Topic: I just picked up...

[AJShepherd]

I know quite a few people who are into decluttering these days, and one of them was throwing out some 35mm equipment but didn't attach a name to them. So I asked about the lenses and he sent me these.
42mm thread mount, 135mm, 35mm, a 2x teleconverter and a selenium light meter, all with the "Prinz" name which was a brand used by Dixons back in the day (which suggests the camera may have been a rebadged Zenit E and I definitely don't need one of them).
As you can see in the second image, the lenses aren't auto, they have kind of a preselector mechanism. Set the top ring to the aperture you want, set the front ring to the aperture you want, turn the inner ring anti-clockwise to open up the diaphgram, then turn it clockwise to stop down to the preset aperture. I have never heard of that before!
Have a couple of cameras with 42mm thread, but very few lenses, so I shall give these a try some time soon!

[Francois]

Lucky!
Prinz was also sold in the US. They were somewhat big back in the early 70's, but it doesn't look like it was the same brand.
Here's a list of the UK rebranded models http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Dixons#Distributed_Cameras
And here's the comparison on the US models http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Amcam

[Kai-san]

I just unpacked a Kaleinar 2.8/100mm lens in M42 mount. It's the most compact 100mm I've seen, smaller than my Nikkor 2.5/105 AI-S and 100g lighter. It's said to be very sharp and it has a classic bokeh, not bubbly or swirly or whatever. It was also made with Nikon F mount, but it's not a copy. And I got it for half the price of the cheapest one on evilbay.

That's a great find. Re size and weight, I'm curious how it compares to the Pentax SMC-M 100/2.8 (62.5 diameter x 55.7 length x 225g) and Olympus OM Zuiko 100/2.8 (60 diameter x 50 length x 230g)?

My Kaleinar 5N has a diameter of 62.5mm, length 55.5mm and weighs 277g. The data you find online is a bit strange, everywhere it gives you a weight of 380g. I've checked my digital scales against a known weight, and it's correct. This lens could also be purchased with a Nikon F mount, maybe that's the explanation. The auto diaphragm lever on this one is like Nikon's, it's not a pin. I've never seen an M42 camera that has this option.

[Francois]

M42 always needed the pin for auto aperture. The reason it got replaced is that not all manufacturers had the same specs and the aperture sometimes wasn't reliable. Also, there needed to be a way to index the f/stops for the meter but it wasn't always possible with the lens design.

It's a bit sad as some of them were absolute marvels of engineering.

[Phil Snaps]

I picked up a Pentax MZ-5n, because it was cheap and the seller said it was functional. Alas, it was dead on arrival. Looks like the classic broken mirror motor gear that is super hard to repair. There is a tutorial on iFixit, but it is ranked "difficult". You have to buy a new gear, completely disassemble the camera, and in the process desolder/resolder about twenty wires… I don't have the tools nor the knowledge.
I wanted to return it, but when I explained that to the seller he gave my money back and told me to keep the camera. I'm now the owner of a broken camera than is not worth repairing by a professional. Not sure what to do with it.

[Kai-san]

I picked up a Pentax MZ-5n, because it was cheap and the seller said it was functional. Alas, it was dead on arrival. Looks like the classic broken mirror motor gear that is super hard to repair. There is a tutorial on iFixit, but it is ranked "difficult". You have to buy a new gear, completely disassemble the camera, and in the process desolder/resolder about twenty wires… I don't have the tools nor the knowledge.
I wanted to return it, but when I explained that to the seller he gave my money back and told me to keep the camera. I'm now the owner of a broken camera than is not worth repairing by a professional. Not sure what to do with it.

When I have a camera that is unrepairable or not worth repairing I put it up for sale on an online market as parts or repair object for a symbolic price. I've managed to get rid of several cameras in that way. Or I put it up as a giveaway provided that the taker pays for shipping. I hate throwing cameras in the bin, especially as we know that some camera parts are becoming scarce.

[Francois]

Today was Garage Sale day in a neighboring city.
Just added a Nikon E 75-150mm zoom (which I got for 8$) to my kit. I also got a disposable camera Fuji Quicksnap branded "Crest Whitestrips Trial Size".
It's loaded with 800 speed film from 2005, so I hope the "whitestrips" are not referring to the piece of celluloid that's inside of it 😁

[Bryan]

I did a little shopping this weekend.  This first find is a 9X12 Voigtländer Avus with a Skopar lens and a coupled rangefinder.  Unfortunately the lens has a little haze but it still may work ok.  The coupled rangefinder needs a little work.  I think the linkage is missing a spring to hold the back section.  It's too loose to work right now.  Once I figure that out it will be a matter of calibrating it.  I got this at a thrift store for $20.

Voigtländer Avus by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

At the same store I got a Gossen Pilot II light meter for $4.  It seems to be accurate.  These are nice little light meters that easily fit in your pocket.  I also got another Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash with a flash attachment for $9.  This one may get a paint job like many of my other ones.

I got this interesting closeup attachment at an estate sale.  It's a Proximeter I made by Herman Schneider & Co. It uses the outer glass ring to correct the rangefinder focus.  It has a nice leather case to protect it but I'm afraid I may find a way to break it.  It only threads onto my Summitar lens, I think it needs a collar to fit onto other lenses.  I have Leitz NOOKY and NOOKYHESUM attachments attachments that do the same thing except they are an extension tube with the rangefinder correction device attached instead of a lens. 

Leica IIIf with Proximeter I by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

[Francois]

That's gotta be one of the weirdest adapters I've seen so far.
And I bet it just won't fit in your back pocket 😁

So far, around here, the old photography stuff is getting really scarce. Which is quite a shame as I always really enjoy fiddling with new toys.