Cool! My frozen turkey didn't even have a tripod socket!Originally Posted by ViewCameraNut
Cool! My frozen turkey didn't even have a tripod socket!
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
I assume you are talking about the Bronica S2A.
I used to use one,....for weddings!!
It was the terror of the priests.
At every exposure you could hear the echo of the shutter and mirror:Clu-CLUNG!!in those Majestic Italian churches where the Rolling Stones could play without sound system.
It was terrifying to see those guilt inducing priest eyes.
.
8x10 Kodak Master View -- wobbly beast in the hands of a twenty-something year old, it would probably be fine today, (I blame the photographer)
MPP technical - weirdest design ever, heavy, inelegant... F'''ing ugly
Calumet Cadet (for our school program) -- broke on a regular basis, non-standard rail and parts... huge PITA to get ground glass back springs back on after students routinely yank the back out of their spring sockets, yuk.
Badger brand 4x5 -- same problem with the backs as the Cadet, just less frequent
non view -- Bronica 2A, shutter shake/vibration was terrible... camera would literally walk across a table top if you used a cable release and tripped the shutter
Nikon D200.
Gosh, I like my old Bunk & Junks!
Now, John, I gave up trying to use a frozen turkey . . . just couldn't get the film holder to fit in the hole correctly. But, golly, I newer thought of using Poloroid 55. Man, just grab the hole with one hand, squeeze it shut, and pull out the tab to process the print. Great idea, john!
The slot to insert the film holder is cut into the carcass with a Milwuakee Sawzall. The turkey has to be frozen rock hard and securely strapped down to a board for the operation (having someone hold the slippery bird while you to attempt to cut into it with the Sawzall is way too dangerous!Gosh, I like my old Bunk & Junks!
Now, John, I gave up trying to use a frozen turkey . . . just couldn't get the film holder to fit in the hole correctly. But, golly, I newer thought of using Poloroid 55. Man, just grab the hole with one hand, squeeze it shut, and pull out the tab to process the print. Great idea, john!)
I don't recall the recommended Sawzall blade for frozen turkey carcass, but then I'm in denial of the whole foul mess anyway!
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
- Burke and James 8x10 Field camera! Nothing locks down properly, the tripod socket doesn't look stripped but of all the different tripod heads I've tried it never stays put, it weighs a ton, doesn't fold correctly, it's a poor design and it hurts my eyes.
-Toyo 45CX only real problem, but a big one, the back was so stiff you needed two hands to pull the gg frame back to insert a holder and every time it moved the camera significantly.
-RB67, weighed more than most 4x5s and what is up with cocking the shutter THEN having to advance the film back? Dumb idea glad they fixed it with the RZ I guess...
-Nikon D70s, I have never, ever under any circumstances gotten a decent quality image out of it. Throw the most expensive perfect piece of glass on it and the image quality always seems to look like that of a cheap 2mp point and shoot.
Ha ha, thanks for this great post !
I still want to see some pictures out of that frozen turkey pin-hole camera.
My personal worst photographic experience was with a East-German 135mm reflex camera :
a Praktica L mid 60's built (not sure of the date though).
it looked like a iron cube, or a hammer without his haft. it used mercury batteries (of course) for the light measure.
the metal lamel shutter looked and sounded like a guillotine and the lens... it was a screw thread 45mm wich was probably more like a 60mm and wich never gave more than a 10% circle area of sharpness in the middle of the frame. no matter what aperture I used from f/2 to f/22.
it was ridiculously heavy and didn't had the tenth of the solidity you would swear it had by seeing its full iron design.
I ended the story by giving it away to a friend of mine saying she should start photography.
I feel a bit ashamed of that "gift" today ha ha.
Here is the toy :
In nearly 60 years of camera "collecting" I don't believe that I've ever had a camera which I didn't like (and I've owned dozens, or maybe hundeds).
My greatest LF disappointment is the SUPER GRAPHIC, which turned out to be a step backwards from the Crown. It was a noble effort, but they needed another generation of development to make it bulletproof (for example, it takes two hands to tilt or swing the front standard).
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
I'm sorry but,Ha ha, thanks for this great post !
I still want to see some pictures out of that frozen turkey pin-hole camera.
My personal worst photographic experience was with a East-German 135mm reflex camera :
a Praktica L mid 60's built (not sure of the date though).
it looked like a iron cube, or a hammer without his haft. it used mercury batteries (of course) for the light measure.
the metal lamel shutter looked and sounded like a guillotine and the lens... it was a screw thread 45mm wich was probably more like a 60mm and wich never gave more than a 10% circle area of sharpness in the middle of the frame. no matter what aperture I used from f/2 to f/22.
it was ridiculously heavy and didn't had the tenth of the solidity you would swear it had by seeing its full iron design.
I ended the story by giving it away to a friend of mine saying she should start photography.
I feel a bit ashamed of that "gift" today ha ha.
I must defend Practica. I owned just about 15 Prackticas from fully mechanical to latest ones during my early photography era and those cameras are excellent and very easy to use. Those batteries you're saying... My dad bought UCAR battery 25 years ago and it's still good!!! works flawlessly!!! I agree shutter is noisy, but who cares!!!, works flawlesly all the time. It is some damn good East-German precise manufacturing!!!
On lenses, I'm not sure what you had, but I had Carl Zeiss optics, especially 50mm/F1.4... man, that is some fine lens, I can tell.
From all eastern-european 35mm cameras, Practicas were the best ones!
I'll defend the Nikon D70s -- I get great photos from the several I've owned and I like that it's menu system and controls are simple compared to the feature-creep of the later models. In fact I still use mine nearly everyday.
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