Weston Master II Model 735

       For about thirty years during the last century, exposure meters manufactured by the Weston Electric Instrument Corporation were the first choice of both amateur and professional photographers here in the United States. Unfortunately, because Weston was unable to survive the arrival of more modern battery powered meters, the company went out of business some time during the 1970s.
       But if you're a Weston lover like me, you can take heart in the fact that many of these beautifully crafted, selenium powered units are available on the Internet and elsewhere. The trick is to find one that hasn't been abused and still measures light reliably.

      I was lucky when I found not one, but two of these wonderful instruments at an auction site. After I received them, the first thing I did was to test them for accuracy.
      I did this by pointing them at a clear north sky between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Imagine my surprise when I found that the needles on both units pointed to the number 320 at the exact centers of the two dials. This proved that the units were accurate. Surely, I thought, the Goddess of Light must have been smiling at me.
    

     The photo at the left shows the reverse side of the units with their light baffles closed. These baffles remain closed while you aim them at a scene to take a light reading of a bright or normal scene.
    But when you're reading a poorly lighted scene, you flip the baffles down. When you do so, the number on the dials will auto-
matically change to reveal a new set of values for poorly lighted scenes. With the light baffles down you can see the honeycombed light gathering surface that covers the selenium photovoltaic cell.

       The photo on the left shows the numbers that appear when you're reading a normal or bright scene with the baffles closed.
        On the right you will see the numbers that appear automatically when the baffles are lowered for low light readings. Note that although the Weston meter was designed primarily for use in bright or normal lighting situations, it can still be effective in low light situations. 

         The dial on the Weston II (and other Weston meters) is actually a kind of mechanical computer. To set the speed of the film you're using, press the button near the red dot I placed there for illustration and, using the tab near the yellow dot, turn the silver colored dial until the number you've selected appears in a little window next to the word SPEED. Note that the numbers (.3-800) are Weston numbers that you must convert to ASA/ISO numbers. Fortunately, conversion charts are readily available on the Internet.
         Then you use the tabs next to the blue dots to align the arrow with the number that corresponds to the number shown on the dial after you aim the unit at the scene you're photographing.

        In the example shown here, with the film speed set at Weston 80 (ASA/ISO 100) and the red needle pointing to 13 (or close to it), the white arrow is set to 13.
        The black numbers on the silver dial show all the possible shutter speeds when they are matched to the white numbers that face them on the black dial.
         For example, ideally in this example you could use f5.6/40, f8/20, or any other combination shown on the dial. Obviously, you'll have to make some small adjustments to conform to the settings on your camera.
        Notice that on the left side of the arrow "A 1/2" appears while "C 2X" appears on the right of the arrow. The first setting would give you 1/2 the indicated exposure. The second setting would give you 2X the indicated exposure. These settings are useful for either flat scenes or scenes with excessive contrast.
      In the illustration you will see a "U" opposite .8 and an "O" opposite 100. You can use these settings as follows. For a scene that has a wide range of tones, first set the arrow to the light value of the darkest area in the scene. Then set the arrow to the light value indicated for the brightest area. Finally, set the arrow midway between the darkest and lightest values indicated by the meter and make your exposure based on the midway reading.

    

       I was lucky enough to find meters that came with covers for both units. Although they add a bit of bulk to the meters, they are necessary if you want to keep your units in top condition. And as if that weren't enough, I even scored an instruction manual and a box for one of the units.
       But I wasn't lucky enough to find a Weston Invercone, which is a device you can attach to the meter that allows you to take incident light readings as well as reflected light readings. Worse yet, Invercones are at least as scarce as winning lottery tickets. If you have one you no longer use, I'd love to hear from you.

Neoca 35-K

      Whoever heard of the Neoca camera? I remember Nyoka from the Saturday film series Perils of Nyoka  starring Kay Aldridge back in 1942 when I was seven years old and it cost a dime to get into the theater. Later, Nyoka lived on in comic books until 1962. She was quite a gal, that Nyoka. A real fighter! Boy, was she fearless and strong back in those days!

      Neoca? Well, I did a little research and discovered that the folks at Neoca in Japan manufactured a dozen or so cameras during the 1950s until they declared bankruptcy in 1960. I saw a Neoca SV SLR listed at $379 on an auction site, as well as a Neoca 2S at $100. Other than that, I found very little information about Neoca and practically nothing about the Neoca 35-K. I do know, however, that I paid $35 for my Neoka 35-K.

      Although this little camera won't win any prizes for build quality or finish, it still has a lot going for it. For one thing, because it's just 4 1/2-inches wide and can fit into the palm of your hand, it's a perfect little stealth camera. Nobody who sees you walking along carrying what looks like a toy camera would give you a second glance. What's more, it has a whisper quiet leaf shutter that's almost inaudible.
      And then there's its 3.5/45mm fixed lens. If you set the distance at eight feet and the aperture at f11, everything from about five feet to almost twenty-five feet would be acceptably sharp. That said, who needs a rangefinder for street photography?   
     The Neoca 35-K has just five shutter speeds: 25, 50, 100, 300, B. But that's not a problem unless you need to use the faster or slower speeds found on many other cameras.
      The back of the camera slides off for easy film loading, and the spring-loaded rewind lever pops up when it's time to rewind the film...a nice touch! The viewfinder is crystal clear and shows parallax markings. The film counter does not automatically reset itself.

       If you don't plan to challenge the work of such famous "street photographers" as Henri Cartier Bresson, Walker Evans, or Lee Friedlander, and if you'd be happy with a very basic camera that costs just a few bucks, you'd probably enjoy using a Neoca 35-K along with a supply of black and white film.
      Just make sure you keep the rather tacky lens cap in your pocket where no one will see it.

   

COMING SOON: RICOH 300

      

The Yashica YK

       Quite a few of the two dozen or so fixed lens RF cameras in my collection arrived with extremely stiff focusing mechanisms. That's why I was happy when the Yashica YK I bought at an auction site for $15 was free of that defect. Of course, for just fifteen bucks I didn't expect the camera to be anything worth crowing about. But I was wrong. As a matter of fact, in terms of build quality and ergonomics, the Yashica YK easily stands up to its upscale and more expensive cousin the Yashica 35(see this blog, 2/15/19).
        Both cameras, for example, are fitted out with 2.8/45mm Yashinon lenses. Both have lever film advances; swing out back doors for easy film loading; and robust bodies that look and feel like they can survive rough handling.
        There are differences, of course. While the more expensive 35 offers a full range of shutter speeds, the YK offers only 25-300 +B. What's more, because the viewfinder and rangefinder windows on the 35 are set farther apart than those on the YK, the rangefinder on the 35 is the more accurate of the two.  Finally, the 35 offers a Copal MXV shutter with self-timer, while the YK features only a Copal shutter. Because the remaining differences between the two cameras are what I call "bells and whistles" designed more or less for convenience, I won't discuss them here. 
                                                

Yashica YK

        Given the differences between the two cameras and your needs and style as a photographer (as well as your budget), which of the two cameras would you select? As far as I'm concerned, either camera would serve me well, but I would probably choose the YK.  Here's why.
        The limited range of shutter speeds and lack of self timer on the YK wouldn't be a problem for me. During all the years I was active in street photography (and there are many of them), I'm pretty sure I didn't use shutter speeds slower than 1/30 or faster than 1/250 more than a few dozen times. And I was usually working at f8-f16. I don't remember ever shooting wide open. Finally, as far as focusing is concerned, I would set the distance at ten or twelve feet and rely on depth of field. Most of the time I hit the mark or was pretty close to it. I usually used Kodak Plus X (ASA 125) film or Ilford (ASA 100) in daylight. Ninety-nine percent of my photos were in black and white.
         Well there you have it: the confession of an octogenarian whose been left so far behind the digital revolution that he's not able to tell a pixel from a potato. And happily so. But that doesn't make me a Luddite. I have to admit that I was among the first to own a Leica M-9 when that camera appeared a few years ago. Using it was fun for a while. But I sold it when I began to miss the magical appearance of images in a tray of Kodak D-76 developer.

COMING SOON:The Neoca 35-k
                                               

      

Incredible Images from World War II

        I was in junior high school in New York City in 1949 when I got my first camera, a Kodak box camera. A few months later, I bought a Kodak Retina. That camera marked the beginning of my love affair with rangefinder cameras.  In the years that followed I owned and used five different Leicas, two or three Voigtlanders, a few Canons, a Mamiya C330, a Crown Graphic, a Rollei 35, a Polaroid, and many others, the names of which I can't remember.
       I used those cameras over a period of more than sixty-five years in many different locations and conditions. But none of my experiences came close to those experienced by a young Australian soldier who became a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II.
        In 1940 when he was still underage, George Aspinall joined the Australian Army and was posted to Singapore in 1941. As a going away present his uncle gave him a Kodak 2 folding Brownie. The camera had a 6.2 lens and captured eight 3 1/2 X 2 1/2 exposures on 620 film.

George Aspinall , circa 1980s

        On February 15, 1942 when he was just nineteen, Japanese forces accepted the surrender of British and Australian forces in Malaya, and Aspinall became a prisoner of war at the age of nineteen.  
        Determined to record the abysmal conditions in which he and his fellow prisoners were forced to live, and even though he would have been executed if the Japanese had caught him, the young soldier managed to hide his camera from his captors and capture and process what has been called "the most comprehensive photographic record obtained by an Australian prisoner of war of the Japanese." At the end of the war, many of these images were used as evidence at the War Crimes trials that followed.
        Aspinall's story is truly amazing, especially when you consider that he captured his images using Xray film he cut to size for his camera and then even managed to process the negatives in what can only be called impossible conditions. And that's putting it mildly. Remember that he was using a Kodak 2. How much more basic can you get? A pinhole camera, maybe.
        I hadn't known about Aspinall until I stumbled onto a book titled Changi Photographer: George Aspinall's Record of Captivity by Tim Bowden. Published in Australia, the book isn't readily available here in the States, but you can find it on the Internet if you're interested in seeing a series of extraordinary photographs that were taken under extraordinarily difficult conditions.

        Closer to home, Michaelantonio (Tony) Vaccaro was drafted into the U.S. Army early during World War Two when he was just twenty-one. Assigned to the 83rd Division, he served as a combat

Tony Vaccaro, circa 1940s

infantryman in Europe for nine months. But that's not all. At the same time he was in action as an infantryman, Vaccaro captured approximately 8,000 images of the war. And to make the young soldier's story even more interesting and incredible, the camera he used was an Argus C3.
      If you've served as an infantryman in a combat zone, you can appreciate the significance of Vaccaro's achievement, especially when you realize that very often he had to develop his negatives in an infantryman's steel helmet!
       Affectionately called "The Brick," the Argus C3 has also been called "The Model T of Cameras." Although it had just five shutter speeds and a 3.5/50 lens, it was sturdy and dependable. You can still find working units for sale for just a few dollars.
        After the war Tony Vaccaro enjoyed a long career as a commercial photographer and teacher. Interestingly, he kept his war photos out of the public eye until the 1990s when they were first shown in Europe. Later, he was the recipient of many awards. You can discover more information about this extraordinary infantryman/photographer on the Internet.
     
        After I read about Tony Vaccaro and his incredible achievements, I regretted having sold the Argus C3 Matchmatic I once had in my collection. It would have been interesting to have seen what kind of results I could have achieved with it.

COMING SOON: The Yashica YK


         
      

Vebur Classic 35

       When I saw the words "GERMANY USSR OCCUPIED" on a Vebur Classic 35 listed at an auction site, I could visualize the citizens of that war-torn nation laboring under the yoke of Soviet oppression. Now's my chance, I thought, to own another small piece of history. So I parted with $40 and waited for the camera to arrive. While waiting, I tried find information about the Vebur. But my Google searches yielded very little until I discovered that the Vebur Classic 35 is really an Altix IV re-branded for sale in the USA.

      When the camera arrived, I was delighted to find that it was in mint condition. But my joy was short lived when I found that the film advance knob was malfunctioning. No matter how many times I turned the knob, it wouldn't stop!
      Then I remembered that some of these vintage cameras must have film in them to engage the sprockets on their film advance gears before they'll function properly.
       I opened the back of the camera and  activated the film transport gear (blue dot, below) until it stopped, and discovered that all was well.

      Having done that, I was able to cock the shutter using a small lever set above the lens and test it at all of its speeds, 1-250 + B.
      At just about 4-1/2 inches, the Vebur Classic 35 (or Altix IV) is a rather small fixed lens camera that you can fit into the palm of your hand. It has a tiny viewfinder window. Amazingly, however, I was able to see the entire field of view even though I wear eyeglasses.
      The focusing mechanism operates smoothly from 2.8 feet-infinity. There are no click stops on the f stop selector (2.8-16). The tripod mount is centered on the bottom of the camera.
       One thing that puzzles me is that there's a triangle with the number "1" centered in it embossed in the camera's covering (yellow dot, left). The numbers 37/36/4002 appear just below the triangle. If you know the meaning of the triangle and numbers, I'd love to hear from you.

      Although the Vebur Classic 35 can't match other more finely crafted cameras of the fifties for elegance and finish, it still has many features that recommend it to photographers who have mastered the basics of photography and who prefer a basic tool rather than one loaded with bells and whistles.

     Sturdy, reliable, and practical, the Classic 35 is capable of producing decent images, either in black and white or in color. But I sure do wish its designers had included strap lugs on the camera.

COMING SOON: Incredible Images from World War II

The Kiev 4A

     The dealer in Russia who sold me this Kiev 4A kindly sent along an instruction manual. Too bad the manual is written in Russian (Cyrillic?), but it does make a nice addition to my collection.
      One of the nice things about Soviet cameras is that their serial numbers always begin with the first two numbers of the year during which they were produced. Both the body and the Jupiter 2/53mm lens on the unit shown here were manufactured in 1978.
       Another nice feature is that the viewfinder window and the rangefinder window on the Kiev 4A are set farther apart than they are on most other 35mm cameras. This makes for more accurate rangefinder readings.

       To focus the camera, you depress a small lever  at the top of the camera (yellow dot, below). This unlocks the focusing mechanism and allows you to turn a small wheel (blue dot) to focus the lens.
       Reviewers have discussed this procedure ad infinitum while pointing out that you must not let your finger block the rangefinder window (black dot) that sits below and to the right of the wheel. If you do, you'll disable the rangefinder.
    I found, however, that you can solve this problem simply by ignoring the small wheel and using the lens barrel (violet dot) to focus the lens just as you would on other cameras.
     Not visible in the photo, the shutter speed indicator scale (gray dot) is located just below the film advance knob. To adjust the shutter speed, you lift and turn the film advance knob (light blue) until a small black dot matches the speed you've selected. Shutter speeds are 2-1000+B. In my opinion, this system doesn't operate as smoothly as it should.   

        Many reviewers and critics have faulted the Russians (Soviets) for having produced shoddy and/or sub standard cameras. I suppose those criticisms are valid to a great extent, especially as far the units produced during the early years after World War II are concerned. But I don't think that's true for the more recently produced Russian cameras, especially those manufactured after the 1960s.  After all, the Soviets were the first to launch Sputnik I, an artificial earth satellite, as early as 1957.

       Although it can't match its German and Japanese counterparts in terms of elegance and craftsmanship, this camera is nevertheless a practical, serviceable, dependable, and less costly alternative to the well known Contax, which it mimics. Although it would never make my list of favorite cameras, the Kiev 4A does have a devoted following among users and collectors of Russian cameras.

COMING SOON: Vebur Classic 35

           

       
       
    

Yashica 35

     Not to be confused with the Yashica Electro 35, the Yashica 35 was the first fixed lens camera Yashica produced. Unlike the Electro 35, the Yashica 35 is a  fully manual unit with a 2.8/45 Yashinon lens that seems to be scarce and rather hard to find. I was lucky to find the one shown here at an Internet auction site for just $60. Luckily, it was fully operable.
     I really like this camera. The controls are readily accessible, and the lens is set well into the barrel for protection against glare. The back swings open for easy film loading. The shutter is whisper quiet. There's even a self timer lever peeking out from the bottom of the lens barrel.  And to add a bit of nostalgia to the mix, the Yashica looks to me a bit like the Leica M3 I used back in the days before Custer's Last Stand at the Little Bighorn

       Another good feature is that the viewfinder/rangefinder window (which is larger than that of many others) is integrated. What's more, just below the rewind knob with its fold up lever you can see a thin dial that is used to indicate the ASA rating (10-400) of the film in use. After you turn the dial, the number you select appears in the small window to the left of the knob.

      Instead of a rewind button or lever the Yashica 35 has a small dial (red dot) set into the base plate of the camera. After a few tries, I found that you must reset the dial to "A" after you've rewound the film. If you don't, the film advance won't function correctly.
      Adjacent to the blue dot in the photo you can see a tiny screw. If you remove this screw, you can lift the lens out of the barrel to access the leaf shutter. The yellow dot marks the shutter speed selector dial (1-500+B). The green dot indicates the non click-stopped f stop selector; and the white dot at the left in the photo denotes the knob on the focusing ring. The depth of field scale sits atop the lens barrel and is not shown in the photo.

     If you can find a Yashica 35 in working order and for a decent price, and if it's the kind of camera you enjoy working with, I recommend that you snap it up. The Collectiblend website currently values this camera at $60-$160 depending on condition.

COMING SOON: Kiev 4A