Mark's online museum for unwanted cameras. I don't sell anything in my collection. Objectives are to learn about different brands and models of old film cameras, and get some exercise wandering around taking pictures. Cameras are bought at auctions and thrift shops from $5 up. Most still work fine, and I fixed a few with minor issues. To save money I shoot and develop the cheapest black and white film (in coffee) and digitize everything myself. These pages are written with Pluma, a Linux text editor. The 35mm pics are all scanned with a Wolverine F2D 20 scanner I bought for $15 on Craigslist. The camera pics are all taken by my Sony DSC-H7 digital camera (found in a camera bag), with a $10 copy stand from Facebook Marketplace. Many of these cameras were hand-made, carefully chosen and expensive to buy. They were used to record the best moments of people's lives, taken on trips to exotic locations. After buying a newer model most sat on shelves for decades until their owner passed on, and were donated (dumped) at Goodwill. Almost nobody else wants the ones I have, but they bring me great joy. I treat them like the treasure they are, zip-lock bagging each with a dessiccant pack. They all get used, as time and film budget allow. I keep logs of each shoot and all the work done on them, and it all ends up on this site so you can appreciate these fine machines. This also keeps me busy during retirement. Newest pics are at the bottom of each camera page. 10-24-24: Another tragedy: The Chinon CE-5 arrived jammed. I tinkered with it for hours without success, so it's relegated to the bad cams box for now. Today I'm shooting the Chinon CM-4Chinon CM-4, a purely mechanical and manual camera that always works. After 18 shots the film is transferred into the Nikon N65 for the last 18 shots. Arriving tomorrow is another Pentax SF1. I already have one in the bad cams box, they all have a weak mirror return spring that snaps. Having aquired a working Minolta X-700 I was feeling lucky. Will find out tomorrow. |