Cheap and funky cameras.

[Cluster]

I've bought too many cheap, often not working, cameras, but sometimes, they provide quite a lot of fun as I go about trying them out with film.
These are all cameras that would not be thought of as being any good, even in their own time, more consumer snapshot cameras.
I thought that I would describe each of them as I get through testing them.

(Some of the images may have been posted by me in the past).


AGFA ISO RAPID C.
Has a novel film transfer feature that uses 35mm film pushed into a cassette and taken up in another cassette.
Only control shows as a "sunny" icon and a black cloudy icon which seems to enable the battery contact to the flash bulb (and I read; changes the shutter speed from 1/80 to 1/40).
Makes square images at 24x24 on a length of film around 24" long, limited to 16 exposures by the mechanics of the camera (locks up as the frame countdown indicator shows 0 or the film finishes).
Fairly easy to stuff a length of 35mm film directly from a 135 cassette (pre-curled) into the cassette in a changing bag. Good for home developing.




Usually quite cheap and so simple, will probably work. The square format is very nice for a change.


Gives distorted and soft images, quite Lomo really.... Here is one of my fave test scenes on Fomapan200 (uncropped).



I like this and will get around to running a few films through it. Of several exposures on the test film, this is by far the sharpest image (centre).

 

[Cluster]

AGFA ISOMAT-RAPID ~1964

Uses the same "RAPID" film cassette system as the ISO-RAPID C and others, 24x24 frame size, 16 frames.



Luxury! Has an Agnar three element lens which is set in a scale focus mount, with 4.5, 8, 11, 16 and A aperture choices. The A sets the aperture internally via the selenium cell, which suggests that the film speed selection is used (based on a tab on the side of each cassette), not likely to be accurate at such an age. Using the set apertures is intended for flash and sets the shutter speed to 1/30th.
Capable of a good quality image, if held steadily.
I read that the shutter speed is 1/70th when in auto mode and reduced to 1/30th when an aperture is selected as this is for flash ranging.
EDIT: my example does actually vary the aperture in "A" mode and as the light changes.... I'll try a short length of film to see what comes out in auto mode.



Fun to use and mess about transferring film....

 

[Cluster]

"OPUS" plastic P&S that was marketed under many different names. I have another, marked as Halina, just the same.
Film speed settings that change the aperture and fixed speed that is quite snappy, getting near to /100 maybe. Has a place for batteries, only used for the flash.
Has a three element lens and a flat film gate with sprung pressure pad.





This is super lightweight and has a plastic feel. It can make very good images (in the right light and at the right distance).



I like the OOF bits at the top of the frame (which is probably not OOF but is edge of frame distortion). The detail in the middle of the image is excellent. Fab camera for less than the cost of the postage.

 

[Cluster]

Hanimex 35SF

I don't mind trying a motor-wind camera. This is still a simple P&S, fixed focus camera with the addition of a motor wind and a flash.
It has a fixed shutter speed (maybe around 1/80) and a choice of film speed settings which changes the aperture, and a choice of sunny/cloudy/flash icons which also changes the aperture and will enable the flash. It has a three element lens with an irregular diamond shaped variable aperture. In common with most similar cameras, and all of those above, no frame lines are found in the VF.
This is a long camera, it feels nice and weighty and has a fairly loud film transport.



Nice to use (and all the better for being bright red), it is quite a capable camera (in the right light and distance). I found that it gave pronounced distortion around a central sharp image when used at open aperture, but became much better at the 200/sunny setting. Whilst running a short test film through this on a drab day, I tried a scene which unexpectedly gave me one of my all time favourite images. This camera is a keeper, I just need to fit it into my non-test photography, and get out more.....





I cropped this, and gave it some more density to produce this atmospheric image.




On a brighter day..... with Fomapan200... Slight crop to top and bottom.



I just tried to get about the right distance from the subject, pointed and shot..... no technical skill!

 

[Cluster]

Kodak KB28

Another motor-wind film transport, but is otherwise a super simple non-auto P&S with fixed focus, aperture and shutter speed. The flash fires every time (not a fault) which is no use to me, so I taped over the flash to try this camera. With a two element lens and curved film plane, some distortions can be expected.
It is powered on (and flash starts to charge up) as the lens cover is opened.
Seems to give good exposures on Fomapan200, probably intended for 100 film.
The nicest camera to handle, easy to keep in pocket.



Looks great, makes a wide angle shot (I read that it is 30mm fixed at f8 with a 1/100th shutter) and is quite small and very nice to handle.
Images, not so sure for my taste, which may be tending towards gentle Lomo style for these cameras.
Possibly a little too soft with distortion close to the centre of the image.
If I'm going to embrace Lomo style, then it may work well. Has a film in it at the moment, so perhaps will grow on me.

 

[Cluster]

Of course, I have tried several cameras that were dreadful performers and some that were just poor (maybe even too poor for LOMO style).
I have also collected a few plastic "auto focus" cameras that you might think should outperform all those above, but it seems that each is different.

My P&S AF cameras are not part of this thread, but they have illustrated an important point about my journey. I tried a few (four) Konica Z-UP cameras. Some of these are better than others and, even within the same range (60, 60e, 80e, 115e) show quite a variation of image quality. I had fun using the Z-UP 60, but the others gave poor focus/sharpness performance, with the exception of the 80e version. This highlights that there will always be variation between individual examples and that my experience is based only on the examples I have tried, each of which may not be representative of its type.

 

[Cluster]

Miranda 35ME
Marketed with several other brand names, but the same camera. Despite appearances, this is a simple fixed focus, fixed shutter speed camera with three "film speed" options that change the aperture. Three element, coated lens and flat film plane with pressure plate. Has a pop up lens/VF cover which also locks the shutter button. It has a compartment for couple of AAA batteries, only needed for the flash (and often, the contacts are badly corroded anyway).
Small but solid plastic body that gives a nice weight and feel. Great shutter release, snappy shutter (1/100 ~ 1/125ish) and quite noisy film lever advance. Square to diamond shaped aperture clearly seen within the lens.



Can make good images (given the usual caveat of right light and right distance). Not much distortion at all, quite acceptable images for a P&S.



It was with these images that one difference between two element and three element lenses became evident. This (as with the other three's) can give quite nice sharpness out to infinity from the subject as seen in this crop.


One of my favourite cameras, but sadly without the odd distortions that I am looking for in a "quirky" camera. This image could have been taken on my SLR. Very compact and fun to use.

 

[Cluster]

An Agfa ISO-RAPID IF arrived recently. This has the potential advantage of a faster shutter speed (70th ish) and selectable apertures 8,11 & 16.
A test strip showed promise, so it's now awaiting a big day out. I like the slightly funky, square images.
No more super simple cameras for the time being. I followed a track to buy a few "auto" P&S cameras that might also give funky results. These gave overly affected results, maybe too much.
At the moment, I need more outings to run the cameras I have.