AMERICAN GREY | l i g h t
The Rajar No. 6, 1930
Posted by AG (London, United Kingdom) on 16 May 2006 in Art & Design.
I mentioned that I would be taking some pics with a number of old film cameras dating back to 1930. This is the first of the set, the Rajar No. 6, first manufactured in 1929 and a folding camera of very basic design.
This is not a scientific test in any way and I am more interested in the 'feel' of the cameras than the results. However, the mono image above is a small section from one negative so you can see she still works after 75 years.
A further set of images from full frames can be seen HERE
AFTERTHOUGHTS
I had planned this experiment for some time but waited for Spring for decent light. This is probably the last time my father's Rajar No. 6 will take photographs because the bellows is now so fatigued and letting in light but I guess I can say the old girl went out with a bang!
Using this old device is truly an experience because of the uncertainties that attend the effort and the long wait to find out if worries were well-founded.
The main practical problem was in using the viewfinder which, as you can see in the blue pic, is a look-down gadget with a tiny frosted screen which gives only an approximation of what might fall on the film . . and the image is reversed so that, if you move left, the image moves right. Another bugbear is having to remember to "wind the film on" and line up an obscure printed number in a little orange window on the back before being able to take the next shot : forget to do that and you get a double-exposure. I didn't display that frame . . lol . .
Anyway, mission accomplished and the Rajar No. 6 produced creditable results.
- AG, May 17, 2006.
Welcome to American Grey | light
This site stands in the long shadow of American Grey | frames, my (closed) original photoblog 2005-2009.
Many of my earlier postings are reproduced here together with image summaries of Comments made at the time.
