old camera

[scarry]

Been cleaning out an old friends place as he is moving into a nursing home and came across this.Is it just junk,or worth something to someone?Another pic to follow

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/06/638.jpg (https://picturepush.com/public/15064346)

[scarry]

Apologise for the phone pic,and they seem to turn themselves around at times as well:(

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/06/637.jpg (https://picturepush.com/public/15064347)

[JDNSW]

Its a Box Brownie, fairly late model. They sold in very large numbers, so I doubt they are worth much, but someone may want it to see what cameras for ordinary people used to be like. The first model was introduced in 1900 for $1, and it and its successors were the cameras that popularised photography. I think they continued into the sixties at least.

John

[bee utey]

Around $10 to $40 judging by a quick look on ebay.

box brownie | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=box+brownie&_sacat=0)

[Mick_Marsh]

Lots and lots of 0 bids.
One fellow has a $5 bid. I reckon yours is worth less than $5.

I have two. I suggest you clean it up and display it on a shelf at home as a curious decoration.

Or you could give it to that mad fellow that collects cameras. Every town has one.

[JDNSW]

Or you could give it to that mad fellow that collects cameras. Every town has one.

Who probably has fifty of them. But that does not necessarily mean he won't want more. I can remember going to a deceased estate sale in Gulgong that featured over fifty sewing machines (I also got a 2a chassis, two tubs, a cab, and a box of parts, all for $15!)

John

[Mick_Marsh]

Who probably has fifty of them. But that does not necessarily mean he won't want more. I can remember going to a deceased estate sale in Gulgong that featured over fifty sewing machines (I also got a 2a chassis, two tubs, a cab, and a box of parts, all for $15!)

John
My mate John had an old camera. He put it on a shelf.
A visitor had an old camera. Later that visitor returned. "You have an old camera. Here's an old camera. You can have this one."
Another visitor had an old camera. Later that visitor returned. "You have two old cameras. You collect old cameras. Here's an old camera. You can have this one."
Once you have two old cameras or more, they tend to breed.
Over several years and many visitors, John now has a sizable old camera collection. Looks great. Worth nothing.
It's not that all old cameras are worth nothing. It's just that most are worth nothing.
I found that out with my fathers Bronica ETRS. I get far more enjoyment out of using it than the pittance I would get had I solt it.

[scarry]

Lots and lots of 0 bids.
One fellow has a $5 bid. I reckon yours is worth less than $5.

I have two. I suggest you clean it up and display it on a shelf at home as a curious decoration.

Or you could give it to that mad fellow that collects cameras. Every town has one.

Thats the go,then one day it will probably get binned,like most of the others.:D

He was a sparkie in his earlier life,i can't work out why they hord lots of old power tools that are worn out and don't work.:confused:

And all sorts of other things that should have been binned years ago.

Oh,and wood auger drill bits,i think there were about 80 of those,all blunt,bent or broken.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

My mate John had an old camera. He put it on a shelf.
A visitor had an old camera. Later that visitor returned. "You have an old camera. Here's an old camera. You can have this one."
Another visitor had an old camera. Later that visitor returned. "You have two old cameras. You collect old cameras. Here's an old camera. You can have this one."
Once you have two old cameras or more, they tend to breed.
Over several years and many visitors, John now has a sizable old camera collection. Looks great. Worth nothing.
It's not that all old cameras are worth nothing. It's just that most are worth nothing.
I found that out with my fathers Bronica ETRS. I get far more enjoyment out of using it than the pittance I would get had I solt it.

Except here in WA. People want the earth for anything old here. I collect records, and have a couple of old cameras. A Box Brownie was on a FB bidding page here the other day, it went for ~$40, it was probably worth $2. People want to try and sell records that aren't particularly valuable for $25. I like where I live, except when I need to buy something.

[Mick_Marsh]

Except here in WA. People want the earth for anything old here. I collect records, and have a couple of old cameras. A Box Brownie was on a FB bidding page here the other day, it went for ~$40, it was probably worth $2. People want to try and sell records that aren't particularly valuable for $25. I like where I live, except when I need to buy something.
Well, there are two people here who are prepared to sell you three old Box Brownies for $40 each.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

That's the thing though, just because they are old, people tend to think they are worth something. A Box Brownie is the most common camera in the world. A FB group I am part of mentioned a shop in the US that has 100's of Box Brownies for sale. There are a couple of rare ones in the vicinity of $50, but for the most part, they are 50c to $5. Most work. They are remarkably robust. I thought collecting cameras would be an interesting hobby that was relatively inexpensive if I didn't want a Leica. The few old cameras I already have were very cheap, but I'm thinking I was just very lucky.

I have a set of RRC alloys that I can't give away. I can't bring myself to throw them away. Someone someday will want them I'm sure.

[Mick_Marsh]

That's the thing though, just because they are old, people tend to think they are worth something. A Box Brownie is the most common camera in the world. A FB group I am part of mentioned a shop in the US that has 100's of Box Brownies for sale. There are a couple of rare ones in the vicinity of $50, but for the most part, they are 50c to $5. Most work. They are remarkably robust. I thought collecting cameras would be an interesting hobby that was relatively inexpensive if I didn't want a Leica. The few old cameras I already have were very cheap, but I'm thinking I was just very lucky.

I have a set of RRC alloys that I can't give away. I can't bring myself to throw them away. Someone someday will want them I'm sure.

I'd swap you for two Box Brownies.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

I'd take you up on that if you were here. Freight would be a killer.

[Mercguy]

Thing about the Brownies - 620 film. Which is basically 120 film but on a very small thin metal spool. The two are not interchangeable, as the drive on the 120 is different to the 620....
That is essentially what makes them 'worthless'.

But, there are tricks..... If you're good with a dark bag, you can wind the 120 off it's spool, onto an empty 620 spool, then roll that 620 spool onto another empty 620 spool.
Bit of a convoluted process, but it means you can still shoot the brownie.

I've been shooting a brownie 620 e and my folding brownie 620 for a while, They are of sentimental value, as they belonged to my Nan. So the pictures taken with those cameras are always quite special, and unhurried. Normally I use delta 400, or delta 3200, particularly in poor light. I have shot the folding brownie with RVP50, but found the results to be inconsistent. Possibly shutter related...

They are huge fun to shoot with. Mostly because of that 2.8 aperture and SLOW fixed 1/30 shutter speed , it's often a case of ensuring you have the correct ISO filmstock at hand to match the ambient light and the slow shutter. The yellow filter slide and bulb modes are pointless - except for creating blur - easier to hold a filter over the front for those times you want the extra contrast on B&W, or messing about with ND's and keep the 1/30 shutter. The amount of handheld vibration is too much from the B mode.

I agree they are pretty much 'worthless' in terms of monetary value, but certainly do not feel that way about actually using them. Especially the folding 620, which is a cracker of a camera.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Clip the edge of the flange off the 120 spool back to the lip with nail clippers. It will fit then...:D

[Mercguy]

I guess if you don't mind potentially losing the whole roll - or not worried.

The width of the 120 spool, outside to outside is more than a 620 spool, and the drive recess for the 120 is much larger than the pin drive in the 620 cameras. So while the 120 j-u-s-t fits, it doesn't freely rotate, or positively interlock with the drive pin of the 620.
Because of this, the 120's spool drive recess binds up on the 620 drive pin and either jams or doesn't pull (free rotation).

There are many occasions where the friction overcomes the advance and either a frame is shot overlapping, or double exposed, because the 620 drive didn't pull the film through.

Also spooling from a 120 roll onto a bare 620 roll within the camera is problematic, with the edges not being parallel, it can curl film edges and bind in the spool.

I've had these problems before, and while I fully understand some types of 620 cameras can physically fit 120 spools, they all suffer the same drive pin issue, unless they have been modified for 120 film.....

It's still far easier to respool the 120 roll onto a 620 in a dark bag and guarantee you will get a full roll of shots.

I don't think they are worth modifying to take 120 spools, unless you were wanting to shoot it every day.

now that 120 film is min. $1 per shutter click, I think it's worth the extra few minutes to respool it. For peace of mind if nothing else.