|
Post by nikkortorokkor on Aug 22, 2007 22:41:33 GMT -5
You know you have GAS when your teenage daughter starts grinning conspiratorially as you sneak yet another small cardboard box full of metal and glass past your wife. After a real case of caveat emptor (a completely knackered Yashica Minister that I rashly mistook for a Lynx 1000) I've had a couple of wins lately. Top of the list in the class of '57 are the Tougodo Optical Co (also called Togodo Optical Co) Toyoca 35 and the Braun Super Paxette II B L. I also got a very handy Watameter accessory shoe rangefinder for not much money. Here it is modelled on that byword in optical excellence, the mighty Halina 35x Super: Not bad for a grand total of NZ$61 (about US$42) including P&P. I wonder if my wife will agree? I am happy because I was after a Super Paxette II and this one, though not mint, functions flawlessly. I now own a real German interchangeable lens rangefinder...I can feel my credibility expanding already . I like the Toyoca too, if not the ubiquitous 'poor man's Leica, then maybe a poor man's Nikon S2? The odd thing is, I've been regularly outbid on the more common Yamato Pax M3, yet this rather less common Toyoca 35, functionally and visually similar to the Pax, garnered little interest. Does the fact that one can say 'I have an M3' drive the price up? A very nice set of pictures of a Toyoca 35 can be found at asahi.net: www.asahi-net.or.jp/~rd2h-ari/OTH_TOYOCA35.htm
|
|
|
Post by byuphoto on Aug 23, 2007 17:49:44 GMT -5
Great cameras. I just got a '57 Kodak Retina 1b
|
|
|
Post by nikkortorokkor on Aug 25, 2007 3:54:13 GMT -5
A Kodak Retina would've been my other choice of 50s German if I hadn't got the Paxette. The Retina has the better reputation for reliability. Well done. Ron, I've cut and pasted the following from the very useful site: www.ukcamera.com/classic_cameras/braun1.htmI= basic model II= exchangeable screwmount lens B= light meter F= built-in flash L= lever rewind C= Compur-shutter L= Bright framefinder LK= light meter, Compur-shutter M= uncoupled rangefinder Auto= automatic exposure So, from what you tell me, you have a Paxette II of some description. If it has a coupled rangefinder, then it is a Super Paxette II. If it has the uncoupled meter and lever winder, then it is a Super Paxette B L and so on. I actually worked out that the one I was bidding on was a Super Paxette II B L from the above list, and was gratified to find exactly that nomenclature engraved on the back when I got it. It seems that looks count. After getting my II B L for NZ$27, I watched a more basic, but prettier Paxette II (or possibly a Super Paxette II, they're hard to tell apart without looking through the finder) reach NZ$54 on the same auction site. It's lucky that the wee Braun's Cyclops-like visage is growing on me;) As a side note, the model I have is incredibly similar to the Voigtlander Vito BL from the same era. If I ever dig my old handmedown Vito BL out of the cupboard, I'll sit the two side by side. But even from this ad (it comes from Marriot's website) you can see that the two cameras could've come from the same design pen: www.marriottworld.com/vito_cameras/vitobl.htmThe Vito is undoubtedly the more logically laid out of the 2, but I just can't get with its finder, whereas the Braun's brightlines seem very accurate so far.
|
|