No. 2 Box Brownie - first pics (3 thumbnails)

[Zou]

A couple of weekends ago I spotted a bargain in Oxfam - a Kodak No.2 Box Brownie in great condition, complete with what I assume is the original cloth case. £8 changed hands and I couldn't wait to get out and try the camera. Last weekend I took a stroll round Holyrood Park, past the parliament building, up the Royal Mile and around the Meadows before it finally got too dark. Today I had my chance to develop the films. Rather annoyingly I got the rolls mixed up, so these shots are from the second roll I shot, not the first. Oh well.

Tech details - all shot wide open on the Brownie (about f11 they say) on Rollei Retro 400. DD-X 1+4 for 12 minutes at somewhere between 18 and 20 degrees (well it is cold up here at the moment!), scanned in Vuescan, inverted and contrast adjusted in PSE 6. If you click and look at the large size you'll notice I didn't bother cloning out any dust. The idea of cloning/heavy PP on a film run through a 70 year old cameras seems to be a bit missing the point, I thought. Anyways... lovely big 6x9 negs scan a treat, and I am quite amazed how much detail the lens captures, given that it is hardly a modern or cutting edge design, even when new. What do you think?


Canongate Manse, on the Royal Mile



Parliament Square, just off the Royal Mile



Cowgate, Old Town

Mr Eastman, I salute you!

[Roger_Provins]

Great stuff! Amazing ... a camera and lens could hardly be more simple yet the results are wonderful ...

[Rustyknight]

My first ever camera was a Box Brownie, handed on to me by my mother as a birthday pressie when I was nearly 40 years younger than I am now. It was responsible for getting me interested in taking piccies.

The photo's I took with it weren't anywhere near as good as yours though.

[Damien_Demolder]

Isn't it great that a camera that's about 100 years old still takes good quality images today? I wonder what Eastman would have made of this forum.

[zx9]

I like the way they look like old photographs should, but with modern street markings and cars, with bit of cropping the second one would be very difficult to age.

[TimF]

Isn't it great that a camera that's about 100 years old still takes good quality images today? I wonder what Eastman would have made of this forum.

As a correspondent to AP remarked when GCW was searching for a Leica, these old cameras have just been waiting for modern materials to show what they're really capable of.

The IQ from that cardboard box is terrific. A great find indeed.

[Dave_Cox]

Even at the larger size on Flikr they ain't bad! We've got a few old Brownies and similar cameras (Conway is one) - really must try them out some time. I've only put a film through one of them and that was a bit disapointing.

[TheFatControlleR]

Isn't it great that a camera that's about 100 years old still takes good quality images today? I wonder what Eastman would have made of this forum.

I wonder how the Nikon D's, Canon EOS's, etc., of today will be fairing in 2108?

[Roger_Provins]

Isn't it great that a camera that's about 100 years old still takes good quality images today? I wonder what Eastman would have made of this forum.

I wonder how the Nikon D's, Canon EOS's, etc., of today will be fairing in 2108?

... long lost in landfill

[TheFatControlleR]

Isn't it great that a camera that's about 100 years old still takes good quality images today? I wonder what Eastman would have made of this forum.

I wonder how the Nikon D's, Canon EOS's, etc., of today will be fairing in 2108?

... long lost in landfill

Yup.

[mediaman]

What time [AM?] did you take these shots?
they are good....no, very, very good for a Box Brownie!

[spinno]

Isn't it great that a camera that's about 100 years old still takes good quality images today? I wonder what Eastman would have made of this forum.

I wonder how the Nikon D's, Canon EOS's, etc., of today will be fairing in 2108?

... long lost in landfill

..hope not..hopefully properly recycled as they(and all other electrical equipment) should now be
BTW great pics Zou

[Zou]

Cheers guys. Glad you like them. I have more pics to dev and scan, so I'll keep you posted.

Much as it is tempting to take the film high groud and say 'where will our digital cameras be 50 years on?' - don't forget all the electric reliant 80s (onwards) film cameras which will surely die and be unrepairable.

[Benchmark]

Isn't it great that a camera that's about 100 years old still takes good quality images today? I wonder what Eastman would have made of this forum.

I wonder how the Nikon D's, Canon EOS's, etc., of today will be fairing in 2108?

... long lost in landfill

We were browsing around a music shop on Saturday afternon, where junior was having a play on an 'electronic' baby grand piano which they had recently reduced in price from £17,000 to 'just' £14,000.

I know that Yamaha has a sound reputation, but just how long will they support these computer driven instruments? I think if I was spending £14,000 plus on a Joanna I would expect it to be playing long after I had got bored pushing daisies.

[LargeFormat]

Isn't it great that a camera that's about 100 years old still takes good quality images today? I wonder what Eastman would have made of this forum.

The number 2 ran from 1901 to 1933 (for what that's worth). Coincidentally I was playing at the weekend with a number 0 (1914-1935) rescued from a jumble sale, in remarkable condition with its original canvas case.