I can't be the only one who has had people, upon discovering that you actually still shoot film, offer you a old camera they have tucked away someplace. Being an unfailingly polite sort, who am I to refuse these generous offers? As a result of this phenomenon, I've acquired a couple of additions to the collection.
I already mentioned the Konica III fixed-lens rangefinder I got from my grandfather via my uncle. I've now had a chance to shoot some film through it, and the lens is downright excellent:
More recently, via one of my Central European relatives, I got something a bit more, erm, Soviet:
A Smena-6, injection-molded plastic with a 40mm f/4 lens in a shutter that seems an unflattering copy of some pre-war Western model. Bright clear 1:1 viewfinder though, and oddly charming in its way. It needed a little freshening up (stuck shutter and a bit of haze, primarily) but is now working perfectly (relative to its design, not relative to perfection), apart from a rather severe light leak that is likely down to a small piece of the plastic body that's gone missing. It also lacks a rewind mechanism, so it requires removing the film in the dark and winding it back into the cassette manually; apparently, only weak capitalist Americans require such soft consumer conveniences.
Finally, something I actually purchased rather than having it thrust at me by a friend or relative:
It just came in this morning. A bit of cleaning and it's ready to go. Just have to load up some film in the Canon P.
