewed businessmen have of course taken the opportunity, and separated the matching add-on viewfinders from the matching lenses, and sell these separetely at very high prices.. Of course a 20mm or 15mm wideangle lens on a Bessa L body with no viewfinder, or on ANY M39 LTM mount camera are a pain in the ass. You really wan't to know whats in the frame, right ?. So you might think you get one of those Cosina-Voigtländer lenses at a fair price, but wait until you want the matching viewfinder.. Geeez....
29/04
2008 Dietrich Drescher who owns the Doppeld Homepage has been so kind to solve the "Prominent adapter mystery" last night. It turns out, that the Voigtländer 127/30 adapter are an adapter for Enlargers, that allows you to enlarge prints with the same lens as they were shot with. Yes, that means, that you can fit f.e. the Nokton from Your Prominent to the Enlarger. I have never encountered this adapter before, but thanks to Dietrich Drescher we're all much wiser now !. Thanks Dietrich !.
28/04
2008 23/04
2008 Dave Tongs first roll of film with his 1957 Altix N Dave Tong's blog & experiences with the Altix
I find experiences like this SO rewarding, and I think it's wonderful that an old Altix N can be put to such good use. Thanks Dave for sharing and having the guts to travel back in time in this way ;-). What else is new in my little corner of the world ?. Well, I've found some small gadgets for the Voigtländer Prominent, and I got weak in my knees and got my second Bessamatic M. I am hopelessly in love with this rather rare Bessamatic model with no lightmeter, and I think It has a very aesthetic appearance. The other day I visited my friend Jorgen who own a couple of photostores in Copenhagen. Browsing his shelves my eyes suddenly fell upon a modern, but extremely beautiful small (and I mean SMALL !) camera. It was the Fujica Tiara also known as the Fuji Nexia 2000ix Z mrc, the Endeavor or Fujinex. It's an APS format camera equipped with a 23-46mm zoom. Yeah I know it's a geisha and not very old, but I predict this will in time be a classic too. The fact is, that it is very well built, a beautiful design, quality materials, metal housing and extremely compact. I didn't actually measure it, but I estimate the size to be app. 80mm x 60mm x 35mm. Come to Daddy my precious !! ;-)
01/04
2008 Unfortunately my old PC suffered from a total crash and breakdown. The immediate consequence is, that I no longer have my good old webdesign software, FrontPage 98. At the moment I simply can't afford to buy a FrontPage 2003 license, and all updates and uploads have to be made by a dear friend. I'm very sorry about this, but I guess it will be some time before I can edit this page personally, and upload more pages unless I find a generous sponsor. Once again, my apologies... 21/03
2008 But Leitz - Leica are still here..... One of the reasons that Leica are still around and going strong are, that so many people and enthusiasts all over the world choose not to listen to all those lame and stupid reviews and opinions which can be found on the internet on various Forums. Just maybe the many satisfied users of the Leica 35mm compacts such as the Mini's, The C-series and the C11's are one of the reasons why it is still possible to buy a Leica M and a choice of superb lenses ?. I came across a certain guy, who have posted his complaints about the level of Leica-service serveral places on the internet. His never-ending complaint are, that Leica did not cover the shippingscosts across the globe for his camera that needed repair/service within the warranty period. So maybe he should have read the warranty conditions, or be familiar with such conditions that apply for ANY product that you buy no matter if it's a cell-phone, a flatscreen TV or a dishwasher ?. Actually it's quite standard conditions that a manufacturer does not cover the shippingscosts. It seems quite stupid to make a complaint about something that's really your own responsibility to begin with. Know your rights, read the warranty conditions and take responsibility before buying ! I have spend MY time behind the counter in a photostore, and I've heard my share of the bullshit that some customers pour out in your face. The "classic" is the total idiot that simply CAN'T understand or comprehend, that without his receipt he can't just get his negatives and prints RIGHT NOW !. So I offered them that they could pay for my overtime in order for me to go through the entire lot of un-claimed negatives and prints. Well suddenly it was not that urgent, and just "maybe" they could look for their receipt again and blah blah blah.... 29/02
2008 So what happening with my collection these days ?. Well it's growing !. As usual i'm far behind schedule when it comes to expanding this website. Maybe I should just sell the entire collection, and get a normal life !!. Bids ? anyone ? ;-) 11/02
2008 09/02
2008 "Can I just say that I *LOVE* this camera! It's light, easy to use, and takes great photos! The only way they could make it better would be if it had greater zoom capacity and I could see the photo before it was written to the film."
I would like to thank Mr. Eigil Sigbrandt who made it possible for me to own this exquisit camera. So whats up next ?. Probably more Zeiss pages if I can keep focus and not fiddle around with other things. On the other hand this is just a hobby and not a job and it should be funny and a joy to work on this website rather than a pain in the arse. So I probably end up fiddling around anyway. 05/02
2008 03/02
2008 I have added a chatroom to the website, which will open in a new window for Your convenience. when I'm online on the chat I will be logged in as Retrographen. You can enter the chat here: A few words about "crossovers" Very soon I have to face some serious choices regarding the way this website are structured. The problem are of course the "crossovers" like Contax which on one hand were an original Zeiss-Ikon brand, but on the other hand became a all Japanese brand used by Yashica, and later on by Kyocera. I have decided to show the Japanese Contaxe's in my "Geisha Collection" which will be uploaded in the near future. I really feel that the Yashica & Kyocera Contaxes belong in the Asian section, being cameras that have been designed, produced and marketed out of the Far East. Of course I will crosslink from one section to another in order to make it easier for You to navigate. 01/02
2008 I would like to thank those of you out there who takes the time to sign my Guestbook. I really appreciate it a lot, and I try to answer those of You who have questions, suggestions and comments. Please have a little patience if i'm behind schedule with replies and emails. 30/01
2008 28/01 2008
Voigtländer Vitrona manual (.pdf)
Furthermore, an extra "About Denmark" page has been added today with a lot of strange and interesting facts about my country. Visit it here ! 19/01 2008 As usual i'm far behind schedule when it comes to finishing and uploading new pages. That's just the way it is when you've got to have a daytime job in order to pay for all these "ladies" that keeps on tempting you, and believe me; I get temptet all the time !!. Some of the recent "temptations" and aquisitions and additions to my collection have been the Leica Minilux Zoom, a Konica Hexar AF Titanium, Leica R4 and a wonderful minty Petri TTL. The latter is one of those cameras that I simply have got to own entirely for sentimental reasons. I was very much in love with this geisha when I was a teenager, but ended up with the Petri FTee in stead. Another addition to my collection, and a BIG surprice I might add, is the Agfa Selectronic S. I am very surpriced by the very high finish and build quality of this camera. It's just exquisit !. I will claim until my dying day, that I'll never be an Agfa-collector, but at the same time I must admit that this little rangefinder (which by the way had a pricetag of around 400,- DM way back then !) is quite fascinating and impressive. Some time ago I considered to join a local photoclub in Copenhagen. I wrote them an email, and mentioned that I had a great passion for classic cameras and analog photography, and asked them whether there might would be other members sharing my interests. I received a rather arrogant answer that stated, that most members were "modern photographers", and in other words they made it clear that they were "on the beat" with digital photography and that I like the dinosaurs were about to become extinct. Furthermore they wrote, that they had closed and scuttled their darkrooms for the same reasons. Just the other day I happened to visit their webpage again, and I just rolled on the floor laughing when I read, that they had now re-established their darkroom facilities, and would welcome the analogue photographers and their craftmanship and ways of artistic expression !!. Isn't that just a laugh !!??. Well as far as I'm concerned they can go f... themselves and shove a memorycard up where the sun don't shine... It's a fact, that a B/W negative, if well stored, will last for 200 years...
Where have all the pixels
gone? 15/12 2007 In less than 2 weeks it'll be Christmas, a time of the year that I actually don't care that much for. I have a tendency to transform myself into Ebeneezer Scrooge and keep away from the frantic christmas rush and fake glitter. A few interesting cameras have arrived like f.e. a beautiful Kowa Model "E" SLR with 2 attachment lenses. My christmas present to myself this year is the legendary Contax T2 + a databack. I haven't shot any film with this baby yet, but my first impression when fiddling with the T2 are, that it works very differently from any other compact 35 that I know of or own. I guess it will take some time getting used to the different controls of this camera. I can't help but thinking how complicated many of these "modern" classics really are in comparison with a totally manual older camera. I agree that an "Auto" control of either aperture or shutter makes things easier (and faster) in many cases, but when this simple aid evolves into endless pre-settings, countless programs, modes and menus AND a number of possibilities for compensations, override options and such it really gets plain stupid in my opinion. The "auto functions" supposedly should make things easier, but in many cases they actually get out of hand and makes things very complicated. And if that weren't enough, you can spend valuable time to go through various menues and settings, and "Bzzz !" as soon as the pre-detemined "on-period" has elapsed, the camera shuts itself off, and resets to the original factory setting !. And I have not even mentioned the on-going struggle with "flash ON" and "flash OFF" settings. Talking about compact 35's with built-in flash, I really like the old Konica C35's with the built-in flash that only fires when you push the button and it pops up.. Thats simple and fast and it works !. The truth, Ladies and Gentlemen, are that your eyes, your brain and your hands and fingers will outperform any kind of automated function on an analogue camera if You just learn a few basics and tricks of the trade. I've said this before, and I say it again: Analogue photography is NOT rocket-science, allthough some people will try to tell you so. These must be the people that are not even capable of turning the speed-dial or the aperture setting 2 or 3 click stops.. 06/11 2007 Recently I have aqquired some cameras that I have been looking for, for quite some time. One of these are the Mimosa II, a strange little classic german 35mm camera, and also I have finally found a Nikon 35 ti, which also are a remarkably designed 35mm point & shoot AF camera. Working on the new "Geisha" section I've come to think about the term "classic". What really makes a camera a "classic". Heureka ! I've come to the conclusion, that the qualities that really makes a camera a true "classic" are not just the value in Euro or USD, but also things like "design" and "popularity". Maybe cameras like the Olympus Trip 35 and the Ricoh KR X 10 Super SLR are the perfect examples of this. It's also the success and popularity that makes a real classic in many ways. Of course the trick for any collector are to spot a "classic" even before it has become a "classic". Oh well, just a short message to let you know, that I'm still at it !! 21/09 2007 06/09 2007 Let me tell You about the Danish Postal Services, which used to be the Royal Danish Mail. Like it is the case in many other countries, the state-owned Royal Danish Mail was sold and privatized. It was one of the oldest and honourable postal services in the world. Since the privatization it has been all downhill. Cut-backs, closing of many many small Post Offices and the implementation of a private corporate policy that have cut to the bone. The result ?. In Denmark, one of the richest countries in the world, you a lucky if you get your parcel or letter. It's just appauling and should serve as an example to other countries which considers to do the same. It's SO bad that I can't even find words to describe it. Thats privatization for You !. But Adela Wynn: I love You ! 19/08 2007 I will not argue, that the plastic gadgets can produce fine results, but taking production costs and finish into consideration it's just waaaaay too overpriced and it's almost robbery. And furthermore, what is the lifespan and longterm value of these things ?... I'm really appauled.... I rest my case..... 12/08 2007 22/07 2007
So what else have I been doing lately. Let me see... work, work and work mostly. We are in the middle of the holiday-season here in Denmark, which judging by the weather here are scheduled in the wrong time of the year. I have been testing some of the Leica compacts, and thus far I must admit that especially one of them really have impressed me bigtime. I am talking about the Leica C2. This one hell of a camera !. It's one of the very few modern compact 35mm's that I have ever used which provides results just like I imagined and intended them when shooting. I am absolute sure, that this camera will be one of my all time favourites for candid street photography and such. Highy recommended !
06/07
2007
05/07
2007 You might ask if i'm going astray and forgetting my passion for the German classics. The answer is a definate "No !". I do admit that I followed some paths which by acts of sheer coincidence and maybe some faith have lead me to quite a lot of japanese 35mm compacts. But that's the way it is, and I haven't encountered any of the German classics up for sale that I am looking for. Collecting classic cameras also involves an element of luck.. I dare to say that I have been extremely lucky finding the black Petri Color 35, and the Yashica GX. But that doesn't mean I have forgotten my search for f.e. a Wöhler "Favor", the Finetta 99, Leica SL2, Diax Ib and many many more..
23/06
2007 Yesterday I shot a roll of film with the Leica C2 compact. Of course I didn't bother to read the instruction first, and got very surprised and baffled when I discovered that the C2 automatically winds the entire film onto the take-up spool when loaded, and loads the film back into the cartridge frame by frame, counting down from 36. Apart from this little detail, the C2 is a genuine pleasure to work with, and I will upload some samplepics from Copenhagen Airport soon. 20/06
2007 If you are going to drive across Africa, your should choose to do it in a Land Rover and not in a Ferrari. The fact that a Ferrari can't make the trip due to its specialized design doesn't make it a poor car. It's just not suitable or the right tool for the job, and don't blame Ferrari for your own wrong choice. Right ? If you are going to use your camera in moist, humid and warm conditions you should not choose a camera packed with electronics. Moisture will condense indside the camera, and will probably lead to malfunction, short-circuits and corrosion on printboards etc. This is not because it's a poor quality camera, but simply because it's not designed and built for that kind of purpose. The same is the case when working in cold freezing climates. Batteries will loose power due to the low temperatures, displays will freeze up and lubricants in the mechanical parts will thicken and cause malfunction of f.e. aperture and shutter. An example, that has nothing to do with photography but illustrates these issues very well, are the problems that the US troops encountered in the beginning of the first Gulf war. Allthough equipped with state of the art vehicles, they were not prepared for the very fine sand which penetrated the ordinary airfilters etc. causing breakdowns. Subsequently all vehicles had to be retrofitted with new special airfilters designed to operate under these particular conditions. This was also the case with the intake filters for cooling water on Navy ships. Due to the high temperature of the seawater, the ordinary filters clogged up very quickly filled with rapid growing algies, and all intake filters for cooling water had to be replaced. So it isn't always due to the quality of the camera, but in many cases because the user have chosen an unsuitable camera for the job. So what should you choose ?. Personally I would choose an all-mecanical, all manual camera for use under any kind of extreme climatic conditions, from the freezing temperatures on Antarctica to the warm moist climate in the rainforrest and the scorching high temperatures in the Tenere desert. I would probably choose something like the folding Retina, Leica, Rolleiflex or even an EXA due to it's simplicity. In ANY case I would have the camera cleaned and lubricated with lubricants that are suitable for the particular climate, and have this done by a skilled repairman. This is very important ! . Secondly I would probably choose a camera that could be carried close to the body under my clothes when not in use. Thirdly I would bring a handheld lightmeter. Allways remember : KISS (keep it simple stupid) 14/06
2007
11/06
2007 10/06
2007
09/02
2007
I also got a mint condition Watameter rangefinder from him for 4,- Euros. He also had put a Cosina Voigtländer Bessa L up for sale, and the price was reasonable, but let me be honest: It might very well be a capable shooter, but the feel of the lightweight body is just plain crappy !. Wham, Bang - No thank You Ma'am ;-). You'll be much better off buying a classic M39 original Leica in good condition, and f.e. Collectible Cameras in th US always have a nice collection to choose from. You should ask yourself how often you really need a top shutterspeed of 1/2000 sec. Furthermore you will always be able to have your classic Leice serviced, repaired or restored. Talking about fleamarkets, here's a piece of advice. Always bring a small selection af the most common camera batteries in a little pouch. The batteries in cameras found on fleamarkets are almost always dead, and you'll be able to perform a simple test on the spot. Another piece of advice: Unless it's an extremely rare and unique camera, don't let the seller persuade you to buy a camera that's defective. A shutter repair these days are rather expensive, and often exceed the value of the camera. Replacement of a dead CDS or Selenium lightmeter-cell is in most cases VERY expensive if at all possible. There will always be another chance and another camera, but of course there a a few (very few) exceptions. 02/06 2007 It's a totally crazy world..... Well I guess I left home this morning in a hurry. I was absolutely sure, that I had a bag packed with some cameras for testing locked in the trunk of my Audi. It must be my Alzheimer "Light", because there were no camerabag when I arrived to my destination. I still really wanted to shoot some pictures, and for a moment there I actually considered to buy a disposable camera which, by the way, aren't all THAT bad. I've seen wonderful shots taken with an Agfa disposable camera. But then I decided to take a stroll on a local fleamarket, and within 10 minutes I had spotted 2 cameras owned by the same seller. It was a Konica Big Mini BM-21 and an Olympus i200 AF APS camera. Luckily, right across the street, I found a photo-store, and bought a CR2 battery which is used in both cameras, and I hurried back to the seller. I couldn't really decide which of them to buy, and knew absolutely nothing about either of these plastic gadgets. So I bought both of them. The crazy thing is, that the battery (1 pcs.only !) cost me 13,- Euro, and I paid 9,50 for BOTH cameras !!. Isn't that just crazy !!. It says something about the "street value" of these plastic cameras, but nevertheless it's still a MUCH better deal than buying a disposable camera, right ?. Oh did I forget to mention, that both camera fired up perfectly when the battery was inserted ?. Here they are; 9,50 Euro worth of emergency cameras. Please click on the samplepics below to enlarge. Especially the Olympus impressed me quite a lot when used under available light conditions and the flash turned off.
26/05 2007 As a little compensation for the looong wait, I have uploaded a page with examples of some of the recordings I have made as a jazzsinger and trombonist. It's all for free !!. 28/04 2007 Somebody, a dear friend, has given me the most remarkable and fantastic present !. He commisioned me to buy 2 Futura lenses, a 35mm and a 90mm each with cases and viewfinders. It was "one of his customers" that had commisioned the purchase, and I had to get these lenses at any cost on eBay. Well, I did, and they did not come cheap, I can tell you that much !. When the beautiful lenses arrived I went to my friend, and delivered the lenses and got the payment in cash. No questions asked whatsoever. When I was about to leave, my friend said: "Hey, you forgot your lenses" !.. So he had tricked me, and gave me the lenses as a present because he knew how bad I wanted a small Futura outfit. Isn't that just amazing and touching !!. I have uploaded 3 sample pics taken with the Panta, and will soon upload Rollei 35 XF sample pics as well. I must reluctantly admit, that allthough the Rollei 35 XF is very nice to handle, and looks very good too, it's not a good shooter !. I have never experienced SO much flare as on these samplepics. Used in overcast light conditions the so-called Sonnar 2,8 performs OK, but in bright sunlight it's just no damned good at all.. Why ever get a camera that performs lousy in sunlight ?. Considering the time it is taking me to complete the Zeiss-Ikon pages, it seems foolish to make more promises at this point regarding new entries and new pages, BUT I am preparing a Yashica page also and a page dedicated to the straaaaange phenomenon "Compact 35mm cameras". On this page you will find interesting cameras made by Petri, Minolta, Olympus, Voigtländer, Minox and Chinon. Actually the Chinon Bellami has been the biggest surprise to me. It's a surprisingly well built and wonderful little camera that I just can't wait to try out. 06/04 2007 24/03 2007 15/03 2007
09/03 2007 I have not spend a lot of work and effort in these prelimenary pages, and they will probably change on a regular basis. This weekend I am going to help The Baroness get settled in her new domicile, and I will probably not get much work done on these pages. The Zeiss-Ikon pages are still in the progress of being completed. 02/03 2007
Some of the early photos are not quite up to standard, and will be replaced over time. Especially the Weltini deserved better and more photos !. regarding the Zeiss-Ikon pages I am almost done with the photos, and only the text remains to be completed, so hopefully the pages will be uploaded soon. As mentioned on the 23/2-07 I really felt like getting another Leica, and i'm happy to say, that it was exactly what I did. A very nice Leica IIIc are on the way to home to "daddy" ;-). I only own 3 Leica's and they are all "users" and invaluable tools for me. The Leica page ?. Soon to come ! .
23/02 2007
19/02 2007
18/02 2007
Once again the small Adox section has been updated with new photos, and a few more has been added. I just can't get this page right. Bollocks !!.
17/02 2007
Praktica Apart from that, i'm still working on the Zeiss-Ikon pages, and also a page with a new entry in my collection, namely the Rollop I from Lipca.
14/02 2007
The webserver has been totally
down for several hours today. Maintenance and service you know.. A new link
has also been added to friends in the US;
12/02 2007
Models & Job page added. Have
camera(s) WILL travel ! ;-)
10/02 2007 Yeah I know. I collect the strangest things.... But basically I can't resist when a little piece of history comes my way. Maybe that why I also have a collection of antique Bibles..hmmm.
08/02 2007
04/02 2007
03/02 2007
A couple of new cameras are about to enter the collection. First of all a Bessa RF, a Bessa 66 (Baby Bessa), Rodenstock Robra and a Lipca Rollop I. So watch out for the new entries !!
27/01 2007
18/01 2007
17/01 2007
14/01 2007
12/01 2007
10/01 2007
07/01 2007 I have just installed a Guestbook !. Please use it ! ;-) New Beltica folder and pics uploaded on the Beltica page
06/01 2007
04/01 2007
02/01
2007 23/12 2006
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