Broken Camera . Club

my year with film and old cameras

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Leica MP

July 01, 2018 by Paul Lovell

In 2003 Leica introduced the MP.  The "original MP and MP2" were legendary Leica from the late 1950s based on the M3 and sold as professional equipment. They are some of the most sought after of the Leica M cameras. So naming a modern camera MP and then saying that the MP stands for Mechanical Perfection is confidence bordering on hubris. 

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July 01, 2018 /Paul Lovell

Contax G2

May 31, 2018 by Paul Lovell

Introduced in 1996 by Contax (actually by Kyocera under the Contax brand), the G2 replaced the two year old G1.

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May 31, 2018 /Paul Lovell

Canon Demi EE28

April 13, 2018 by Paul Lovell

The Demi EE28 is a half frame format camera intoduced in 1967. The EE28 suplemented the Demi line as a less featured version of the Demi EE17 released the year before.

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April 13, 2018 /Paul Lovell

Ricoh GR 21

March 19, 2018 by Paul Lovell

The Ricoh GR 21 was introduced in 2001 and took the GR line to a wide angle with a 21mm lens. It was also the last film version of the much loved GR line. 

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March 19, 2018 /Paul Lovell
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Yashica T AF

February 19, 2018 by Paul Lovell

Take auto-focus, built in flash and a Carl Zeiss Tessar lens: encase it in a 1980's plastic brick and you have the Yashica TAF. Introduced in 1984 as a premium point and shoot and the start of the Yashica T* line.

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February 19, 2018 /Paul Lovell
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Leica M4-P with Industar 61

January 29, 2018 by Paul Lovell

The Leica M4-P was the follow up to the M4-2. Production ran from 1981 to 1987 with the majority produced in Midland Canada. 

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January 29, 2018 /Paul Lovell

Voigtlander Bessa R3a

December 11, 2017 by Paul Lovell

The Voigtlander Bessa R3a was introduced in 2004. The Voightlander name is used under license by Japanese manufacturer Cosina.  

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December 11, 2017 /Paul Lovell
4 Comments

Holga 135 BC

November 06, 2017 by Paul Lovell

Introduced around 2005, the Holga 135 and 135 BC are smaller versions of the original Holga 120. They keep the spirit of the original but bring it to the smaller 35mm film format. 

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November 06, 2017 /Paul Lovell

Ricoh R1

October 21, 2017 by Paul Lovell

The Ricoh R1 is a 1994 point and shoot with a wide angle setting. The base lens is a 30mm f3.5 that readjusts to a 24mm wide angle.

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October 21, 2017 /Paul Lovell
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Nikon F2

September 18, 2017 by Paul Lovell

The 1971 follow up to the Nikon F was the Nikon F2. Still aimed at the professional market and still a "go-to-war" tough camera. The F stayed in production until 1974, a testament to the quality of the F more than a criticism of the F2. Production of the F2 finally ended in 1980.

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September 18, 2017 /Paul Lovell

Olympus OM-3

September 12, 2017 by Paul Lovell

Olympus revamped the OM line in 1983 with the introduction of the OM-3 as a mechanical and OM-4 as an electronic. They were intended to update the OM-1 and the OM-2 lines. The OM-3 was only in production for 3 years until 1986. 

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September 12, 2017 /Paul Lovell

Holga 120 CFN w/35mm film

September 04, 2017 by Paul Lovell

Designed by T. M. Lee, the great plastic Holga 120 was intended for the Chinese domestic market. Evidently there was a ready supply of 120 B&W film and a lack of affordable 120 cameras. The Holga was designed to fill that gap. It is reported to have hit the market in Hong Kong in 1982 and spread from there to the rest of the world. It has developed a cult following not because of what a quality camera it is but because of the limitations imposed and the element of unpredictability.

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September 04, 2017 /Paul Lovell

Leica M4-2

August 26, 2017 by Paul Lovell

Produced from 1977 to 1981, the M4-2 was either the death of the classic M or the return by Leica to the true path and salvation of the brand. Or maybe both.

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August 26, 2017 /Paul Lovell

Nikon FE

August 18, 2017 by Paul Lovell

The Nikon FE produced from 1978 to 1983. The FE was the electronic sibling to the mechanical FM. Both were targeted at the advanced amateur market but could play into the professional segment, especially for the size/weight conscious user.

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August 18, 2017 /Paul Lovell
3 Comments

Canon FTb

July 19, 2017 by Paul Lovell

The Canon FTb was introduced in 1971 as the amateur companion to the F-1 professional camera. It uses the Canon FD lens mount. In 1973 the design was modified to include a shutter speed indicator in the viewfinder. The new design also changed the film advance lever from all metal to now including a plastic tip. This one is the newer model. 

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July 19, 2017 /Paul Lovell

LOMO LC-A

July 07, 2017 by Paul Lovell

Introduced in 1984 the LOMO LC-A was a compact Soviet camera that borrowed heavily from the Cosina CX-2. Production stoped in 2005. It was resurrected in 2006 as the LC-A+ and production was moved to China. This one is an original Russian version. LC-A stands for Lomo Kompakt Automat. 

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July 07, 2017 /Paul Lovell
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Olympus M-1

June 26, 2017 by Paul Lovell

The Olympus M-1 was launched in 1971 and only produced for one year before being renamed the OM-1. Evidently Leica was so concerned about the impact to the Leica M1 that they objected to the name. Seriously, what them were likely reacting to was the fact that Olympus had just introduced an SLR that was the size of a Leica M rangefinder. Plus, the use of the M-System name was hitting a bit close to home.

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June 26, 2017 /Paul Lovell

Contax T3

June 20, 2017 by Paul Lovell

The Contax T3 was released in 2001 as the follow up to the still popular T2. The T3 kept the Sonnar 2.8 lens (now a 35mm vs a 38mm) but cut the size by about 1/3. The T3 was and remains an uber-premium compact.

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June 20, 2017 /Paul Lovell

Leica M2-R with Sumicron 35 ASPH

June 15, 2017 by Paul Lovell

Produced at the end of the M2 product cycle as Leica was already switching to the M4, the M2-R was basically U.S. Military surplus sold to civilian consumers.

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June 15, 2017 /Paul Lovell

Canon AF35ML

June 08, 2017 by Paul Lovell

Introduced in 1981 the AF35ML is a quality built fully automatic point and shoot. The Canon Camera Museum refers to the AF35ML as the Super Sure Shot or Autoboy Super. It was the second in what would become the Sure Shot line of consumer cameras. The AF35ML added an upgraded lens (1.9 vs 2.8) to the 1979 AF35M. 

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June 08, 2017 /Paul Lovell
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