With the festive period upon us, it is easy to forget that the Canny Photographer’s auction season is about to begin. Once the mince pies foils and empty port bottles head off for recycling, many folk decide now is the time to clear out stuff and the period up to Easter tends to feature a surplus of thing appearing in auctions or second hand sites while many buyers are actually of the game trying to pay off the festive overdraft Continue reading 7 Cult Classics To watch out for in January Auctions→
My recent fling with The Konica C35 AF got me thinking about what true point and shoots (P&S) there out there. By that I mean a P&S where all the user does is hit the shutter button and possibly wind on – there is no need or ability to set any other controls once the camera was loaded.
Goko UF – not in the running per se but a good example of cheap P&S from 1980’s
If you like lo-fi photography or want to give it a go at some point you’ll end up with the desire for a plastic lensed beauty. Here’s a list of ten of the best both available new or widely available second hand.
Glasgow Botanics, 2015. Superheadz Wide and Slim (aka VUWS) with Agfaphoto Vista Plus 400
Late in 2015 Holga production ceased. A sad fate for an iconic plastic camera that helped drive the Lo-Fi photography movement and remains much beloved today. Luckily you can still buy ’em brand new.
Holga120N, a film camera captured ironically by instagram
But how does the 120N (the closest to the original 80’s Holga) fare today and compared to the obvious rival product from Lomography, the Diana F+.
This gorgeously styled 120 shooter hails from around 1960 with pretty impressive retro styling this camera looks like a classsic TLR (Twin Lens Reflex) camera
Halina Viceroy Pseudo TLR for 120 film. Ironically shot via instagram
And finally we get to a true British camera the Conway Popular. Made from around 1931 it was produced until the 1950’s but despite some innovations this box camera was actually less flexible than the Kodak Brownie No 2. It is however the oldest camera for a quid or less I own
Conway Popular Model . British made 1930’s box camera for 120 film
Fixed focus cameras have lasted as long as consumer photography has existed and beyond from the Kodak Brownie launched in the 1890’s right up to date with the still in production clones of the Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim. Easy shooters often derided but popular with the public and pre-AF often the choice of the casual snapper.
Taken on Disposable fixed focus Kodak Fun camera (Camera in shot is a fixed focus Olympus XA1)
Over the years we’ve had ones that have no controls right through to fully automatic exposure models. Here’s my thoughts on some Continue reading 10 Fixed Focus Wonders→
The Kodak brownie is probably the best known and iconic camera series ever made. The Brownies in one form or another were made from 1900 to 1986 although are best known for the Iconic Box Brownies. The No 2 deserves a special place in this Iconography not just for it’s own 34 year run from 1901 but for the fact this camera gave us 120 film and is arguable the most reliable camera in the world still turning out shots almost a century later. Although this isn’t a Poundland Challenge Camera, scarily you can actually get this classic for a quid or less.
