#645 Format

[tokyo-camera-style]

Place M, Shinjuku, Tokyo

Fujifilm GA645Zi

Mamiya 7 with 65mm f4 lens

[dancuny]

KAPSA Box Camera

On my blog, February is a special time for vintage camera enthusiasts like us-it's Box Camera Month, a time to celebrate and explore the unique charm of these classic cameras.

 Looking through my collection, I noticed I had several different box or box-style cameras that I wanted to use and write about. So, in the middle of January, I thought I should spend the month of February using and writing about the four box cameras I was thinking about.

 The first camera that I noticed was the Kapsa camera. It's been on my shelf for a couple of years, and I purchased it in a large group of cameras from an online auction. At first, I didn't think too much of the camera as the items within the group I was primarily interested in were a couple of Olympus Pen F half-frame cameras. As I was unboxing and unwrapping the items I had purchased, the Kapsa was a camera that drew my attention due to the heavy Bakelite material. The name was one that I wasn't aware of.

 After doing some research on the camera after the unwrapping, I found out that the camera is rare in North America because it was made and sold in Brazil. I thought that was unusual and dug a bit more into the camera; it also comes in an aqua-blue color, which makes me want to get that version even more because of my love for colored and unusual cameras. I found even more interesting information when I did more digging into the camera and the company that manufactured the camera.

The Company.

D. F. Vasconcellos (DFV) manufactured the Kapsa camera in the 1950s, but the company, which was founded in 1941 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, began manufacturing precision optical instruments, like surgical microscopes and other items for the Brazilian military.

 In the 1950s, D. F. Vasconcellos diversified into consumer items like binoculars, magnifying glasses, and loupes. This was also the time they ventured into camera manufacturing, a move that filled a growing market for photography in Brazil. 

 My guess is that companies like Kodak and Agfa, which were making simple cameras and importing them into Brazil, were somewhat expensive for the average Brazilian consumer. Since D. F. Vasconcellos was getting into the consumer market, they decided to manufacture an inexpensive, well-made, but simple camera for the Brazilian market. 

Getting into the camera manufacturing business must have been successful because they made cameras other than the Kapsa for the Brazilian market. They had a total of six cameras in their lineup. Some of the different cameras D. F. Vasconcellos made are very similar to some of the cameras made by Ansco. One camera made by D. F. Vasconcellos was the Zina 25, which is a copy of the Ansco Cadet II. There are thoughts that some of the cameras made by D. F. Vasconcellos were from older Ansco molds. This makes sense, as other cameras within their lineup have similarities to the Ansco line.

 D. F. Vasconcellos continued to manufacture cameras into the mid-1960s. Still, soon after, they shut down their camera manufacturing to concentrate on the items they are known for today. According to their website, D. F. Vasconcellos manufactures surgical microscopes and other specialized equipment used in the Ophthalmology, Veterinary, Otorhinolaryngology, and Dental fields.

My Camera:

My Kapsa camera is the size of many standard box-style cameras from the 1950s. It's 4.5" tall, including the strap lug, 3.75" wide, including the winding knob, 4.75" deep, and weighs 1lb. 2.6 oz and is made of a thicker Bakelite material with a pebble finish over the camera body. The Kapsa camera has a 110mm F11 Vascromat lens. Similar to many other box-style cameras, there are two viewfinders on the camera. The viewfinder on the top of the camera is for vertical format photos, and the second one on the side of the camera is for horizontal format photos.

There are a couple of interesting items within this camera. The first is the controls on the right side of the camera as you hold it, which adds a bit of complexity to the camera. On top is the shutter settings for "I," which stands for instant and has a shutter speed of around 1/100 sec. The other setting is "T" for times exposure. Next to the shutter release is "Trava" or Lock, so the shutter doesn't accidentally trigger while transporting the camera. Under that is the ability to set three different apertures, F11, F16, or F22, and along the bottom is the focus control, which is in meters. There are also flash contacts on the camera for their bulb flash gun, which you can see in the posted ads, but something I don't have.

To open the camera, the locking/unlocking lever is on the left side. This lever allows you to open the camera to load/unload the film. You turn the dial to "ABRE" to open the camera or "FECHA" to lock the camera. Once the camera is unlocked, the right side of the camera pulls away from the camera body so you can load or unload the film.

There are two "wings" on the camera that convert the camera from a 6x9 format camera to a 6x4.5 format camera. I liked this feature as it allows the photographer to get twice as many photos from their roll of film. If you're in the 6x9 format with the "wings" retracted, you'll get eight pictures on the roll, but by flipping the "wings" over the film opening, you'll get 16. The one thing that you'll need to remember, and this alludes to me at times when I do this, is it also changes the format of the image. If you're in the 6x9 format, the camera is in the vertical format when holding the camera vertically. Once you change to the 6x45 format, the format of the image is horizontal even though you're holding the camera vertically. It's just something you need to be conscious of when changing formats.

Many of the articles I read about the Kapsa camera state that it can use either 120 or 620 film. However, my camera is only set up for 120-size film, as the film reel holders have larger openings for 120-size film, not the smaller openings for 620-size film reels.

 My Kapsa camera has a couple of issues. On the back of the camera, there should be two red windows for the two formats the camera can use. The first issue is one of the red windows on the back of the camera, which reads the frame number when advancing the film, is missing.  It's the right window that's missing, and it is used for the 6x4.5 format photos. That's not a deal breaker when it comes to using the camera. I just taped a small piece of foil over the window since I didn't have red acrylic to glue into the camera. Also, there is a small ship in the Bakelite close to the seam where the film insert fits into the camera body, so I added a small piece of black tape when shooting. My camera is also missing the strap.

 My Results:

Since my camera shoots 120 film, I loaded a roll of Ilford FP4 Plus, 125 ISO film into the camera with the "wings" back so I was shooting 6x9 format images. The plastic winding knob is on the right side of the camera, just behind the horizontal viewfinder. I wound the film in the first frame, walked through the neighborhood, and snapped a few images.

 Once I was done, I got out the dark bag and processing equipment, loaded the reel with the film, and processed it. Here are some of the results. 

Conclusion:

Shooting a box camera brought back some great memories from childhood. I still enjoy holding the camera in a lower position and looking through the waist-level finder to frame the image. Maybe that's why I enjoy medium-format cameras so much; it's the tactile feel of using this mechanical instrument to capture memories that I'm fascinated with.

 The camera was fun to use, and the images are good, especially considering what many people feel is a toy. But the world took millions of images with this style of camera.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your busy day to read about this fun and somewhat rare camera from Brazil. Now, I will be on the hunt for the blue model, preferably in better condition than the camera I have.

 Until next week, please be safe.

[americaisdead]

toys"r"us, euclid square mall. demolished 2017. euclid, ohio. may 2014

© tag christof

[photosandthoughts]

blessed with beautiful lighting lately...

[asiawalecka]

Italy, 2025 120mm

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From Second Bank series.

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Photo by Boldizsár N. -- Submit to be featured. Show your work to 30K film photography lovers.

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[hikarinomoto2]

Barcelona is always a good idea

[tokyo-camera-style]

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Random 645 Fuji meeting

top: Fujifilm GA645Zi

Left: GA645 wide

Right: GA645

[caralo-photo]

[dancuny]

Early M.I.O.M. Camera

This blog is a journey into the world of a camera I stumbled upon during our European escapade last year. Whenever we venture to a new destination, I make it a point to unearth the local flea markets, a treasure trove of unique cameras and photo items that are often elusive in the US. The thrill of discovering these items, especially being on the West Coast, where European finds are a rarity, is an experience in itself. 

 One of my favorite flea markets was just outside Prague, and my wife and I went to it. It was in an industrial area, and we took the train to get to it, but it wasn't so much the cameras and photo items found as the atmosphere of the place that made it memorable. I did find some great cameras there, too, that are harder to find on the West Coast of the US.

 While in Brussels, my wife and I went to a flea market in a square or small park in town. There were about 40-50 vendors there. Most of the items were in boxes with many other items, so you needed to rummage through a lot of items to find what you were looking for. I didn't have much time to look as my wife was under the weather, and it would start to rain later in the morning. I picked up a few Rollei parts for a reasonable and fair price along with this MIOM compact bakelite camera, for which I paid 1-2 euros.

The Company:

Let's delve into the intriguing history of MIOM, a brand that has left an indelible mark on the world of photography. The journey of MIOM begins in 1887 with architect Félicien César and engineer Fabius Henrion, who founded the local lighting distribution company: 'Fabius Henrion et Cie,' with a capital of 100,000 francs in the Nancy and Lorraine region. Despite facing numerous challenges, the company's legacy was preserved when it was acquired by the CGE, Compagnie Générale d'Électricité (General Electric Company), in 1898.

 MIOM, an acronym for Manufacture d'Isolants et Objets Moulés, (Manufacture of Insulators and Molded Objects) was a subsidiary of the Compagnie Générale d'Électricité (General Electric Company) which started in 1929. As the MIOM name suggests, It was created to produce electrical components for the company. 

 As photography grew during this time, MIOM created a photographic department in 1937 that molded simple cameras in "Cégéite," which was similar to what we now call bakelite. The name derived from the name of the parent company: the Compagnie Générale d'Électricité.

MIOM's early cameras were very similar to the model I have. They were very flat in appearance and used 127 film to produce 6x4.5cm negatives. Some of the other early models were the Rex and Lec Junior. I believe the model I have is only known as the MIOM, which is printed on the back. There is no camera name produced on the camera like the REX or other cameras of that time.

Then, in 1938, the cameras took on a different appearance, resembling the Czechoslovakian Pyonyr cameras, designed by Fritz Kaftanski, who had recently moved to France to get away from the war problems taken on within that region during the late 1930s. It's suspected that Fritz Kaftanski was involved in the design of the newer Photax camera.

 The Photax cameras had a larger negative area, used 620-size film, and produced 6x9cm negatives. The Photax design had a lens that rotated out from the body on a helical and included a very simple shutter that only worked when the lens was in the extended position.

This new system was beneficial to amateur photographers at the time. It prevented the camera from accidentally taking a photo if the lens was retracted. The new Photax camera also included lenses from Boyer, a French optical company that produced wonderful optics.

 Photax cameras were the best-selling cameras in France for 20 years and produced cameras well into the 1960s, with the Photax VI released in 1966. However, like many European camera manufacturers of the era, MIOM faced significant challenges in the 1960s with the rise of Japanese brands such as Nikon, Canon, and Minolta.  

 Today, MIOM's legacy lives on in the vintage camera market, where its models are sought after for their distinctive design and the quality of their optical systems. The story of MIOM reminds us of a golden age in photography when craftsmanship and innovation defined the industry.

My Camera:

This description should be straightforward and short, as this camera is simple without many bells or whistles. However, its simplicity and unique design make it a valuable addition to any vintage camera collection.

 My MIOM camera is 3.5" tall, including the viewfinder, by 5.5" wide, including the strap lugs, and 3" deep, weighing 9.4oz. It is very lightweight and compact. On the front of the camera, there are two shutter options. These settings are on the top and bottom of the 60mm Rexor lens, serial number 3147, on the camera. The camera has a crinkle finish within the acrylic, which makes the gripping easy and somewhat drop proof.

Above the lens are your shutter settings: "I" for instant, which has a shutter speed of approximately 1/50 sec., or "P" (B) for timed photos. Below the lens are two options for aperture settings. Looking online at other information on the Photax camera, the settings are 1 (Grand Diaphragme) for f16 or 2 (Petite Diaphragme) for f22. The words in the paratheses are written inside the camera's back door.

There is no latch or lock to hold the back onto the camera to load the MIOM camera with film. The back is held onto the camera's body with friction, and the back fits snuggly onto the camera's body. On either side of the camera are a couple of protrusions. I put my fingernail in between these nubs and pull, and the back will pull away from the body. You must do this on both sides so as not to crack the plastic and render the camera useless.

Once you get the back off the camera, I notice there are two red dots on the protruding nubs, which indicate which side fits together. The camera winds to the left, so you put the empty spool from the previous 127 rolls from the right side to the left and put the fresh roll of 127 films into the right side. Break the tape on the roll and bring the leader to the empty spool. Thread the leader into the spool slots and wind the film a few turns to ensure the film is lining up on the spool or until you see the arrows on the paper backing pointing outwards. Once you reach this point, it's time to put the back onto the camera. Once the back is on the camera, wind the film until you see the number 1 in the red window. Now you're ready to take the first photo.

 Once you take the photo and wind to the next frame, you'll get eight exposures on each roll of 127 film. Now that all the frames are taken, it's time to take the back off the camera and process your film.

My Results:

For total transparency, I had three rolls of older VP 127 film in my drawer. One roll's expiration date was June 1971. That roll went through the camera fine, but when I rolled the film onto the developing reel, something went array, and the film didn't process correctly. I loaded one of the other two rolls I had left, dated Sep.1968. This roll got jammed within the camera, so I'm unsure if I didn't load it properly or, due to the age of the film, it broke, but the film was very crinkled when I went to process it, and none of the images came out.

 It was an operator malfunction, and I didn't load it properly. Five rolls of film are arriving today from one of my favorite camera stores, Glazer’s Camera, in Seattle, WA, so I'd like to take the film, process it, and scan the images today.

I received the film, loaded the camera, walked through the neighborhood, and took images. Luckily, this roll turned out, and you can see the results below.

My Conclusion.

I'm writing this portion of my conclusion before I have images from the camera, so at this point. In contrast, the camera is compact, and an earlier version of the MIOM cameras made, the film issues have made the experience somewhat frustrating. Once I get the images, I'll complete my conclusion and give you an honest assessment of the camera.

The images confirmed my suspicions. The camera was made to put cameras in the masses hands and for them to go and take photos of friends, family, and memorable moments. This camera did a decent job for a camera almost 90 years old. The plastics are rugged and on my camera, I’m missing the rear viewfinder glass so it was a bit more difficult to fame the images, but overall a decent camera.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your day to read about this early version of the MIOM cameras.

 Until next week, please be safe.

[homeisaplaceinthehills]

zhangzitong

[photosandthoughts]

the desert during golden hour...

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• by Rosa Via Flickr:

[starzec]

Tauzen, October 2023