The single lens version of this camera was my first camera. I bought it used in 1956 for $35 with flash. My daughter has it now. I have been told that my camera was a WWII Pathfinder’s camera. I learned a lot of photography with mine. Glad to see folks taking care of the old iron.
I am VERY excited to see your approach to film photography and cameras. There’s so much room for creativity and diy projects and modifications. I would recommend learning to develop your own film, I think you would find it well within your capabilities, would make for good content, and would save you a lot of money. If film really takes off for you, you can cut your film prices in half by buying 100’ rolls and re-spooling your 35mm cassettes. I’m at a point where the cost of film shooting is no longer a limiting factor.
The top looks awfully like an Exa, haha! They are also a good first (or second) camera. I recommend the Original Exa or something like the 1a. Looking forward to more videos like this!
Beautifully elegant solution/build in what is very much your style, or at least what feels like a style. Im glad I saw those handles you built for William Osman a while back and found your channel. I think your approach is very underrated, and I hope you get more exposure.
Great work with the grip! And fun to see you getting into analog still photography! I've been shooting film on and off for the past 20'ish years, and one thing that might tickle your interest in the future, is developing your own film. It might sound like a daunting thing, but if you start with black and white, you'll soon find out that it is both veeeery forgiving, and also very rewarding. Once you got that down, the step aint very far to also develop your own C41(colour) and soon you'll also be scanning your own film. Anyhow, great vid!
litterally the COOLEST camera i have ever seen like someone in the factory couldn't make thier mind up on what it should be so they just did ALL of them
also, FYI, you can just develop the film in a 'dark bag' (for black and white) at home... and then scan them to get the digital version. also, once it's digital, it's easy to adjust for light levels. I did something similar with a 40's 'flex' style, and some 70s german fancy exposure compensation film cameras, whhich I mgiht still have lying around... (I love the old mechanical stuff)... same process worked with a kiev 88 (small medium-format camera).. great pictures with that one. but they're all pretty good. black and white is a cheat, ut ability to process the film in a dark bag without paying someone else was a great low cost option. ;-) would share some of the photos, but I let my photo host lapse when I fell out of the hobby. :-/
that viewfinder for focusing is so interesting :0 i wonder if it can take flash-bulbs, that'd probably be expensive, but fun though. i watched the technology connections vid on them recently is all.
For folks in the comments looking for similar cameras. If you can find one for cheap ( and they CAN be had for cheap ) I cannot recommend the Ihagee EXA cameras enough, often found with waist level viewfinders, the controls are a bit strange but they are loads of fun to use.
you got lucky it didnt have light leaks and a clean lens, actually pretty sharp to be honest most of that type of cameras that are selled in my town have major flaws like broken shutter curtains, stuck rewinds/film advance lever the project came out really good actually!
the "look" of your videos is nice! good style everything including personality blends together well. be careful with C.A glue sometimes the vapor can fog plastic optics
also a flap sanding disc in the angle grinder is a great way to make blended organic sculptural shapes in wood, fast and smooth.. dont even need to carve with blades of any sort first... go for 60 or 40 grit
you could 3d print a top to the reminding knob to be able to rewind it with a power tool. ;-) a couple of options there.. but if you're interested, I wouldn't mind collaborating on getting a functional knob on top of that thing. :-) I'm setting up a desktop cnc, and might even be able to make it out of aluminum, if it's possible to do a replacement knob, as opposed to a 'topper' which is really a big bit which interfaces to the drill.. ;-)
I recently found my Father's old film camera from when he was in high school, half a role of undeveloped film in there and the other half un-shot, idk if the film is still good but I plan on shooting it anyways and finding out
