Time Promo Camera Mods

[nikkortorokkor]

Hi all,

my thesis is ready to be submitted, so I'm allowed to "play" again.

Today I received this link
www.instructables.com/id/Upgrade-Your-Time-Magazine-Promotional-Camera/
in my inbox and followed it to a nice little article on "upgrading" plastic promotional cameras of the Time Magazine "High Quality 35mm!" type.

It is well written and has some interesting philosophising on the 35mm toy camera's lack of relative popularity compared to Dianas and Holgas.

A good challenge to dare to be different and use a plastic camera with a real glass lens.

Disclaimer: I've found the Instructables site to provide cause for hours of valuable research which might be misconstrued as time wasting when observed by spouses.

[Deleted]

Funny:

I held one of those in my hands at a garage sale today. I left it there for the real collectors.

Wayne

[pompiere]

I remembered the ads, so when I saw one in a junk shop, I had to have it. I never put film through it though. The ads said "Some 35 mm cameras cost more than $300." Like you might be getting a $300 camera.

Ron

[mickeyobe]

It must be worth a lot.
It has one of those very desirable "Optical" lenses.
And a very rare "Auto" Fix Focus lens at that.
"Kinetic" A genuine fixed focus lens that moves.
Go for it, Michael.
What an opportunity.

Mickey

[nikkortorokkor]

Wayne, you obviously missed out on a rare gem.

I think that Time promo cameras did make it Downunder, but not in the numbers that proliferated in Stateside junk shops and garage sales.

To be honest, I won't be searching particularly hard.

I have to admit to previously not understanding the desire for collecting promo cameras, especially basic 35mm P&S screen printed with cola company logos & the likes. Since the ascendancy of digital, however, I guess those plastic fantastics have become relics of our consumer culture and almost alluring in their quaintness. I still haven't been bitten by the desire to collect them.

On a slightly related topic, I haven't been back to Asia since leaving China in 2004. Then, 35mm was still prolific enough for green Fuji umbrella stalls to dot every significant tourist spot. I wonder what has happened to them all? I can't imagine that hawking ISO200 print film to tourists is a profitable venture any more. A genuine Fuji Umbrella stall would be the perfect centrepiece for any collection!

[herron]

May 16, 2010 6:23:24 GMT -5 pompiere said:

I remembered the ads, so when I saw one in a junk shop, I had to have it. I never put film through it though. The ads said "Some 35 mm cameras cost more than $300." Like you might be getting a $300 camera.

Ron

Ah, advertising (my chosen profession)!
What they omitted was the last sentence: This one obviously doesn't! LOL!!

[herron]

May 16, 2010 15:00:35 GMT -5 nikkortorokkor said:

Wayne, you obviously missed out on a rare gem.

I think that Time promo cameras did make it Downunder, but not in the numbers that proliferated in Stateside junk shops and garage sales.

To be honest, I won't be searching particularly hard.

I have to admit to previously not understanding the desire for collecting promo cameras, especially basic 35mm P&S screen printed with cola company logos & the likes. Since the ascendancy of digital, however, I guess those plastic fantastics have become relics of our consumer culture and almost alluring in their quaintness. I still haven't been bitten by the desire to collect them.

On a slightly related topic, I haven't been back to Asia since leaving China in 2004. Then, 35mm was still prolific enough for green Fuji umbrella stalls to dot every significant tourist spot. I wonder what has happened to them all? I can't imagine that hawking ISO200 print film to tourists is a profitable venture any more. A genuine Fuji Umbrella stall would be the perfect centrepiece for any collection!

I once found an old Mamiya retail counter mat (for their 35mm lines) and thought I'd struck gold!