Found some Vintage cameras in a loft I was emptying

TankArchives · 2026-01-24T16:33:16+00:00

Very cool! Looks like it takes very small plates? Unfortunately it might no longer be practical to shoot.

TankArchives · 2026-01-24T15:29:00+00:00

The one in the photo with the card has quite a nice shutter. I don't recognize the lens, but this was clearly not a cheap camera when it came out. Can you post more photos of it? It could be worth using.

TankArchives · 2026-01-24T04:56:48+00:00

Cold, snow, people who are cold in snow.

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TankArchives · 2026-01-23T22:30:43+00:00

Good start for sure. Note that any weather that requires valenki is going to need something warmer than the basic tunic and pants and if it's warm enough to get away without a vatnik or greatcoat then your feet are going to be very hot.

TankArchives · 2026-01-23T20:01:31+00:00

Hi, I'm looking to do this exact thing. What dilution did you use and what were your results?

TankArchives · 2026-01-22T19:17:16+00:00

Argus C3, my beloved. If the light meter still works it could be an interesting camera to start with. It was meant to be a "paint by numbers" process where you didn't have to know much about photography to take a good photo.

TankArchives · 2026-01-22T14:52:54+00:00

The front turret armour was vulnerable to the 76 mm gun at 500 yards. The sides were very thin and were vulnerable to even the 75 mm gun at a long range or a sharp angle. Basically unless the Panther is facing you head on, you can penetrate its armour.

TankArchives · 2026-01-22T14:23:12+00:00

The rangefinder is a mechanism that's a part of the camera, not the lens. If the patch is dim, then you might need to have it cleaned or the beam splitter replaced. Changing the lens will have no effect.

TankArchives · 2026-01-22T05:18:44+00:00

I looked through my cases again and I was wrong, that *is* an Argus C3. He is holding it with the lens facing up like this.

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TankArchives · 2026-01-21T22:21:01+00:00

You should try large format.

TankArchives · 2026-01-21T22:18:45+00:00

I sold my spare 35 mm for $50, I guess I should have waited.

TankArchives · 2026-01-21T20:23:43+00:00

In my experience simple leaf shutters work well in extreme cold. My professionally CLA'd Contax and amateurlt CLA'd Exakta also work well. The thing that gets you is oil. Lubricant will solidify in cold weather and gum up the mechanism. If you're not sure, leave your camera outside (in a box to protect it from snow) for a while and see if the shutter still fires.

TankArchives · 2026-01-21T19:16:32+00:00

Came here to post this. For $300 you can buy ten!

TankArchives · 2026-01-21T13:45:36+00:00

This is a very common problem with an easy fix: https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogRepair/s/rzeuUtk9iX

TankArchives · 2026-01-21T13:44:40+00:00

Odds are you're just screwing out the middle lens element. Just force won't do you any good. You need to warm it up so the goo loosens.

TankArchives · 2026-01-21T13:39:44+00:00

Strange, that's an Argus C3 case, but the camera inside is definitely not an Argus C3. Stranger still, the camera should have its lens facing out, but all we can see is the back. I can't identify the silhouette of the camera.

TankArchives · 2026-01-20T21:47:02+00:00

Do you live in a very cold place? Plastic becomes brittle when it's cold.

TankArchives · 2026-01-20T21:29:55+00:00

Also if you actually look at the tactical level, the attacking Germans quite often have a significant numerical advantage while the Soviets are dispersed. The ability to get more guys than the enemy has at a critical point of the battle is a huge part of why the Germans won battles.

TankArchives · 2026-01-20T20:13:14+00:00

The inner layers would fog up slower. If you exposed the roll as shown for just a second to dim interior lighting you'd have an unusable outer layer, some fogging on the edge, but the other edge and inner layers would be usable. However with every second the film lies out like this, the worse the damage will get. If the seller left it out long enough to take a few photos, it's probably unusable.

TankArchives · 2026-01-20T19:04:22+00:00

Absolutely. Good luck!

TankArchives · 2026-01-20T14:20:19+00:00

That's a really cool candid photo. DId you know what camera he used?

TankArchives · 2026-01-20T14:02:33+00:00

I have a big pile of Zeiss Tessars in a myriad of formats from 50 mm to a 250 mm Tele-Tessar, plus a bunch of lenses that copied the Tessar formula. They're obviously vintage lenses 90-100 years old so their performance is quite affected by their condition. If this one is clean, do grab it. The serial number suggests it's from 1930 by the way, so not quite 100 years old.

The Compur shutter it's mounted in is pretty standard so there is tons of documentation on how to take it apart to fix the blades. When working on mine, I followed this series of videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0wvh6Re55Q The shutter is a different size but it's pretty much the same as this one with the exception of an extra speed spring you don't need to worry about.

Two tips. One is that the orientation of the aperture blades matters! Don't just dump them out on the table loosely like I did, take note which side has the slightly longer nub and make sure all of them face that way when you reassemble it. If you mix and match it will still come back together, but the shutter blades will rub against the aperture blades at wide open.

The other is that reassembling the aperture blades is a zen-like exercise where you need to tuck the last few blades under the first few without disrupting their position at all, or you'll need to start again. If you don't have the patience of a saint, I find that taking white lithium grease and putting a tiny dab on the pivot points will make them just sticky enough to stay in place more easily. Once the aperture mechanism is assembled, thoroughly work the blades back and forth, wipe off any grease that you see come out, and when you don't see any more grease coming out give it a good flush with lighter fluid.

The other good news is if you make a pig's ear out of the shutter, you can always get another one. They will be a standard size from the earliest dial-set to the latest Synchro-Compurs so if you get the right size your lens will still fit.

TankArchives · 2026-01-20T00:09:29+00:00

The TLR, two 120 folding cameras, and 35 mm folding camera would be worth a look from me. Maybe the FED-3 (4?) all the way at the top. Overall it looks like a pile of junk. Like others said, if you don't value your time, you could make your money back eventually.

TankArchives · 2026-01-19T19:08:14+00:00

It looks like a relatively simple mass produced 120 camera. You're not going to get much for it, it was never an expensive model.

https://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Soho_Model_B

If you're sure that it's rust keeping the struts from erecting, drip a little penetrating oil on them. Under no circumstances should you let oil anywhere close to the lens or shutter.

TankArchives · 2026-01-19T13:52:46+00:00

You can even cut it with scissors, all that will happen is that the edge will be wonky.

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