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View Full Version : A personal project: A Vision Quest

venchka
08-18-2006, 16:10
My dad was in Japan from about 1949 to 1951. He brought home a Konica camera and a Sekonic lightmeter. See attachment. This is the first camera I can remember holding and moving all the moving bits. I probably took my first picture with this camera. I have the Sekonic meter. It is dead. I have substituted the next best thing: a Sekonic meter I purchased in 1979.

I intend to use this camera and meter as my primary photographic tools for awhile. I just loaded my oldest, most out of date roll of Kodak Max 400 color negative film to check for light leaks and shutter accuracy. If all goes well, I'll use C-41 B&W for awhile. If that goes well, I'll load up some Kodachrome. Dad always used Kodachrome in this camera.

If all of the above goes well, one of these days I will take this camera back to places I know it has been before. Make new photographs.

Here we go!
Trius
08-18-2006, 16:14
A very honourable project; I salute you. If you can find some K25 that has been refrigerated, even better.
kmack
08-18-2006, 16:36
I have been considering something along the same lines, however the Zeiss Nettar my father used no longer exists. I'll keep looking for a 515/16...

Good luck and have fun.
Bryce
08-18-2006, 16:38
By all means, go shoot! While I don't have my first camera anymore, (Kodak 110 P.S.) I still have and routinely use my second- a K1000 SE, given to me by my father. That was (only?) 20 years ago...
Let us all know how it goes!
ScottH
08-18-2006, 16:38
Good for you. I've recently been loaned a Kodak Bantam Special (see my avatar) from my father-in-law. It was his fathers camera from the late 30's. Once I 'win' a few 828 reels via auction over the next few weeks I'll start rolling my own film using 120 backing and calculating the frame marks. Looking forward to my F-I-L's expression when I bust out the camera for shooting.
FrankS
08-18-2006, 16:48
A noble project! My father's old camera sparked my interest in photography when I was 19.
OldNick
08-18-2006, 17:52
I was given one of those early Konicas that had spent some of the Korean War years in a sailor's seabag. The body was eaten up by the salt in the air. What I remember most was that the viewfinder was much better than my Leica IIIa.

Jim N.
venchka
08-18-2006, 18:16
Thanks for the encouragement!

K25? This camera only saw K-II. Finding some of that frozen ain't gonna happen! No worries. The current stuff will do just fine.

The lens is a collapsible Hexar 50/3.5 in a Konirapid shutter. Can you say quiet? The rangefinder patch and viewfinder are quite nice. On par with my newer Canons. Shucks, if I like the images from this camera I'll treat it to a 50something anniversary CLA.

For my next project, I'll turn my attention to MY very own first camera. A Brownie Hawkeye. Anybody got any 620 spools to donate to the project?
Trius
08-18-2006, 18:46
Frozen K25 is as close as you can get to K-II and still have it processed. ;)

If you found K-II, it would be good to include it in the photo, but since K-12 chemistry is no longer available, it wouldn't be much use shooting it.

I suspect your father may have started out with Kodachrome, not K-II. I believe the original Kodachrome was ASA 12 (10?) or even 6. K-II/K-25 were fast!
venchka
08-18-2006, 19:03
Frozen K25 is as close as you can get to K-II and still have it processed. ;)

If you found K-II, it would be good to include it in the photo, but since K-12 chemistry is no longer available, it wouldn't be much use shooting it.

I suspect your father may have started out with Kodachrome, not K-II. I believe the original Kodachrome was ASA 12 (10?) or even 6. K-II/K-25 were fast!

Right on probably all counts. As soon as I hit the send button, I remembered that K-II processing was long gone. I'll look through his slides and see if there are any Kodachromes in there. I suppose I could look up the date that K-II came along...but it just makes me sad.

Anyway, this whole goofy notion may come to nothing if the camera isn't functioning properly. Rest assured if that is the case I will frame it. It won't ever be sold by me.
venchka
11-16-2006, 18:03
It took way too long. Other gear needed to be used. I finally got the film out of Dad's camera and processed. Not too shabby for a near 60 year old camera. Konica optics are good!



http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/61453-2/Fishin_+Konica+1.jpg


http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/61450-2/Lilly+Pond+Konica+1.jpg


http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/61447-2/Willow+Konica+1.jpg


I think this old girl deserves a CLA and good film. :)