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Kickstarter [film] SLRs
Nov 16, 2017 22:54:06   #
radiojohn
 
Having spent a fair amount of time on both sides of the camera store counter in the 70's, I find it amusing to see kickstarter programs for all-mechanical SLRs with top shutter speeds of 1/500th being proposed. Some sound suspiciously like early Chinese Seagulls with Nikon mounts.

Not long ago I found a mint Canon F1 with f/1.4 lens in a thrift store for $2 and a well kept screw mount dual-metering Mamiya 1000 DTL with 3 lenses like new for $15.

Do you think there will be a market for these newly made film cameras with old designs at very high prices?

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Nov 17, 2017 03:42:23   #
Leicaflex Loc: Cymru
 
Well there is a new one about to hit the shelves.
Created by a team of photographers, designers and technologists.
The Reflex SLR is the first update on the manual SLR camera system,
in more than a quarter of a century.
Funding for the camera is being raised through Kickstarter, which is
due to run until 7 December.
Early backers backers can pre-order the Reflex 1 for £350 (463.22 US Dollars).
The price then rising to £399. (528.23 US Dollars).

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Nov 17, 2017 09:22:49   #
radiojohn
 
Sounds like fun, but I question whether anyone younger than 60 cares about Canon FD mount or M42. I like the ISO up to 6400, but is there film rated that high? Now, if they made a digital back for it as well as film, then they might be on to something.

I'll stick with my $15 Mamiya and my Sun 70-210 F/4.5 Spiratone with the trigger diaphragm, both of which end up in the "camera memory" drawer along with my Minolta 16II and my Sears SL9.

In all fairness, if you were not even born in the 70's all this "film" business sounds exciting. But there are so many working film SLRs floating around with good glass that are pennies on the dollar, I wonder if this will fly.

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Nov 17, 2017 15:14:46   #
rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA
 
radiojohn wrote:
Sounds like fun, but I question whether anyone younger than 60 cares about Canon FD mount or M42.

Why would people under 60 not care? At flea markets one can often find a box full of these lenses sold for pocket change. Having a camera that can readily take all of these lenses of various mounts is very attractive, even for someone under the age of 60.

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Nov 17, 2017 22:51:30   #
radiojohn
 
I often imagined a simple box-like digital camera with interchangeable lens mounts and just a viewing screen. I mentioned it here but all I got was replies saying nobody would buy one.

I guess if you want manual everything and film, it will be fine. But have fun focusing an old f/4.5 zoom lens with an optical viewfinder. Olympus worked pretty well, but many microprism focus aids just got jittery and split image ones often had one half black out.

If you found, for example, some Canon FD mounts, some screw mounts and the old Minolta mount it would be cheaper to get three old film SLR bodies.

We'll sit back and see how it goes.

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Nov 18, 2017 11:07:15   #
rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA
 
Looking at ebay, there seem to be lots of vintage working film cameras on the market. Perhaps this is just a "bubble" as owners die and their estates sell off, but personally I would rather have an old classic than a modern one {I currently have my old Pentax Super Program and my mother's Canon AE-1 Program}.

We shall see whether this kickstart succeeds.

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Nov 18, 2017 11:56:58   #
radiojohn
 
I was in the camera biz when the AE-1 came out. It allegedy was made in a fully automated assembly line and had nylon gears. Back then, the scoffers said it would never hold up. They were wrong. Until digitals stole their thunder, decades later used one were still snapped up by students at pretty good prices.

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Nov 18, 2017 13:26:44   #
BebuLamar
 
radiojohn wrote:
Having spent a fair amount of time on both sides of the camera store counter in the 70's, I find it amusing to see kickstarter programs for all-mechanical SLRs with top shutter speeds of 1/500th being proposed. Some sound suspiciously like early Chinese Seagulls with Nikon mounts.

Not long ago I found a mint Canon F1 with f/1.4 lens in a thrift store for $2 and a well kept screw mount dual-metering Mamiya 1000 DTL with 3 lenses like new for $15.

Do you think there will be a market for these newly made film cameras with old designs at very high prices?
Having spent a fair amount of time on both sides o... (show quote)


Where did you see that?

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Nov 18, 2017 13:34:12   #
radiojohn
 
Go to to kickstarter and look up cameras to see it and others. It was featured in a daily email called Photorumors (or photorumours?).

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Nov 18, 2017 14:02:11   #
rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA
 
radiojohn wrote:
I was in the camera biz when the AE-1 came out. It allegedy was made in a fully automated assembly line and had nylon gears. Back then, the scoffers said it would never hold up. They were wrong. Until digitals stole their thunder, decades later used one were still snapped up by students at pretty good prices.

I know this is totally Off Topic, but some users will always be suspicious of "plastics" ... but manufacturers use whatever modern materials are best for the application, and stuff keeps working.

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Nov 18, 2017 21:39:04   #
radiojohn
 
It would be interesting to know what good lens incorporated plastic elements. At the tail end of film cameras, Kodak produced a plastic aspherical lens for it's disposable cameras that tested favorably when compared to 50mm lens on some SLRs. (Modern Photography story)

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Nov 19, 2017 12:45:47   #
wj cody Loc: springfield illinois
 
Leicaflex wrote:
Well there is a new one about to hit the shelves.
Created by a team of photographers, designers and technologists.
The Reflex SLR is the first update on the manual SLR camera system,
in more than a quarter of a century.
Funding for the camera is being raised through Kickstarter, which is
due to run until 7 December.
Early backers backers can pre-order the Reflex 1 for £350 (463.22 US Dollars).
The price then rising to £399. (528.23 US Dollars).


looks like a ricoh tls slr. i wouldn't waste time or money on this when there are nikon f, f2, f3,4 and 5 and the great f6 bodies. along with the canon f1 bodies and systems on the secondary market that will outlast anything being made today. as far as film interchangeablilty, buy a second camera body!

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