The hunt for a perfect folding film camera
Vintage folders: Medium format Mamiya six and 35mm Kodak retina II.
The usual suspects for a travel film camera are compact 35mm cameras or even half-frame cameras like the Olympus Pen. In the medium format world, cameras are far from pocket-able in size. I’ve traveled often with my trusty Hasselblad 500 - lots of beautiful images but I had to put up with its bulk and weight.
I began to research folding cameras which promise to be a good compromise. Up to 6x9 medium format cameras with lens that collapses into the body when not in use. There are also 35mm folding cameras that are magnificently small for a ‘full frame’ camera. The are some downsides to vintage folders. Many have only basic functionality like red-window manual winding, distance-scale focusing and cocking levers before the shutter can be fired). And the majority of these cameras lack interchangeable lenses, but I generally travel with a single lens anyway.
Actually, there is a further down side. This type of camera has been out of fashion for some time now. “Some time” being the best part of a century. With any old camera, age brings the risk of light-leaks from the back or bellows, fungus on the lens and stripped winding gears. Especially in these days of online purchasing, it is very difficult to tell how a camera will perform until you’ve put a roll of film through it. I’ve repeated the mistake of not testing a camera until after the return period has expired, leaving me with a beautifully designed brick.
I began with a Mamiya 6 (a 6x6 medium format camera) which turned out to have fungus on its rear lens element. I tried to purchase a replacement on eBay, but it turns out there are different types of element that attach on the same fitting and the one I received threw the camera’s focus completely off.
Next was a 35mm Kodak retina II. Light leak from the back door, but I have hope I can repair it myself.
Then a Zeiss Nettar 6x9 with massive light leaks. Then a Zeiss Super Ikonta 6x6 which both had light leaks and an automatic winding mechanism that no longer worked.
I should probably give up. My camera cupboard is full as it is. But the holy grail of a working vintage folder still has me hunting as I know it would be the ultimate travel camera…
Vintage film folders: Zeiss Super Ikonta B 352/16 (6x6) and Ikon Nettar (6x9)
