Classic Cameras in Singapore

[alternatve]

Its interesting that the Yashica RF is still so popular around. For budget RF, I wonder why German RF like Agfa Silette or American Argus C44 or even an Aires 35-IIIC(looks like a Leica M3 from far) are not popular here. I really hope to see more of them around in Singapore other than the FSU and Yashicas to add color and variety to our RF community here. I also wonder whether is there anyone here who owns a Asahi aka Pentax rangefinder. I have yet to hear anyone mention about it.

Thanks Keng Yong, me just an old man with a lot of time to kill in the past 15 years

I would purchase a few of them, given the time to search for and the cash to obtain them. The Aires 35-IIIC looks cool. Add a red dot and you can fool your friend into thinking you got a Leica. THe Argus C44 looks like a Leica III, but with a lously lens mount. And I'm unfortunately not into folding lens cameras, so the Silette is out for me. Ah, the wonders of googling...

 

[jazzguy]

Think you have the wrong Silette. Check out the full range. See already also eyes blur. Like they having a parade ')

http://www.chromeagecamera.com/Silette.htm

 

[alternatve]

Yes indeed... These three cameras are pretty rare. Even a search through ebay turned out blank for a Aires 35-IIIC... And I wandered off to drool over the Leica IIIs and it's russian clones. ;p

 

[vortex]

did i see "camera fair" somewhere here! :thumbsup:

so far i haven't bought any cameras from you...but its definitely amazing to see the collection you have up for sale! :lovegrin:

but alas......money not enuff!!! :sweat:

 

[jazzguy]

Just to add in some info on my Voigtlander Vitessas.

Vitessa L comes with a Synchro Compur shutter top speed 1/500 and a Color Skopar lense 50/2.8. The condition is nice especially the chrome. Some light rubmarks on the vulcanite. Flash syn at barn door

Vitessa A comes with a Compur Rapid Shutter assembly, no metering but with the goody Ultron 50/20. Chrome is not as nice as the Vitessa L becomes of some light marks on the bottom. Vulcanite again has rub marks

Vitessa T comes with a Synchro Compur shutter assembly. Interchangeable lense for this one. Right now with a Color Skopar 50/2.8. Chrome and vulcanite nice, best shape of the 3. But this has no barn door.

 

[Edgar Su]

Camera Fair is great. When is it happening?

 

[CZJena]

Just to add in some info on my Voigtlander Vitessas.

Vitessa L comes with a Synchro Compur shutter top speed 1/500 and a Color Skopar lense 50/2.8. The condition is nice especially the chrome. Some light rubmarks on the vulcanite. Flash syn at barn door

Vitessa A comes with a Compur Rapid Shutter assembly, no metering but with the goody Ultron 50/20. Chrome is not as nice as the Vitessa L becomes of some light marks on the bottom. Vulcanite again has rub marks

Thanks mike!

 

[chiif]

Hi Mike,

You might not have noticed, you are causing quite a stir on this forum! Normally I don't see more than 3 person in this RangeFinder forum and just now I saw 11!

You are enjoying celebrity status over here. Please continue passing your knowledge and enlighten young punks like me.

BTW, Mr Alternatve is looking for a cheap and good camera with working meter that fits his budget. Do you have any thing to offer this young blood?

Regards,
Chii Fei

 

[jazzguy]

Edgar,

You let me know also if there is one

Its not easy to have one here unless its once a year event with participation from Malaysia, Indonesia and maybe Hong Kong and China. Then this will be a big big event. Must crack brain for this one. Then Chiif will invite Kobayashi San to give a talk And we must invite Joseph Yao as well

 

[alternatve]

Wow, a camera fair? This is a must go! Finally I can go and molest the cameras instead of staring at pictures of them on my LCD screen...

 

[jazzguy]

Please please, me just a simple guy who loves classic cameras. Yes I have quite a bit of cameras but knowledge wise me always learning. Defintely no celebrity here but glad to know there are folks here enjoying our little discussion.

As for Alternative, my solution for him would be to borrow a camera first and shoot to his heart's content. In the meantime, save some money and buy a decent SLR or a RF. No point you buy something that you know will only last you 6 months or so. I did exactly the same time when I started out. Borrowed a Pentax K1000 and save money for the Nikon FM then. As for metering, during my classes last time, we were not even allowed to use the metering for the first 6 lessons! We learned the sunny 16 rule and then from there use a lot of agaration from experience and "feel".

 

[CZJena]

Please please, me just a simple guy who loves classic cameras. Yes I have quite a bit of cameras but knowledge wise me always learning. Defintely no celebrity here but glad to know there are folks here enjoying our little discussion.

As for Alternative, my solution for him would be to borrow a camera first and shoot to his heart's content. In the meantime, save some money and buy a decent SLR or a RF. No point you buy something that you know will only last you 6 months or so. I did exactly the same time when I started out. Borrowed a Pentax K1000 and save money for the Nikon FM then. As for metering, during my classes last time, we were not even allowed to use the metering for the first 6 lessons! We learned the sunny 16 rule and then from there use a lot of agaration from experience and "feel".

Upzz for jazzguy. to add on a final for alternatve, be careful of lens mount compatibility/upgrade path ... nikon lens cannot be used for other brand, you might consider M39 or M42 for experiments and later use the same lenses for canon, contax or leica *Gold tips for classic users* gd nite friendz

 

[jazzguy]

The fact that Alternative is in this thread suggests that he is leaning towards RF gear rite ? To put into perspective, a Voigtlander Bessa R Rangefinder now selling for $400 at B/S now looks pretty decent to me. Furthermore you have Chiif here, right here in clubsnap! You can talk to the distributor straight away on any questions regarding the VC camera Get a 50/2 to start off and not necessarily the 35mm. I know most people will want the 35 but you can get that later when you have more cash. Using the 50mm to take good pics was and will never a problem.

Seriously photography is not a cheap hobby, nobody says its cheap anyway in the first place. But that camera you saving your money for will be your wife and baby down the road.... its like courting your gf to become your wife... never easy right

 

[tan131]

haha, i like the analogy jazzguy anyway, good old mechanical cameras are the way to go. least u don't feel pressured to shoot.. which most digitals have a lifespan. also, the sexiness of the knobs, dials and all.. the ignorance of ppl who do not treat u seriously when u use a small mechanical rf, opens up quite a fair bit of photography opportunity.

all in all... its jus too much to resist

 

[chiif]

Well, Camera Fair... I don't think a scale like the annual event held at Suntec or Expo is possible for me to organise at this point of time. I do not have the resources (time & $$$) to do it now.

But what have been lurking on my mind is a once a month event (Saturday afternoon) in one of the hotels where I will bring in my Cosina/Voigtlander products and you - Clubsnappers can bring your own equipment to trade, sell. An short half a day event will be good to catch up and exchange ideas, catchup and sing song.... kidding... . Then we will also get to see Mike's precious collects, and if he is still willing to part with them, we will get a chance to own one of the treasures in Singapore.

My idea is to start small and this event is not restricted to RF or manual cameras. If you have digital stuff, you are also welcome to trade and sell at the mini fair...

I am still looking for a hotel conference room which can hold at least 20 people at one time and not burn my pocket. Any one got suggestions or experience in this?

What do you guys think? Workable?

 

[tan131]

chiff, my suggestion would be to start it off first for the rf users. firstly, if we were to open it up to digital, it would probably mean to expect a substantial turnout. secondly, it may lead to jus another flea market and nothing more. i suggest to start off slowly, perhaps over tea or so and move on from there, instead of holding it at a venue straight.

 

[jazzguy]

Alternative,

I saw your newcomer thread, so many nice folks all extending their helping hands. Amazing... a lot of good samaritans around... must keep it that way, hope that we would NOT be the kind of photographers snapping away when somebody kenna stabbed.

To solve the issue, Bahiho's offer is very good. $400 and you get a nice setup!

Me on the other hand, will offer this to you: Get a Voigtlander RF, does not matter which one, or in fact any RF I have available right now, and I will throw in a Yashica FX70 free. Manual available in pdf form http://www.butkus.org/chinon/yashica/yashica_fx-70/yashica_fx-70-2.htm click on part 1 to see beginning. Its a Yashica and Contax mount. Lense wise, think you go out find a decent one will do the trick. But if you want, I have a Cosina and Vivitar zoom 35-70, slight fungus, will throw them in if you want.

Frankly, i cannot think of a RF in my collection that is $100 - $150(I may have to search harder) unless its damaged in some way or another. So you have RF and SLR to try out if you want. No obligations please. Just thought I join in the CS samaritan club

 

[The_Cheat]

Alternative,

I saw your newcomer thread, so many nice folks all extending their helping hands. Amazing... a lot of good samaritans around... must keep it that way, hope that we would be the kind of photographers snapping away when somebody kenna stabbed.

To solve the issue, Bahiho's offer is very good. $400 and you get a nice setup!

Me on the other hand, will offer this to you: Get a Voigtlander RF, does not matter which one, or in fact any RF I have available right now, and I will throw in a Yashica FX70 free. Manual available in pdf form http://www.butkus.org/chinon/yashica/yashica_fx-70/yashica_fx-70-2.htm click on part 1 to see beginning. Its a Yashica and Contax mount. Lense wise, think you go out find a decent one will do the trick. But if you want, I have a Cosina and Vivitar zoom 35-70, slight fungus, will throw them in if you want.

Frankly, i cannot think of a RF in my collection that is $100 - $150(I may have to search harder) unless its damaged in some way or another. So you have RF and SLR to try out if you want. No obligations please. Just thought I join in the CS samaritan club

Wah! Good offer! Buy Voightlander RF free Yashica Fx-70, where to find man? :thumbsup:

How come no one offered me such good deals when I first started out in photography? Must be I looked at the wrong places...

 

[CZJena]

chiff, my suggestion would be to start it off first for the rf users. firstly, if we were to open it up to digital, it would probably mean to expect a substantial turnout. secondly, it may lead to jus another flea market and nothing more. i suggest to start off slowly, perhaps over tea or so and move on from there, instead of holding it at a venue straight.

Sound great! we just meet up somewhere cosy, quiet (without too many curious eyes and nonsense crowd), some space for chiifei to show his boxes of gears. This can happen on regular basis. Sound underground? well, nothing wrong with cults of classic gear lovers. short local/overseas trips & exhibition can also be organized in this manner for phototaking (with RF).
We can even share resources like darkroom, studio, sponsor from press for certain events.
Maybe we'll get to evolve into HCB singapore club someday

 

[alternatve]

Alternative,

I saw your newcomer thread, so many nice folks all extending their helping hands. Amazing... a lot of good samaritans around... must keep it that way, hope that we would be the kind of photographers snapping away when somebody kenna stabbed.

To solve the issue, Bahiho's offer is very good. $400 and you get a nice setup!

Me on the other hand, will offer this to you: Get a Voigtlander RF, does not matter which one, or in fact any RF I have available right now, and I will throw in a Yashica FX70 free. Manual available in pdf form http://www.butkus.org/chinon/yashica/yashica_fx-70/yashica_fx-70-2.htm click on part 1 to see beginning. Its a Yashica and Contax mount. Lense wise, think you go out find a decent one will do the trick. But if you want, I have a Cosina and Vivitar zoom 35-70, slight fungus, will throw them in if you want.

Frankly, i cannot think of a RF in my collection that is $100 - $150(I may have to search harder) unless its damaged in some way or another. So you have RF and SLR to try out if you want. No obligations please. Just thought I join in the CS samaritan club

Which Voigtlander RF are you talking about? Bahiho's Bessa R or your own?

This forum is really a good place to start out, not because the members give out freebies, but mainly because of the family-like bond here. :thumbsup: If this keeps up, I think more members will wipe the dust off their manual SLRs and join us here.

By the way, the underground meet up sounds good. We can have it at Chii Fatt's place to save him the trouble of carting his stuff here and there. Buying will be much simpler and reliable as the prospective buyer can look at and handle the product. Looking at pictures is good and all, but I think handling the equipment yourself is best. And for the newer ones like myself, we can get to know (and maybe handle) a few of the classic models of the era.