This lovely folder was made in Freital in Saxony before the Second World War. Still fully functional, and a bit quirky. This copy comes with a Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar f/2.8 lens and speeds up to 1/500 sec.

Unusual ergonomics as the camera is in a way upside down. But it does fit nicely into your hand, and the movements become second nature very quickly. The mechanics resemble a fine watch.

I started searching for a Welta Weltini after reading Murray Leff’s book on his wartime experiences. Lens of an Infantryman – McFarland (mcfarlandbooks.com) An American GI, he participated in the campaign in Western Europe and documented parts of it on a German camera: the Welta. Officially it was forbidden for soldiers to carry cameras. Why? If a soldier was captured and the camera would fall into enemy hands, it might make identifying units easier and give the enemy clues about troop locations. But Leff cleverly placated his superior officers by taking pictures of them and giving them a print as a present. How did he find a darkroom in a battle zone? He waited for nightfall and poured developer into his helmet.

Leff does not reveal if he used a Weltini or a different model but I like to think he came across a decent copy of the Weltini and made his wartime photos with it. A quality Rangefinder camera, made in Saxony, between 1938 and 1941. You have to get used to the operation as it is a bit counterintuitive. But it sits really well in your hand and is a fun machine.

Welta Weltini II (1938) – mike eckman dot com

Agfa is one of the storied companies of film. Most of the time, Agfa produced affordable consumer cameras to promote its extensive line of film. This particular SLR from the early 1980s is relatively rare and was designed by a famous German design company, Schlagheck & Schultes. The body is black, but it sports the trademark orange button. I also like that the Chinon-made camera has an easy-to-operate double exposure slider. The Agfa is very suitable for double or multiple exposure images and can operate with all Pentax lenses.

I have been using a standard Pentax 50mm lens. The Agfa Selectronic 3 is the best of the three cameras made by Chinon for the German company. It is a rebadged Chinon CE-4. I enjoy the unusual design, especially since I was also able to get my hands on a vintage AGFA strap and appreciate the AGFA effort to offer something special with this camera.

Link https://mikeeckman.com/2022/03/agfa-selectronic-3-1980/

Like all of these pieces, I am interested in the experience of using film cameras. I like to learn about the history they represent, the age in which they were made, the effort to make them competitive. I admire the workmanship that went into these small objects. Here we have a truly small object, the Agfa Optima sensor electronic 1035. Black. Plastic exterior. Compact shape. Design by Agfa’s go-to company Schlagheck Schultes, reminiscent of the iconic philosophy of Dieter Rams and Braun. 4-element Solitar S 40mm f 2.8 lens (multi-coated). 255 grams. Shutter speed 15 seconds to 1/1000 of a second.

Fantastic clear viewfinder. Classic Agfa Red-orange Sensor shutter button. Prize-winning camera. Something to wear. Reminiscent of a later design philosophy by a Cupertino company.

Curious rewind system – the film advance lever becomes rewind lever. When I used this the first time, I was apprehensive – could this actually work? Would I not again spoil precious film? But no, everything worked out fine. Have confidence in the mechanics.

The exposed film is pushed into a light-safe chamber so that even if you open the back, your images are safe. A smart idea, and one of those that makes you wonder why it took decades for an engineer to think of it.

Made in Munich. You had to pay 298 DM at the time. What impresses me is the design philosophy, the ability to re-invent age-old mechanisms, the courage to offer bold solutions, and all of this in a neat small frame. Classic.

Links:

https://www.edition-oldenburg.de/agfa_optima.html

A brief stop in Berlin to survey the landscape and check out the photography stores. I visited fotoimpex, click&surr and, in a neighborhood shop selling laundry machines and other technical gear, managed to snag a perfectly working Kodak Retina IIa from the early 1950s. It was fun bargaining with the owner of the store! Great discovery. Renting a three-speed bike was definitely an experience, but also a wonderful way to get around and slow down.

By the 1980s, the development of the SLR had advanced to produce solid cameras with a remarkable list of specs. Some companies lead the market by spending tons of money on commercials, magazine advertisements and endorsements, others sought to offer good value for money. Now that these bodies are affordable and collectable, it is fun to check out what different design concepts could achieve. The Rikoh XR-7M is one of the unsung heroes of the age.

Ricoh itself dates back to 1938. In the 1980s, their range of SLRs included beginner, advanced amateur and professional models. The XR-7M features aperture priority with full manual override. The shutter speeds range from 8 seconds to 1/2000. You can use any of the Pentax K-Mount lenses on this typical 1980s style camera body. It handles well and the body is sturdy and durable. Although constructed to last, it is lightweight and quite ergonomic to operate. What I like in particular is the easy multiple exposure switch and therefore the ability to produce in camera double, triple, and multiple exposures.

Like many of these models, they get little love: They don’t have the cache of big brand names and often fly under the radar of collectors. Which makes it easier to acquire them at a decent price! I would recommend investing in a deal involving a few lenses and a bag, this will not set you back very much.

Bargain price, good ergonomics, and plenty of potential to experiment: now wonder I enjoy using the 1980s SLR’s! With demand and prices increasing, it is still fun to seek out affordable mechanical machinery from the “golden age”. However, some of the camera may soon reach their natural demise, so if you have them in your collection, take them out for a spin and enjoy them.

The lenses (made in Japan) are suitably sharp. I like the film “look”, and I do think sharpness is overrated, just like bokeh. Although I like the testing of “new to me” camera, I also enjoy investing a bit more time in producing better images. It is indeed satisfying to experience the ability of these contraptions to capture an image at all, yet it gives me pleasure to add a little spice and push them to the limits. And although I do experiment with expired film, I think the best way to do the vintage cameras a service is to honor them with fresh film to bring out their full potential.

The Ricoh XR-7m is a great vintage SLR from the best age of SLR camera manufacturing. The company and this particular model seem to have been underrated throughout their life span. A real discovery. It is one of these camera bodies I have on my “grab and go” shelf – these are the no-nonsense, reliable film cameras that perform and do not get in the way. (I also have another shelf of “slow down” cameras – these are the mechanical masterpieces that have quirky features or unusual operations you have to keep in mind in the field – or look into the manual to find out about this mysterious switch).

Link:

http://www.fotolaborinfo.de/foto/ricohkamera.htm#Ricoh_Kauf

Here are some examples of recent light painting captures.