Camerosity

Episode 94: Camera Shopping at Roberts Camera and Blue Moon

We are back with Episode 94 of the Camerosity Podcast.  For this episode, we decided to revisit a topic we covered all the way back in Episode 30, which is talking about camera stores with people who work in camera stores.

Joining us for the discussion are Meredith and Corey Reinker from Roberts Camera (aka UsedPhotoPro) in Indianapolis, Indiana and Zeb Andrews from Blue Moon Camera and Machine in Portland, Oregon.  Of course, two of the Camerosity hosts, Paul and Stephen both used to work in camera stores too, so between those four, we were well represented.

Much has changed in the photography space since we did our last camera store episode.  Releases of new cameras like the Pentax 17, Rollei 35 AF, and recent announcements of a new "film like" digital Yashica SLR have caused a lot of ruckus and it will be interesting to hear how actual camera store people see these latest developments.

Joining Paul, Stephen, Theo, Mike, and our special guests was a long list of callers including A.J. Gentile, Betty Ann Cochrane, Brad, Dan Hausman, Hong Lee, Howard Sandler, Larry Effler, Miles Libak, Pat Casey, Shane from  Discord, and Will Pinkham.

During the show we ask Meredith, Corey, and Zeb a wide range of questions ranging from what differentiates their stores which has allowed them to remain successful well into the era of digital photography.  We cover what the modern camera store customer looks like today and what makes photography appealing to a younger crowd.  We cover both lab and home developing, what one camera both camera stores wish there was an unlimited amount of, how they acquire their inventory of used cameras, and Zeb shares a cool story about how Blue Moon developed a roll of film which had images of Mount St. Helens erupting.

Mike gets excited that he received a bottle of the new Adox Syrup 110 developer and attempts to break down the myth that C41 home developing is difficult.  Theo and Zeb counter that you shouldn't be shamed into developing your own film and that the consistency of a professional lab is worth it.

While most episodes are a lot of fun to record, while doing this one, it was amazing how fast the two hours went, and I wish we could have talked to Meredith, Corey, and Zeb longer.  Who knows, maybe we'll return for a third Camera Store episode some day!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you!  Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show.  We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we don't have a dedicated topic and will open up the Zoom recording to anything you'd like to discuss.  If there have been any questions or topics from previous shows you'd like to revisit, or share with us your latest camera GAS pick up, we'd love to hear from you!  This next one will be a free for all!  We will record Episode 95 on Monday, July 7th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

• Introducing Roberts Camera / They Used to Sell Jewelry
• UsedPhotoPro Was Started with Corey and Nelson Kopech in 2011
• Blue Moon's Origin Story / Blue Moon's Owner Jake Has a Passion for Vintage Typewriters
• Blue Moon Slits Their Own Minox Film / They Source New Cartridges Direct from Minox
• What Does the Typical Camera Store Customer Look Like Today?
• What Inspires the 18-24 Crowd to Buy a Particular Camera? / Is there an Upgrade Path to a Leica?
• Mike Breaks Down All Film Shooters into One of Three Broad Categories
• How Were Roberts and Blue Moon Able to Navigate the Film to Digital Switch When Others Failed?
• Blue Moon Developed Film from an Argus C3 Showing Mount St. Helens Erupting
• Robert's Early Experience with Mail Order Helped them be Successful Selling Online
• How Does Roberts Get Their Used Inventory / Burgess Auction in Carmel, Indiana
• Recommendations for Local Camera Stores
• How Hard is it to Get Film Processing Labs Repaired?
• Everyone Talks About Developing Machines
• How Common is it For People to Develop Film at Home?
• Mike Gets a Bottle of the New Adox Syrup 110
• Overcoming the Myth that Developing C41 Film at Home is Difficult
• How Do you Handle Developing So Many Different B&W Films at the Same Time?
• Camera Stories that Depended on Development and Services Struggled the Most
• What Camera Do Roberts and Blue Moon Wish they had Unlimited Supply Of?
• Upcoming Roberts and Blue Moon Events

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Roberts Camera - https://robertscamera.com/

Used Photo Pro - https://usedphotopro.com/

Blue Moon Camera and Machine - https://bluemooncamera.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 93: John Wade, Wrayflex and Clockwork Cameras

We're back with Episode 93 of the Camerosity Podcast!  This time, we've altered our recording time to better suit those of our listeners across the pond who are normally sleeping when we record at our usual time.  For this 'European time zone friendly' episode, we welcome special guest, collector, and author John Wade who has written or contributed to more than 30 books, including a couple which I have relied on for several of my camera reviews.

In addition to John, we were joined by callers Brian MacDomhnaill from Ireland, Fernando Villava from Germany, Guy from Germany, Leon Blankenhorn from Germany, and domestic callers Miles Libak and Andrew Madsen.

And of course we had our regular hosts, Anthony Rue, Stephen Strangways, and our time zone friendly recording time also allowed Paul Rybolt to join us who has been vacationing in Ireland for the past month.  As this episode was recorded at 4am in Sydney, we gave Theo the day off.

With John's expertise, we spent a lot of time talking about Britain's only 35mm SLR, the Wrayflex.  As the author of the only specialized book on the Wrayflex and the company who made it, John has a fascinating level of knowledge on this attractive and quirky camera. 

In addition to Wray, we spent a lot of time talking about clockwork cameras, you know, those cameras that have a spring tensioned wind up film advance mechanism.  We discussed a wide variety of models from the very first wind up camera, the Japy Le Pascal, Ansco No.1A Automatic Ansco, and later cameras like the Debrie Sept, Bell & Howell Foton, Canon Dial, Ansco Auto Half, GOMZ Leningrad, and others.

We briefly talk about the British Leica copy, the Reid and Sigrist Reid camera and the American equivalent the Premiere Instrument Kardon, among other popular British cameras.

In addition to John's contributions, Paul shares with us another 617 camera he's got his eye on, Brian tells a tale about lenses he thinks he needs and never uses, Mike shares an uncommon German camera he recently GASsed over, Guy brags about all his working Rollei A110s, the brightness of the Olympus Pen F's viewfinder, and we go around the room asking which cameras each of us have the most duplicates of.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you!  Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show.  We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we are going back to our regular recording time and will be welcoming Meredith and Corey Reinker from Roberts Camera/Used Photo Pro in Indianapolis, Indiana to share with us their stories selling vintage cameras on eBay and in a well established retail environment.  We may welcome some callers from other camera stores too, but you'll just have to join us to see who calls in!  We will record Episode 94 on Monday, June 16th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

• Henry Scherer Passed Away / Mike Doesn't Know the Difference Between Ireland and Scotland
• Retro Cameras / What Motivated John Wade to Start Writing About Cameras
• John Wade's A Wrayflex Story / John Researched That Book by Interviewing People Who Used to Work There
• Early Wrayflex Prototypes / John Does YouTube Videos on Amateur Photographer's Channel
• Reid and Sigrist Leica Copies / Premier Instrument Kardon Leica Copy
• Kodak Brownies and Instamatics Were as Ubiquitous in England as in the US
• Many British Kodak Cameras Looked Different Than Their US Counterparts / 120 vs 620
• Miles Had GAS for a Rectaflex / Wrayflex Viewfinders / Differences Between the Models
• Britain's Role in WWII / Cameras Made in the Allied Occupation Zone in Germany
• Hand Assembling Cameras and Lens Bubbles
• Clockwork Wind Up Cameras / Japy Le Pascal Wind Up Camera
• Ansco No.1A Automatic Ansco and Semi-Automatic Anscos
• Bell & Howell Foton / AGFA Moto-Rapid C
• Andrew Asks for Advice on a Reliable and Repairable Clockwork Camera to Buy
• Canon Dial 35 / Mike's Tip for Using Alkaline Batteries in Cameras Designed for Mercury Batteries
• KW Praktina with Auxiliary Motor Drive / Kodak Motormatic 35 / Ricoh Auto Half
• Olympus Pen EM / GOMZ Leningrad / The Debrie Sept Will Break Your Wrists
• The First British SLR Might Have Been Made by Two Germans
• Brian's Thoughts on Italy and Buying Lenses He Doesn't Need
• Popular Telephoto Lenses / Nikkor 105mm f/2.5 / Nikkor 180mm f/2.8
• Guy Has Working Rollei A110 Cameras and He Loves Them
• Dr. Wohler Saar Favor II / Rollei SL66 Repair / Paul Wants Another 617 Camera
• Which Cameras Do Each of Us Have the Most Duplicates of?
• Viewfinder Brightness Between Olympus Pen F and FT

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

John Wade's The Wrayflex Story - https://www.johnwade.org/the-wrayflex-story

John's Youtube Videos for Amateur Photography - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLM3_2GF5hWAA2Bt0qqVYNPR6yclCxEV_j&si=8FkUfnSBA3ys_eUc

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 92: Apparecchi Fotografici Italiani

In Episode 92 of the Camerosity Podcast, we needed to promote every caller to "host status" to tackle the topic of the Italian camera industry.  While a huge number of cameras were made in Germany, Japan, the United States and the Soviet Union, many were made in other countries like Italy, France, England, and Czechoslovakia yet far less is talked about these countries.

We attempt to do some justice to cameras from this boot shaped peninsula, spreading some (very expensive) GAS for models like the Rectaflex, Ducati Sogno, and Gamma II.  In an episode where everyone was a host, Mike, Theo, AJ Gentile, Miles Libak, Robert Rotoloni and Will Pinkham share our thoughts on a variety of models.

Mike's best reference is an out of print book called Made in Italy: Apparecchi Fotografici Italiani by Marco Antonetto and Mario Malavolti.  This 1983 book is the best reference any of us have found covering the Italian camera industry.  Featuring images and short descriptions for over 150 Italian cameras, this book, plus our assessment of a few models we're familiar with, prove that the Italian camera industry is far deeper than many realize.

In addition to a whole lot of Italian GAS, we go over the many different film sizes and formats used by Bencini cameras, Robert spends some time with his favorite Italian subminiature camera, the Gami 16, Mike struggles to explain how the metering system on the Durst Automatica works, he spends a great deal of time professing his love for the Ducati Sogno, and shares with us the wild operation of the very interesting Industria Scientifica Ottica Super Duplex 120, a strange stereo camera that shoots 24mm x 24mm stereo pairs on 120 format roll film.

In addition to talking about Italian cameras, we get side tracked and talk about the new upcoming Yashica FX-D digital camera and Mike shares his thoughts on these "so-called" hybrid film and digital cameras and where he thinks the film industry will be in 50 years.  Will Pinkham asks about new 3D printed cameras like the Superflex and the Alfie Tych.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you!  Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show.  We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we are recording at a special time to allow for our European and South African listeners to join us.  We don't have a specific topic selected for this show as these "Euro Time Zone Friendly" episodes generally are open to anything, so if you've always wanted to join us, but couldn't because we recorded in the middle of the night, this is your chance to call in!  We will record Episode 93 on Tuesday, June 3rd at 1pm Central Daylight Time, 2pm Eastern Daylight Time, 7pm British Summer Time, 8pm Central European Summer Time, and at 4am Wednesday, June 4th Australian Eastern Standard Time.  

In This Episode

• Italian Camera Book / Italy's Camera History is Deeper Than You'd Think
• Bencini Comet III / Bencini Koroll II and Koroll S / 127 Size Images on 120
• Italy's Camera Industry is Similar to France's
• Ferrania Also Released Cameras / Ferrania Rondine / The Ferrania Condor is Not a Leica Copy
• The Rectaflex Was Very Pretty and Innovative / Rectaflex Lichtenstein
• Mike Apologizes for the Expensive GAS From This Episode
• Theo Loves His Closter Camera
• Durst Made Four Cameras, the Duca, Automatica, 66, and the Gil
• Mike Fumbles His Way Through Explaining how the Durst Automatica Works
• Theo Lusts Over a Gold Plated Half Frame Italian Camera
• SSR Ducati Sogno is a Half Frame Super Camera
• Gamma Officine Meccaniche de Precisione Gamma II
• Phototeknica Eaglet Box Camera / What if Italian Companies Still Made Cameras?
• Bob Heaps Praise on the Unique Gami 16 Submini
• ISO Super Duplex 120 / Forty-Eight 24mm x 24mm Images on a Single Roll
• The Italian Camera Indusry is Very Deep / Bob is All Done Writing Books
• Italian Cars Are Unique Too / Theo and Bob Both Owned Fiats
• What Ended Camera Production in Italy? / The Rise of Japanese Industry
• Miles is GASing for a Rectaflex / Mike's Warning About the Viewfinder
• Get Yourself a Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt!!!
• Yashica FX-D: Your First Digital Film Simulation Camera / SOC Cameras
• Will 3D Printed Cameras like the Superflex and Alfie Tych Ever Become Collectible?
• Mike Doesn't think New 3D Printed Cameras Appeal to Too Many Collectors
• Film Cameras Will Outlive the Production of Film

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 91: Smells Like Cameras of the 90s

Like the saying goes, "better late than never", the Camerosity Podcast is back with Episode 91, which is dedicated to cameras of the 90s.  Which 90s you prefer, 1890s or 1990s, all 90s cameras are welcome!

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike are returning callers, AJ Gentile, Ira Cohen, Miles Libak, Nick Marshall, Robert Rotoloni, and Will Pinkham and we cover a wide range of 1990s cameras and technologies.  Paul starts off with some stories about mini labs and how single use cameras became a big thing.  We dive into bridge cameras, including the Olympus IS-2 which Mike gave rave remarks to.

We discuss a large number of point and shoot cameras including premium models by Nikon and Konica, and ponder why the Olympus Stylus Epic is so popular today.  We talk about some dead end technologies from the 90s such as Minolta's ill fated Creative Expansion and Canon's obscure barcode scanner for the EOS 10S.

Not all technologies from the 1990s were failures though as the 1990s was the first decade of digital cameras.  Models like the floppy disc Sony Mavica and Nikon D1 were great cameras with a historical significance which helped prove that digital photography had arrived.

We round out the discussion with why Theo loves the Mamiya 7 so much and how it compares to the Mamiya 6, Robert shares some info on the development of the Nikon S3 2000 edition, and we have a thorough discussion on Kyocera's Contax SLRs.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you!  Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show.  We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we decided to explore the Italian camera industry as its not often discussed in camera collector circles.  While Germany, Japan, the Soviet Union, and the United States were well known as makers of fine cameras, a great number of really cool cameras were made in Italy such as the Rectaflex, Ducati Sogno, Gamma II, and other models by Bencini, Durst, and Ferrania.  Join us if you're a fan of cameras from this "boot shaped" country, and see if we can manage to fill an entire episode without getting distracted!  We will record Episode 92 on Monday, May 19th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

• Jeff and Gabe Can't Pronounce French Names / Alan Peres Sends Us Emails Now
• Sometimes Its Hard to Remember That We Like Cameras from the 1990s
• The 1990s Was the Decade of the MiniLab and Single Use Disposable Cameras
• Olympus Invested Heavily in Point and Shoots in the late 1980s
• In the 1990s, Olympus Gave Up on Traditional SLRs and Created the IS-Series
• Olympus IS-2 / In the 90s Zoom Reach was Over Valued By Novices
• Why Are the Olympus Stylus Epics so Expensive? / µ[mju:]-II
• Nikon F5 Improvements Over the F4 / Paul Really Hates the Nikon N70
• The Nikon N90/F90 Was Nikons Best Semi-Pro SLR of the 1990s
• Broken Battery and Film Doors Were a Huge Problem Back Then
• The Nikon 28Ti and 35Ti Are Impressive Cameras but Terrible Investments
• 1990s Underwater Cameras / How Many People Kept Shooting 80s Cameras in the 90s?
• Contax S2 and Other 1990s Contax SLRs / Contax S2 and ST
• Mike Likes the Contax RTS II and the Contax RX / Large Contaxes Like the N1 and AX
• The Minolta Maxxum 600si/650si Has Mechanical Knobs and is Awesome / Minolta Maxxum 9xi
• Minolta's Horrible Creative Expansion Cards / Disabling Features on Consumer SLRs / Canon Barcode Scanning System
• The Canon EOS-1n RS / Pellicle Mirrors / Canon EOS A2E / Canon's Eye Control System
• Premium Point and Shoots / Konica Hexar AF / Canon Elph
• Theo Loves the Mamiya 7 / Mamiya 6 / Everyone's First 110 Camera
• Nikon Started Working on the S3 2000 in the 1990s / Differences Between the 2000 and Original S3
• Sony Floppy Mavica Cameras / Nikon D1
• Alfred C. Kemper Kombi from the 1890s / Theo's 1890s Australian Studio Cameras
• Advanced Photo System (APS) Film and Cameras / Kodak Advantix Preview

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Keppler's Vault 101: Advanced Photo System - https://mikeeckman.com/2022/03/kepplers-vault-101-advanced-photo-system/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 90: Camerosity and the Rich Coastal Elites

As sometimes happens in the wonderful world of social media content creation, "the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray" we had plans to record Episode 90 back in March, but a variety of unfortunate and unrelated happenstances occurred which resulted in a short hiatus for recording.  We had planned on making Episode 90 a show all about Cameras of the 90s, but we had also wanted Episode 91 to be recorded with two special guests, so we were forced to do things out of order.

Thankfully, the obstacles which caused our six week break didn't interfere with us sitting down with Jeff Greenstein and Gabe Sachs from the I Dream of Cameras podcast.  For those of you who are familiar with their show, you'll know that Jeff has a fondness for Alpa cameras, so this unofficially doubles as our first and probably only Alpa episode.

After some short introductions, we refer back to a fun comparison between the two podcasts written by listener John Kelly and both hosts give our reactions to some of his funny answers.  We cover a variety of cameras that we all love and shoot, along with Jeff's deep dive into why he loves the Alpa 11si so much.

Gabe shares a story of how he's had to rebuild his camera collection from scratch after losing it when his home burned down in the Palisades wild fires that ravaged Los Angeles earlier this year.  We ponder why the Hasselblad XPan can't get repaired anymore and what other cameras are on the verge of being unrepairable.  Mike shares three very different Alpas in his collection and shares what he likes and doesn't like about all three, Anthony shares his thoughts on a new (to him) Fuji camera he recently bought, and Paul talks about his plans for traveling to Ireland later this spring.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you!  Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show.  We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

As promised two episodes ago, we still want to do a Cameras of the 90s episode, but this time it will have to be Episode 91.  Finally, Theo will get a chance to talk about his beloved Mamiya 7, but in addition to that there were many other terrific cameras from that decade like the Nikon N90s and the premium 28Ti and 35Ti point and shoots, the Contax AX, and the Olympus µ[mju:]-II.  In addition to terrific film cameras, the 1990s was the first decade with a large number of digital cameras like the Minolta RD-175 and Nikon D1.  We will record Episode 91 on Monday, May 5th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

• Jeff Greenstein and Gabe Sachs from I Dream of Cameras / Episode Numbers
• John Kelly Compares Camerosity and IDOC Podcasts: A Rebuttal
• Rich Coastal Elites vs Salt of the Earth Midwesterners / So Good
• Camerosity Yellow and Red is the Same as Kodak Yellow and Red
• Mamiya 7, Alpa 10s, Pentax 17, and Hasselblad 500
• Why Can't Anyone Repair the Hasselblad XPan? / Unrepairable Cameras
• Paul Doesn't Know what Neon Genesis Evangelion Is
• Anthony and Paul Trade a Leica M2 for a Rolleiflex 3.5F
• Gabe Talks About Losing His House and Entire Camera Collection in the LA Wild Fires
• Limiting a Collection to 30 Cameras / Olympus Pen FT
• Jeff Handles an Ilford Witness / Anthony Much Prefers the Bell & Howell Foton
• Is there any Alpa Heritage in Bolex Cameras? / Kern Lenses / Kilfitt Makro Kilar Lenses
• Mike and Jeff Both See the World in 40mm / The Konica AR 40mm f/1.8 Lens is the Best Value in 40mm
• The Original Alpa Reflex is a Hybrid SLR and a Rangefinder
• Mike Had an M42 Alpa Lens with No Body So He Bought an Alpa Si2000 / Chinon CE-II Memotron
• Jeff's Rhapsody for the Alpa 11si / The Weirdest Motor Drive Ever / Engraved Cameras
• Jeff Goes to Paris Fashion Shows / Cincinnati Camera Show Update / Sydney Show Update
• Anthony Picks Up a Fuji GS645W Professional / Fuji's Barcode Film System
• More Recap of the Cincinnati Show
• Stephen Gets a Pentax 110 Auto / Theo Gets a Light Meter that Measures in Foot Lamberts
• Jeff Wants to Get a Pentax MX / He Has a Medical Camera Called the Pentax MF
• Jeff Also Got a Zeiss Taxona and a Mamiya Sketch
• Mike Picks Up a Minolta 35 Model IIB and an Original Argus C with the F/S Switch

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Jeff Greenstein and Gabe Sachs - I Dream of Cameras - https://www.idreamofcameras.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 89: Camera Cleaning, Maintenance, and Repairs

A topic that we've lightly touched upon in previous episode, but never dared devote an entire episode to is the taboo subject of repairing your own cameras.  There are those who firmly believe all repairs should be left to the capable hands of professionals, but there are others who have no problem with opening their own cameras and trying it out themselves.

If you're in the latter group and are interested to hear some tips and tricks from those of us who have been brave/foolish enough to try it, Episode 89 is all about repairing your own cameras.  Joining Paul, Stephen, Theo, and Mike are returning callers A.J. Gentile, Alyssa Micha, Andrew Reynolds, Christopher Wells, John Michael Mendizza, Keir Frei, Larry Effler, Pat Casey, Rafael Espinoza, Ray Nason, Wayne Scheipers, and Will Pinkham who all share their own experiences.

We cover a wide range of topics, starting with what you can and cannot repair on a Kodak Medalist and whether you can still send your Leicas to the factory in Wetzlar to get repaired.  Hear who we think makes a good set of JIS screwdrivers, lens spanners, and Mike recommends a rubber grippy tool.  We share our recommendations for cleaning cameras, getting sticky residue off film doors, replacing mirror bumpers and foam light seals, how not to clean a reflex mirror, what works on lenses and what not to use.  We even cover the taboo topic of washing your camera in the dishwasher!

Although there is very little GAS in this episode, we do get into a few model specific camera repairs.  Alyssa Micha shares with us her beautiful 1903 Kodak camera which had moldy bellows and what she needed to do to replace them.  We talk about how to and how not to fix the infamous Canon Squeal of the Canon AE-1 and A-1 cameras, along with how to deal with the sticky backs of the Nikon N80 and N90, Mike talks about a product he used to mold a custom hand grip for his Minolta 650si.

We talk about various cleaners, when and when not to use lighter fluid, acetone, glass cleaner, and for the love of God, please never use WD-40 on any camera!  Although this whole episode is about home repairs and cleaning, we end the show talking about how best to take care of your camera to minimize its chances of never needing to be repaired, how to deal with humidity, and whether or not to store your cameras in their original leather cases.

Meet Anthony, Paul, and Mike: If you are in the vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday, March 22nd, come to the Ohio Camera Swap at the Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/West Chester and say hi to us.  Who knows, maybe even some other Camerosity Podcast regulars will show up as well.  While you’re there, maybe you can buy something from us!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you!  Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show.  We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

Our next episode will be number 90, and like we've done for episodes 70 and 80, we will be devoting the show to cameras of that decade.  For Episode 90, we will discuss cameras of the 1990s (or 1890s for that matter)!  Finally, Theo will get a chance to talk about his beloved Mamiya 7, but in addition to that there were many other terrific cameras from that decade like the Nikon N90s and the premium 28Ti and 35Ti point and shoots, the Contax AX, and the Olympus µ[mju:]-II.  In addition to terrific film cameras, the 1990s was the first decade with a large number of digital cameras like the Minolta RD-175 and Nikon D1.  We will record Episode 90 on Monday, March 24th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

(Note that Daylight Savings Time started in North America on Sunday, March 9th, so be sure to check your local time if you plan on joining the show!)

In This Episode

• Disclaimer: A Proper CLA is Always the Best Way to Get Your Camera Working / Technicians for Some Models Are Retiring
• You Don't Have to Use The Most Popular Technicians to Repair Leicas / Does Leitz in Wetzlar Still CLA Cameras?
• Larry Wants to Repair His Kodak Medalist / Mike Offers Tips on Cleaning the Medalist Rangefinder
• Rerolling 620 / Larry Reload 828 Film Using Unperforated 35mm Film
• 3D Printing Battery Holders for Nikon SLRs / 3D Printing for Analog Photography Facebook Group
• Cleaning Corroded Battery Compartments / Removing Stuck Pentax Spotmatic Battery Compartment Covers
• Eyeglass Screwdrivers Are Not Good Enough / Japanese Cameras Use JIS Screws
• Get Good Spanners / SK Grimes Spanners Are Very Good / Micro-Tools
• Mike Recommends Getting a Set of Rubber Grips for Removing Lens Rings
• How to Remove Stuck Filters Due to a Damaged Filter Ring
• How Do You Know Whether You Should Fix It or Live With It?
• Beware of Sellers Claiming a Camera Was CLAd If They Did It Themselves
• Repairing the Canon AE-1 / Canon Squeaky Shutters / Never Use WD-40!
• Using Ronsonol and Lighter Fluid / Naphtha Oil
• Use Caution When Cleaning a Reflex Mirror / What is a Front Surface Mirror? / ROR Solution
• Replacing Light Seals is a Good DIY Repair / Mirror Bumpers
• Do Not Shoot a Camera with Compromised Light Seals / Cleaning the Old Stuff Out First
• Are PEC Pads Recommended for Cleaning Cameras? / Kimwipes and Baby Wipes
• A Old Toothbrush and a Tiny Drop of Soap is Good for Cleaning Crevasses and other Tight Spots
• Cleaning and Conditioning Rubber Grips on Lenses / Shrinking Rubber Grips
• Cleaning Sticky Rubber Surfaces / The Nikon N80 and N90 Have Horribly Sticky Backs
• Making a Hand Grip for a Minolta 650si Using Sugru
• How Do You Know When a Shutter Needs to Be Serviced?
• Beware of Self-Timers on Old Cameras / What does "V" Mean on German Shutters?
• Tips for Keeping Your Camera Working / Use It / Remove the Batteries
• Controlling Humidity / Using Silica Gel Packets and Desiccants / Damp Rid
• Getting Rid of Ever Ready Cases / Are There Any Cases Worth Saving?
• An Easier to Remember Join Link - join.camerositypodcast.com

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 88: Desert Island Cameras Part 2

Way back in Episode 27, the Camerosity gang went on a three hour tour to a tropical paradise and asked everyone what would be their idea of three "desert island" cameras that they would want to be stranded with if they couldn't have anything else.  That discussion proved to be a fun one and something we had wanted to revisit again.  It would take us all the way to Episode 88 when we would finally put out the call for another Desert Island episode.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Mike and our new regular host Stephen Strangways, are returning callers A.J. Gentile, Andrew and Christopher Wells, Ira Cohen, Will Pinkham, and first time caller Robin Stone.

Starting with this episode, we are welcoming Stephen as one of the regular hosts to the show.  His presence and knowledge on many previous episodes has impressed us, and after considering regular scheduling conflicts with the four regular hosts, we thought it was time to add a fifth person.  Although Theo has missed the last two episodes, he is still very much apart of the show and will return soon.  With a fifth host, in the event one of the "original four" have a scheduling issue, we can continue without hesitation.

On this episode, we go through a tremendous amount of GAS, covering many unexpected models including multiple Horseman cameras, a Fuji G617, Argus Brick, Nikon F2, Leica CL, Zeiss-Ikon Tenax II, and many, many others.

In addition to commercially available cameras, both Andrew and Christopher Wells share with us their own home made 3D printed large format creations.  Custom cameras built to use any combination of lenses, shutters, and film backs in a million different combinations are truly one of the more fascinating aspects of this hobby.  And if 3D printing your own camera isn't cool enough, Andrew took it a step further and even made his own bellows!

In addition to tropical island GAS, we answer the question of why the Nikon F mount is backwards of almost every other interchangeable lens system and the Wells brothers give us a quick update of the state of current Polaroid Originals instant film.

Meet Anthony, Paul, and Mike: If you are in the vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday, March 22nd, come to the Ohio Camera Swap at the Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/West Chester and say hi to us.  Who knows, maybe even some other Camerosity Podcast regulars will show up as well.  While you’re there, maybe you can buy something from us!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you!  Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show.  We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we will be discussing camera failures and home repairs.  What are some of the most common problems vintage cameras face and what can you do to get them back up and working?  While the Camerosity Podcast fully recommends professional CLAs to keep vintage cameras going as long as possible, we understand that a full service on every vintage camera is impractical, so sometimes you have to take matters in your own hands.  If you aren't afraid to go inside a camera and possibly make it worse, the next episode may be for you!  We will record Episode 89 on Monday, March 10th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

(Note that Daylight Savings Time starts in North America on Sunday, March 9th, so be sure to check your local time if you plan on joining the show!)

In This Episode

• All Aboard the Second Ever Camerosity Desert Island Cruise!
• Robin Starts Us Off with the Horseman VH / AJ is Bringing His Kodak Retina IIIc and Kodak Tourist
• Anthony Brings a Fuji G617 with an Unlimited Supply of 220 Film
• Ira Brings the Nikon F2 / Why is the Nikon F-Mount Backwards from Most Other SLRs?
• Andrew Brings a Rolleiflex SL66 / Another Horseman Makes It to the Island / Horseman Convertible
• Will Brings Brings A Balda Rigona 127 Camera / Mike Recommends Other Cool 127 Cameras
• Paul Has a Case of Cheap Plastic Pocket Cameras
• Mike's First Camera is the Folding Mamiya Six
• Stephen Brings the Nikon FM2 or Maybe the Pentax MX
• Pentax MZ-S / The Entire Pentax MZ-Series Had Weak Plastic Gears But They Can Be Replaced
• Mike Still Loves the Pentax LX / The Pentax LX Has a Geared Exposure Counter
• Robin Brings His Argus C3 / Andrew and Chris Wells Both 3D Printed Their Own Cameras
• Chris Brings the first Canon, a Canon F-1 / Ira Brings a Nikonos 4 for Underwater Fun
• Anthony Has Experience with Nikonos and O-Rings / More Large Format Discussion
• Stephen Goes Small with the Olympus XA / Anthony Goes Prewar with the Voigtländer Bergheil
• Paul Loves his Canon G10 / Digital Cameras with Optical Viewfinders
• Anthony is Bringing His Recent Favorite, the Zeiss-Ikon Tenax II
• Chris Suggests the Olympus 35 RC / Mike Picks the First Leica, the Leica CL / 40mm Lenses
• Will Pinkham Brings a Konica I Rangefinder / Minolta 24 Rapid
• Paul's Third Camera is the Nikon F
• Andrew Loves the Polaroid SX-70 So Is Bringing Some on the Boat
• Stephen Appreciates a compact Auto Focus SLR, the Pentax MZ-3
• Minox 35 GL / Bel Air Plastic Camera / Graflex Norita 66 / Akameter / Akarex / Akarelle
• We Have No Clue What Episode 89 Will Be About

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

The Camerosity Podcast is now on BlueSky @camerosity.bsky.social.  This modern, and clean replacement for Twitter is a nice alternative to cluttered social networks out there.  Follow us there for show announcements and other content.

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 87: Dr. David Jentz and the Kodak Retina

In yet another request from our listeners for topics you wanted to hear, for Episode 88, you can include me as someone whose been interested in hearing an episode about the Kodak Retina and other German Kodaks.

For many years, whenever I needed to write something about the Retina, the person I always reached out to was Dr. David Jentz.  David is not only the founder of the Historical Society for Retina Cameras, but also has published multiple written works about the Retina and its history. 

In addition to his knowledge about the Retina, David frequently collaborates with historian Klaus Schicht who has studied the man who created the Retina, Dr. August Nagel.  Although Klaus does not appear on the show, David was able to quote some information regarding topics we discussed on this show.

If one Kodak historian was not enough, we also invited Todd Gustavson from the George Eastman Museum to be on the show to fill in the blanks for any other Kodak related questions which came up.

This was a closed episode, so we did not have any callers, and both Paul and Theo weren't able to make it, but what we lacked in callers, we more than made up for in fascinating Kodak, Nagel, and Retina history.

Listen to Episode 87 to get a background on who Dr. August Nagel was, how he became a doctor, brief histories of his time working for Contessa Nettel, Zeiss-Ikon, and Nagel Kamerwerke prior to joining Kodak.  Did you know that before Kodak AG made cameras, they made film in Germany?

We discuss other German Kodaks such as the Recomar, Pupille, Kodak Duo Six-20, and the mysterious Kodak Regent.  We get into the differences between the use of "Nr." and "Type" when referring to prewar and postwar cameras, and finally solve the mystery of Paul's Retinette Angenieux lens.

In addition to camera history, we also take a deep dive into Kodak's introduction to making 35mm film.  While Kodak's type 135 daylight loading cassette was their most notable contribution to 35mm film in the 1930s, did you know they made 35mm film for the Leica and Contax before that?  David shares with us information about Kodaks original 35mm film, along with some detailed patent information about the Retina, and much more!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you!  Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show.  We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we are getting on a boat and heading on a "Three Hour Tour" for our second Desert Island episode.  If you were stranded on a desert island with only three cameras, which three would they be?  Will a high spec but fragile electronic camera make the cut, or will people choose less technically impressive models built to withstand a lot more abuse?  Let us know what you’d choose!  We will record Episode 88 on Monday, February 24th at 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time.

In This Episode

• David's Origin Story / His First Camera was a Kodak Retina IIIS
• Kodak Used to Have a Camera Museum in Stuttgart
• David Jentz Formed with Peter Tosh the Historical Society of Retina Cameras
• HSRC Received Permission from Kodak and the Rights to use the Actual Retina Logo
• Are the Retinas Separated in the George Eastman Museum? / There Are 22,000 Items in the Eastman Museum Collection
• Who was Dr. August Nagel? / Nagel Started Contessa Nettel and Merged with Zeiss-Ikon in 1926
• Nagel Worked for Zeiss-Ikon for About 18 Months and then Formed His Own Nagel Werke
• Nagels First Cameras were the Recomar, Vollenda, and Pupille
• Kodak Gave Nagel Very Little Direction, He Was Free to Do What He Wanted
• Kodak And Nagel Both Benefited from the Two Companies Working Together
• If You Ship a Camera and Lens Separately, There are No Tariffs
• Nagel was Most Famously Known as a Great Designer
• Kodak's Design of the New Daylight Loading 35mm Cassette
• Kodak Made 35mm Film for Leicas and Contaxes Before the Release of Type 135 Film
• Was the Retina an Immediate Success? / Why Were the Nr. 117, 118, and 119 Released So Quickly
• Kodak Duo Six-20 and Other Nagel Designed Cameras
• Mike Has Questions About Nagel's Role in Making the Kodak Regent / Kodak Regent II
• Kodak's Transition During World War II / Early Post War Retinas Used Steel in Their Construction
• Are Retinas with the f/2 Ektar Lenses Worth Paying a Premium / 47mm f/2 Kodak Ektars Were Also on the Premier Instrument Kardon
• Kodak's CAMEROSITY Date Codes / Many Retinas Were Sold through US PX Stores / Identifying PX Retinas
• David Jentz Dispels Some of the Myths Mike Got Wrong in His Reviews
• Dr. August Nagel Never Once Used the Word "Type" to Identify Different Cameras He Made
• The Mystery of Paul's Angenieux Lens / French Kodak Retinettes

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

The Camerosity Podcast is now on BlueSky @camerosity.bsky.social.  This modern, and clean replacement for Twitter is a nice alternative to cluttered social networks out there.  Follow us there for show announcements and other content.

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.

David Jentz - https://www.blurb.com/user/hsrc028N

The Historical Society for Retina Cameras - https://www.hsrcretina.org/

HSRC Publications - https://www.hsrcretina.org/hsrc-publications

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 86: Adapting Vintage Lenses

We return with yet another exciting episode of the Camerosity Podcast.  For Episode 86, we dip into the listener mailbag and select a topic you all have told us you wanted to hear about, adapting vintage lenses.  Taking an old film camera lens and mounting it to a modern digital camera isn't exactly anything new, as adapting lenses from one mount to another camera has been done since the early 20th century.

But what about the crazy number of lenses that weren't meant to be adapted?  How about uncommon Angenieux lenses from French Kodak Retinettes, photocopier lenses, or astronomy telescopes?  If it has glass and it focuses light, it can be adapted, and that's what got us going on this episode.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike are returning callers, AJ Gentile, Miles Libak, Nick Marshall, Pat Casey, Patrick Rapps, Ray Nason, Stephen Strangeway, Will Pinkham, and first time callers Alyssa Micha, David Jentz, and Rollin Banderob.

On this episode, we talk about a huge number of lenses we mount to various digital and film cameras, but Alyssa starts us off with an ambitious project of adapting 35mm lenses to a Crown Graphic Graflex press camera, Stephen gives us some education on flange distance, why the Nikon Z mirrorless camera is ideally suited for adapting lenses, and Theo gives us his thoughts on how well a Mamiya press lens performs on micro 4/3rds.

We discuss whether it is wise to spend extra money on premium adapters vs the cheap Chinese ones you can find on eBay, David Jentz talks about adapting DKL mount lenses and the struggles to find a good DKL adapter, and why you need to be concerned with image circle size when picking lenses from differing formats.

Miles Libak shares with us a purchase he just made of a Contarex lens mount converted Canon F-1, and Paul talks about the best adapters to use for adapting Nikon rangefinder lenses to modern digital cameras.

This episode proved that a relatively simple topic of adapting lenses included a deep wormhole into a huge amount of combinations of lenses including Paul's tip on how to remove a stuck Leica M to LTM adapter.

For those of you who can't get enough of the Camerosity Podcast and would like the chance to meet 3/4 of the hosts, Anthony, Paul, and Mike will be at the Cincinnati Camera show in West Chester, Ohio on Saturday, March 22nd!  If you have nothing going on that day and can make it to the Cincinnati area, come and join us!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show.  We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we are are taking another suggestion from you all and dedicating a whole show to the Kodak Retina and other cameras made by Kodak AG, the German arm of Kodak in Stuttgart, Germany.  We will be welcoming author and Kodak Retina expert David Jentz, along with Kodak historian from the Eastman Kodak Museum, Todd Gustavson to talk with us.  This will be a closed episode, so we won't be taking any callers for this one, but rest assured, the Camerosity gang has a long list of great questions to ask our esteemed guests.  Episode 87 will be recorded soon and should be available by the end of February.

In This Episode

• Ramir's Rare Adapters / Argus Brick to Micro 4/3s
• Adapting 35mm SLR Lenses to a Crown Graphic Graflex / Learning About Image Circle Size
• Flange Distance and Why it is Important When Adapting Lenses
• Adapting DKL Lenses to Nikon DSLRs and Z-Mirrorless Cameras / DKL Adapters are Finicky
• Nikon Z Cameras have the Narrowest Flange Distance and a Very Narrow Sensor Stack
• More Love for Ramir Rare Adapters Sold on eBay
• Adapting Nikon Rangefinder Adapters / Amedeo Adapters / Wide and Telephoto Lenses Only Need the External Bayonet
• Paul's Adapted Angenieux 45mm Lens from a Retinette / David Jentz explains the origin of French Lenses on German Kodaks
• The Reason You Should Adapt Lenses is Because They're Imperfect / Perfection is Boring
• Adapting Lenses from Projectors and Photo Copiers / Enlarging Lenses
• Theo Has Adapters for Mamiya Press Lenses and Pentacon Six to Micro 4/3rds
• Adapting Lenses Intended for the Visoflex is Great on Digital
• PC-Nikkor 28mm and 35mm Lenses Are Great for Pseudo-Panoramics
• Pentax Q Lenses / Akarelle Lenses / Auto Focus Lens Adapters
• Third Party Licenses for the Nikon Z Mount / Nikon AF Teleconverters
• Miles Bought a Canon F-1 Modified to Accept Contarex Lenses / Zeiss Lens Separation
• DAG Modified Color-Minotar Converted to LTM and Mounted to a Corfield Periflex
• Shooting Macro on a Yashica-Mat / Rollei Bay Filters / Parallax Correction on TLRs
• Is it Worth Spending More Money on Premium Adapters? / What Brands Should You Avoid?
• Do All LTM to Leica-M Adapters Work on Every Camera? / Removing Stuck LTM Adapters With a Lens Cap
• Adapting Telescopes to Cameras / Nikon F Mount Telescopes
• Lenses with Floating Elements Can Sometimes Not Focus Correctly When Adapted

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

The Camerosity Podcast is now on BlueSky @camerosity.bsky.social.  This modern, and clean replacement for Twitter is a nice alternative to cluttered social networks out there.  Follow us there for show announcements and other content.

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.

David Jentz - https://www.blurb.com/user/hsrc028N

Amedeo Lens Adapters - https://www.ebay.com/usr/amedeo.m

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 85: Mint and Rare Cameras with Jo Geier

The Camerosity Podcast returns with Episode 85 where we wander back into the wonderful world of high end camera auctions.  For this episode, we went all the way to Vienna, Austria and invited Jo Geier from Mint and Rare Cameras and the Wetzlar Camera Auctions.  In addition to Jo, we also welcomed back Dan Tamarkin from Tamarkin Camera and Auctions.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, Mike, and our two special guests are returning callers Brian McDomnhaill, Dan Cuny, Fernando Villava, Gheerwijn Clicque, Ira Cohen, Wes Loder, Miles Libak, Tom Zoss, and Wayne Scheipers,

As you might expect when you have two of the world's most respected camera auctioneers on the same episode, we talk about a lot of super rare and collectible cameras.  Everything from the original Ur-Leica to rare cameras like the Carl Zeiss Jena Contax, the Australian Snider 35 rangefinder, and Luxus Leicas.  In addition to some pretty deep GAS, some love is given to several more affordable cameras like the Canon P, Tower/Nicca rangefinders, and the Nikon F4.

In addition to GAS, several great questions were raised including whether or not the definition of 'rare' has changed over the years, whether or not finding collectible cameras is getting harder to find, and why there aren't more younger people collecting cameras.

Jo tells us his origin story to how he started both companies and shares with us what his 'white whale' camera would be, Dan and Jo show appreciation for each other and talk about how they have collaborated in the past, including a very special Leica which Dan found at a Pennsylvania garage sale.  We revisit the need to get old cameras repaired sooner than later and how quickly experts in certain cameras are disappearing, tips and tricks for new collectors, and Jo proposes a $10 "ugly" camera challenge for anyone going to a camera show.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show.  We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we are are going to the suggestion box and covering a topic that you all have told us you wanted to learn more about, adapting lenses.  There are many people in this hobby who love cameras, but love the lenses more.  While an old Kodak Ektra might be pretty to sit on the shelf, it is more practical to adapt that lens to a modern digital camera and see what kinds of results you can get from it.  Episode 86 will be dedicated to the hobby of using old lenses on modern digital cameras.  We will record Episode 86 at our regular time on Monday, February 10th at 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time.  If you live in a different time zone and would like to participate, be sure to check your favorite time zone calculator to find out the exact time in your region.

In This Episode

• Jo Geier's Origin Story / Shooting a Yashica FX-D with No Film
• Wetzlar Auctions Runs One Auction a Year / Jo Doesn't Keep Too Many Cameras
• Dan Loves Wetzlar Auctions and Has Worked with them Many Times
• How Jo Determines What Goes to Auction and What Goes to Retail
• Auctions Set a Benchmark for What Things Are Worth / Collectiblend
• Has the Definition of "Rare" Changed? / What is the White Whale that Has Never Shown Up?
• Sometimes a Pristine and Truly Mint Camera is More Rare Than a Collectible
• Are Certain Things More Common in the US compared to Europe and Vice Versa?
• Most Collectible Cameras are no Longer Owned by their Original Owners / Large Collectors
• Zeiss Prototypes and Oddities are Far More Difficult to Come By than Leicas
• Paul's Story About a Guy Buying a Luxus Leica in 1984
• The Rarest Cameras Need to be Handled in Person to Fully Authenticate
• Post War Carl Zeiss Jena Contaxes / Does Jo Sell Rare Japanese Cameras
• Jeicy 35 Rangefinder / Leotax A / Minolta Sky / Konica FR / Konica F / Canon Standard and Hansa Canons
• What Are the Most Surprisingly Beautiful Cameras Jo and Dan Has Ever Handled?
• Theo is Still Looking for a Snider 35 Camera / Bell & Howell Foton
• Everyone Lists Off Cameras They Think Are Pretty
• Is it Getting Harder to Find Rare Cameras to Sell?
• Gheerwijn Wants to Know Why There Aren't More Younger Collectors
• Anthony and Paul Just Bought an Unused, New in Box Nikon F4 and It Don't Work
• Getting Old Cameras Repaired Today / It's Already Too Late for Some Models
• Other Great Japanese Cameras / Tower Rangefinders
• How Often is the Same Camera Sold More than Once?
• Tips for Getting into Collecting For Those New to the Hobby
• Do the $10 Camera Contest / Buy the Worst Camera You Can Find and See What You Can Get

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

The Camerosity Podcast is now on BlueSky @camerosity.bsky.social.  This modern, and clean replacement for Twitter is a nice alternative to cluttered social networks out there.  Follow us there for show announcements and other content.

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.

Jo Geier - https://www.jogeier.com/ and https://www.wetzlarcameraauctions.com/

Dan Tamarkin - https://www.tamarkin.com/ and https://www.tamarkinauctions.com/

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/