Re: Cheap 120 camera for IR

[Joe Berenbaum <joe-b@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 19:41 11/05/98 EDT, you wrote:
>Can anyone recomend a cheap (under 50-100 dollars U.S.) 120 camera that is
>suitable for IR?  I was wondering if the high plastic content of cheaper
>cameras would cause a fogging problem.  For traveling, backpacking and
>hiking a small inexpensive 120 would be great.

This is possible, I think, but you may need to do some research and read up
in McKeown's and "Collecting and Using Classic Cameras" by Matanle to
really know what's what- such researc is quite rewarding when you end up
with an amazingly good classic camera that does what you want and gives
great results. I have used an Agfa Super Isolette, (I think it was also
sold as the Ansco Super Speedex in the US) which is a 1950's 6x6 coupled
rangefinder folder with a coated Solinar lens, a clone of the Tessar- a
very nice lens, with Konica infrared and it works perfectly- it even has a
filter thread! This particular model is not very common, hard to find, and
usually quite expensive, but there are cheaper variants, such as the
Isolette III, which usually has the same lens but an uncoupled rangefinder
in a lighter body. Also worth considering are the Ikonta cameras- also
folders. Be aware that many of these cameras were available with a choice
of lenses, and some otherwise nice cameras were sometimes equippmed with
mediocre lenses. Really you need to read up on the lenses to know what
you're getting before you go shopping, if you go for an older camera like
this (Matanle's book, see above). There are a number of such folders in
circulation and you would need to shop carefully. There is no guarantee
that any particular camera would work well with infrared, but my Super
Isolette does. Old leather bellows need to be checked quite carefully with
a flashlight inside the camera, ideally in a dark room. Be aware also that
repairs and service to such a camera could be expensive- you would ideally
need to know how to check a rangefinder to spot obvious problemsneeding
expensive repairs. Most such folders have quite good metal bodies and
leather bellows. You need to use your discretion. If you keep your eyes
open you maky find something nice at a good price, and when you test it
with IR film, you may find it works well. There are no guarantees, though.
Also, old TLRs like Ricoh and Yashica are worth considering, especially as
they have no bellows to worry about. Some cheaper models are around your
price range. But they are bulky and heavy in comparison, and most
definitely will not fold flat. The positive aspect is that they are solid
and rigid and thus less easily damaged so in theory they would be a better
bet. 

Joe Berenbaum
*
****
*******
******************************************************
*  To remove yourself from this list, send:          *
*         UNSUBSCRIBE INFRARED                       *
*       to                                           *
*         MAJORDOMO@xxxxx                            *
*----------------------------------------------------*
*   For the IR-FAQ, IR-Gallery and heaps of links:   *
*  http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mainpage.htm  *
******************************************************

------------------------------