Leak 20

A friend sent over a grey Leak 20 for check up. It was working up to spec however the gain was too much - Mullard 5-20 circuit using 3 x 12AX7 - as it was designed with the Leak Varislope preamp which did not have gain in the line stage. So I took out of storage my own Leak 20 which I padded down with resistors back in the early 90s so I can use it with my Dyna PAS preamp mod projects ;)   

Metal film resistors and polypropylene caps, yikes!!! Been there, done that...I kept this for posterity ;) 

Hooked up to the Altec 2-way...the Leak 20 is probably one of the finest PP EL84 amp ever manufactured, yet it was not able to match the transparency of any of my SE amps...no regrets going SE ;).

Zeiss Ikon Nettar 518/16

Budget 6x6 folder from Zeiss with a tack sharp triplet Novar-Anastigmat 75mm f4.5 which according to this source was manufactured by Rodenstock.

Foma 100 in Rodinal 1:100

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Zenobia C 645 folder

No need to spend $$$s for a Fuji or Mamiya. For about $40, one can get into 6cm x 4.5cm medium format with this Zeiss Ikonta A clone. 

Foma 100 in Rodinal 1:100

Fuji Acros in Rodinal

Foma 100 in Rodinal

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Agfa Isolette II redux

New bellows from Sandeha Lynch + e-z install.

Fuji Acros 100 in Rodinal 1:100

Foma 100 in Rodinal 1:100

Foma 100 in Rodinal 1:100

Ricohflex VIIs + Super Ricohflex

Got these cameras because I was fascinated by the twin focusing gears and found the pictures taken by the triplet lens appealing. Essentially these two models share the same specs, the VIIs just a tad older.

VIIs ready for action

Ricohflex VIIs + Foma 100 in Rodinal 1:100

Super Ricohflex + Fuji Acros in Rodinal 1:100

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Kodak Signet 35

Tiny but hefty rangefinder camera that exudes quality. Built on a cast alloy chassis, it is equipped with a premium four element Ektar 44mm, f3.5 lens that can focus (through a ball bearing driven helix) down to 22 inches. Set on a Synchro 300 leaf shutter with rather limited speeds B, 25, 50, 100 and 300, this shutter has a reputation for being unreliable. Perhaps I belong to the fortunate few who acquired a sample with a functioning shutter. ;) The camera has a double exposure prevention mechanism but the shutter has to be manually cocked. When I received the camera, the combined VF/RF was a bit cloudy. But this was easy to clean. Access is through the removal of the top plate - undo the set screws for the wind and rewind knobs and the top comes off. After cleaning, the bluish tinted VF offered bright contrast with the yellow tinged triangular split image RF.

ERA 100, 60 minutes in Rodinal 1:100

This Ektar lens seem capable of giving the Leitz Elmar 50/3.5 a run for the money. The simple handling of this camera reminded me of the Leica II + Elmar 50/3.5 combo with it's own set of pros and cons. Shooting with this camera was a time travel experience to 50s snap shot style photography!

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