Mikeinlagardette's photos with the keyword: twobathdevelopers

It is strange that France, which played such an important role in the development of photography, should have produced so few notable makes of cameras - but on reflection, I suppose one could say exactly the same of the British! Almost all French made medium format folding cameras were 6x9, there were a few 6x4.5, but I can think of no 6x6 French folders, although I'm sure there must have been some! This is a 6x9, a Kinax Junior, made by Société Industrielle de Photographie et d'Optique, Paris & Montreuil sous Bois, I think, in 1953. Well made and well finished, this version shared the same body as the more highly specified models, but has only a modest f6.3/100mm triplet lens in a simple 4 speed shutter, 1/10th to 1/150th + B. It uses 620 film, which is why I have only ever taken a few rolls of film with it, and the lens has a strange 29mm diameter mount for push on filters and hood, so I had to machine up a little adapter ring to allow the more normal 32mm fittings to be used. The camera is like new, seems to have been hardly ever used, and now I have sorted converting 120 to 620 without re-spooling, I will put another roll through it, but the f6,3 is a bit limiting, as is the top speed of 1/150th, so I'm not optimistic - really, just a Shelf Queen! Mamiya RB67, 645 back, f3.5/65mm Mamiya Sekor lens. Foma 100 in divided D23, 7+5 mins stand @21C, scanned @1200dpi on Epson V500.

For my sins, I have been made administrator of the group Vintage 120 Camera - not an onerous task, since the group has currently less than ten members !! Which is a pity, because there are a lot of lovely old 120 cameras, most of which are capable of making wonderful pictures. I haven't done too much photography recently, so here are three pics taken a while back, with some of the vintage cameras I have owned, all 120 format. This beautiful doorway which dates from the late 15th century, is in the former presbytery at Bénévent-l'Abbaye, and the little Voigtlander Bessa 46 which I used has captured much of the lovely workmanship, and the careful restoration of this feature of the building. The lens was an uncoated f4.5/75mm Skopar, a real jewel of a lens - I bitterly regret selling this camera !! 1940's Voigtlander Bessa 46, f4.5/75mm Skopar lens, Moment yellow filter. Foma Ultra 200 developed in Diafine 4+4 mins A&B. Scanned @1200dpi on Epson V500

That's enough railways - for now! Notre Dame de la Reconnaissance, seen from the market place. Most of my local pictures tend to be of older buildings, but this church is relatively modern, built between 1905 and 1908. It replaced an older church, which was apparently beyond reasonable repair. Taken with a 1948 Kodak Reflex II, a beautifully made American camera, the first production TLR to have a fresnel screen viewfinder, and razor sharp lenses of an unusual design - the fact that is 620 means it doesn't get used as often as a 120 camera might, but it's a pleasure to use. 1948 Kodak Reflex II, f3.5/80mm Anaston lens, x2 yellow filter. Foma 100 in divided D23, 5+5mins @21C. Scanned @1200dpi on Epson V500