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Post by belgiumreporter on Jul 16, 2017 10:03:52 GMT -5
It got worse with the 1988 OM 101 when just about every other camera maker had a AF slr in their range, Olympus manged to launch a "power focus" slr; The 101 was supposed to be a budget version of the 707, focus was achieved by turning a thumb wheel on the back of the camera and (hopefully) get focus confirmation in the finder. On top of that Olympus pulled the seperate manual control module as in the OM-10 once more, needless to say this model attracted very little customers. In 1990 the OM-4Ti and 1995 OM-3Ti where launched but only appealed to customers with a lot of cash, the 1997 OM-2000 was the last of the (film) OM line, but it even wasn't a real olympus, just a rebadged cosina. The OM-101 with the 35-70 olympus macro focus zoom and manual override adapter.
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Post by belgiumreporter on Jul 17, 2017 8:32:00 GMT -5
A list of classic 35mm SLR's would never be complete without mentioning the (grand) father of all 35mm SLR's, the (kine)Exakta. From 1936 untill 1969 the very specific shape of the Exakta didn't change and it has to be the only SLR suitable for left handed people. The film is transported from right to left, the transport lever is on the left side of the camera and so is the shutter button. If it wasn't for WWII the Exakta story might have gone differently but with the ihagee factory now being in the DDR, not much developement was done on the Exakta for over a period of more than 30 years (some may see this as proof of how well the Exakta was designed). One of the last versions of the "original" Exakta, the 1969 VX1000 with travemat metering prism, waist level finder and "aus Jena" T1:2.8 50mm "Zebra"lens
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Jul 18, 2017 4:46:30 GMT -5
A list of classic 35mm SLR's would never be complete without mentioning the (grand) father of all 35mm SLR's, the (kine)Exakta. From 1936 untill 1969 the very specific shape of the Exakta didn't change and it has to be the only SLR suitable for left handed people. The film is transported from right to left, the transport lever is on the left side of the camera and so is the shutter button. If it wasn't for WWII the Exakta story might have gone differently but with the ihagee factory now being in the DDR, not much developement was done on the Exakta for over a period of more than 30 years (some may see this as proof of how well the Exakta was designed). One of the last versions of the "original" Exakta, the 1969 VX1000 with travemat metering prism, waist level finder and "aus Jena" T1:2.8 50mm "Zebra"lens
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Post by belgiumreporter on Jul 18, 2017 4:49:18 GMT -5
In 1969 the Exakta got an update, the camera looked more conventional, in fact the RTL1000 looked more like a pimped praktica(wich in fact it was) than a classic Exakta, but that's how "progress" went in the days of the German Democratic Republic. RTL1000 with plain prism, waist level finder and "Aus Jena" pancolar 1:1.8 50mm
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Jul 18, 2017 4:49:40 GMT -5
My small Exacta family. The VX IIa is the patriarch. He worked 20 years and is still going strong. Second from the right is my just in case Exa. It was never used.
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Post by belgiumreporter on Jul 19, 2017 4:46:46 GMT -5
After the fall of the Berlin wall Pentacon went bankrupt and the Exakta name was sold. Petri, Cosina,Topcon and Seagull all had a go at producing Exakta branded camera's, all of them being a far cry from what Exakta used to be. The 1993 cosina made "Exakta" K-mount HS-1 with Cosinon-S 1:1.8 50mm.
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Post by belgiumreporter on Jul 25, 2017 3:57:02 GMT -5
Another German, this time from the west side of the iron curtain. In 1964 Leitz introduced their version of an 35mm slr, the Leicaflex. It was very expensive and despite costing about twice as much as a Nikon F, Leitz lost money on every Leicaflex sold. The second incarnation of the Leicaflex the 1968 chrome SL with summicron 1:2 50mm
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Post by belgiumreporter on Jul 26, 2017 2:06:28 GMT -5
In the seventies, Leitz faced it's darkest hour, losing money on every leicaflex sold and launching the M5 wich was considered a failure by many, things didn't look very favourable for the future. But as they say, the night is allways the darkest before the dawn, and help was on the way... The last "real" Leicaflex a black 1974 SL2 with summicron 1:2 50mm In my opinion the best leicaflex,amongst other points to name just two:the shutter is a little more silent than the one of the SL and it has a better focussing screen.
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Post by belgiumreporter on Jul 27, 2017 7:23:24 GMT -5
The least loved Leica slr has got to be the 1976 R3 ( now called Leica without the "flex" suffix), but whatever anyone may think it was the best selling leica slr as well. The co-operation with Minolta was kind of a life saver for Leica, slr's that actually sold and on wich a profit was made could now be produced 1978 R3 MOT electronic with motor winder R3, grip and Macro Elmar 100mm 1:4
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Post by belgiumreporter on Jul 28, 2017 6:24:30 GMT -5
The 1980 R4 had more features than the previous models but the first series had problems wich put a blemish on the leica quality label. A lot of other R's followed ending in 2009 with the R9 as the last of film based R's exept from a prototype digital no more R's were made. 1981 R4 with angènieux zoom 2x35 1:2.5-3.3(with wich i am not quite happy) Happy holidays to everyone, i'll be gone for a few weeks Indian Ocean discovery, the 3D series will continue when (if ) i get back !
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Post by belgiumreporter on Aug 19, 2017 7:35:55 GMT -5
Ok, i've had my fun on the isle of La réunion. On the way to the main volcano "le plain de sables" (the field of sands) let's now continue with one of the lesser gods in the camera parthenon: the MIRANDA ! Marketed as the poor man's Nikon, Miranda started producing 35mm slr's in 1955, some four years before Canon and Nikon had their go at the slr theme. Somewhat inspired by Exakta, it was never a blatant copy like some early Japanese cameras that looked like rebranded Leica's or Contaxes( you know who i mean). This 1959 "S" model is the last of the "knob wind" Mirandas and the fifth model produced by Miranda since 1955 it features the 5cm 1:2.8 Miranda lens.
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Post by belgiumreporter on Aug 22, 2017 6:58:59 GMT -5
Some seven model variations were necesarry to evolve from the 1958 Miranda A to the 1962 DR. 1962 second model DR with soligor 5cm 1:1.9 note the exakta style shutter relase and "curved"body style.
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Post by belgiumreporter on Aug 23, 2017 13:05:46 GMT -5
In 1965 the model "G" was introduced, it had all the bells and wistles, mirror lock up, interchangeable focussing screens ( the only Miranda wich has this feature)...in 1967 the non coupled ttl "T" finder was added and it became the GT model wich is now the most collectable. 1967 "GT" with Auto Miranda 5cm 1:1.9
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Post by raybar on Aug 23, 2017 16:56:24 GMT -5
There's a soft spot in my heart for Mirandas, not because I ever used them, but because I once sold a used one to a woman named Miranda. She worked near the store and came in for her company all the time. She wanted to get her first "good camera," and when she saw one with her name on it, that was that. Discontinued? Can't get parts? Who cares - - it's got my name on it.
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Post by belgiumreporter on Aug 24, 2017 7:01:46 GMT -5
There's a soft spot in my heart for Mirandas, not because I ever used them, but because I once sold a used one to a woman named Miranda. She worked near the store and came in for her company all the time. She wanted to get her first "good camera," and when she saw one with her name on it, that was that. Discontinued? Can't get parts? Who cares - - it's got my name on it. I to got that soft spot for Miranda. The first Miranda i came across belonged to one of my (back in the day) hippie girl friends, you know hippie as in rich parents hippie daughter trying to save the world.We had a relationship for some time and i allways teased her, her camera wasn't a decent Nikon. The second Miranda i came across was some what later in life as a Dutch woman named Miranda who did quality control in our factory with wich i always(and not only myselve) had flaming arguments over quality, she could be a such a bitch! The third Miranda is the old camera store on the left bank of the river, it was called the Miranda photo shop after the wife or daughter of the owner, not after the camera! I could go on on Miranda stories, but i'll just stop here and show some more Miranda camera pics and the fun memories they give me. I have to confess i never used a Miranda (camera) just collect them.
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