[stevebrot]

I have several friends who regularly shoot with cameras from the 20s through the '50s and get great results. The oldest camera on my shelf dates from about 1955 and functions the same today as when it was new, which is pretty good. PF member @Nesster has a Sears Photography Catalog from 1958 posted to his Flickr account (LINK). Below is page 15...

1958 Sears Photo Catalog, page 15



Link to full-sized scan for easier reading...All sizes | 1958 Sears: Exakta, Exa, Zeiss Contaflex, Underwater Housings | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I shared this page because there is an Exakta VXIIa on its way to my house. Note the price of an Exakta VXIIa with CZJ Biotar 58/2...$374.50 ($3231.95 in 2017 dollars). Across the page and at half the price is the Tower 26 (aka Asahi Pentax AP) at $165 ($1423.95 now) with f/2.5 normal lens. The median non-farm family income then was $5300 and only $2700 down on the farm. The VXIIa was full-featured for the time, but very clunky. There are a few members here who have shot Exakta and I am pretty sure none would be willing to go hungry for a month for the privilege of ownership. Knowing that my new acquisition was a senseless luxury item when new provides me with sense of vain empowerment.

For Roger (and Frances) Hicks' opinion of the VX (Varex) IIa...Roger & Frances: Exakta Varex IIa


Steve

[Adam]

I gotta say, those underwater units look a lot like today's GoPros and the new Theta case. And we think these new guys are the innovators

Thanks for sharing!

[Alex645]

German-made cameras and lenses continue to be extremely expensive, but when I lived and worked in neighboring Switzerland, I realized it was all relative to a much higher median income. In the early 90ʻs, an adjunct professor at Art Center College of Design was earning about $35/hour while those of us at the European campus in Switzerland made 3x that.

[stevebrot]

German-made cameras and lenses continue to be extremely expensive, but when I lived and worked in neighboring Switzerland, I realized it was all relative to a much higher median income. In the early 90ʻs, an adjunct professor at Art Center College of Design was earning about $35/hour while those of us at the European campus in Switzerland made 3x that.

Alpa...not the current cameras under that name...$$$...All the quirks of an Exakta, but none of the kinks. What the Swiss bought with their lunch money.


Steve

[Alex645]

Alpa...not the current cameras under that name...$$$...All the quirks of an Exakta, but none of the kinks. What the Swiss bought with their lunch money.


Steve

...and for dinner, why not an Arca-Swiss or Sinar?

Arca-Swiss M-Monolith 8x10 View Camera 14181 B&H Photo Video

[stevebrot]

OK...to make sure Pentax gets its due...

1958 Sears Photography Catalog, p14

Link to full size scan...All sizes | 1958 Sears: Tower SLR 22, 23, 26 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

The Tower 26 was the Sears-branded version of the Asahi Pentax model "AP". Also on this page, the Tower 22 and 23 models were versions of the Ashahiflex IIa and IIb respectively.

Again, many thanks to PF member @Nesster for making this catalog available to the world.


Steve

[monochrome]

Thanks to stevebrot for posting the links. All three of those cameras are on my shelf - the Tower 26 as Asahi Pentax AP.

[murrelet]

There are a few members here who have shot Exakta and I am pretty sure none would be willing to go hungry for a month for the privilege of ownership. Knowing that my new acquisition was a senseless luxury item when new provides me with sense of vain empowerment.

Thanks for the perspective. Imagine being able to own, at most, only one camera!

[Digitalis]

...and for dinner, why not an Arca-Swiss or Sinar?

Sinar cameras are better when working with a MFDB, using a 8X10 Arca swiss is complete and utter overkill. A Sinar F3 with a sliding MFDB back and motorized movements, awesome to work with. The Arca R- line of cameras are great for working MFDB with wide angle lenses, you don't have to worry about the bellows getting in the way.

[g026r]

Only $109.50 [944.99 in 2017 dollars] for an Exa with 50/2.8 Tessar. Seems like a deal to me!

[stevebrot]

Only $109.50 [944.99 in 2017 dollars] for an Exa with 50/2.8 Tessar. Seems like a deal to me!

The Exa has its fans. I have been put off by the shutter arrangement and limited speeds, but do like their implementation of the trapezoidal body shape.


Steve

[g026r]

The Exa has its fans. I have been put off by the shutter arrangement and limited speeds, but do like their implementation of the trapezoidal body shape.

I personally find the shutter to be the most interesting thing about them, and the similar design was part of the reason I bought my Pilot Super. Though the limited speeds definitely were an issue when I used one.

Edit: Just noticed the high-end rangefinder page: "the M3 ... makes experts of beginners!"

(Though that Nikon illustration they've got down there is not the described S2, but rather the much more desirable SP. Question is: which would you have received had you ordered?)

[Digitalis]

that Nikon illustration they've got down there is not the described S2, but rather the much more desirable SP.

Mint condition Nikon SP cameras command impressive prices these days.

[stevebrot]

Edit: Just noticed the high-end rangefinder page: "the M3 ... makes experts of beginners!"

(Though that Nikon illustration they've got down there is not the described S2, but rather the much more desirable SP. Question is: which would you have received had you ordered?)

I thought that Leica quote was funny too

The description of the S-2 sounds like the S-2, but the illustration definitely shows the SP. There are a couple of strange things like that with models listed that were formally discontinued in 1958. I was surprised too that the Canon page lacked the P, but perhaps Sears was concerned that model might compete with its made-by-Nicca Tower 35 LTM rangefinder.


Steve

[timw4mail]

Was Argus the reliability brand before Pentax?