Harrod Blank's Camera Van.

One night in the fall of 1993, Harrod Blank had a dream in which he covered his car with cameras and then drove around and took pictures of people on the streets. The public, unaware that the cameras worked, reacted naturally. At the end of the dream, Harrod looked at pictures taken with the van of faces frozen in the moment of awe, pictures so powerful that the next morning he decided to attempt to build such a vehicle in reality.

With the help of Dan Lohaus and some other friends, Harrod spent the next two years designing and building the van. With a lot of trial & error, the van was completed in 1995 and made it’s debut voyage in April leaving his home in Berkeley California, stoping in Houston and New Orleans and ending up in New York City where he would live and take pictures with the van for the following six months.

Foojifilm & Kodaq : Fake Films.

Scan from Phaic Tăn, is a parody travel guidebook examining imaginary south-east-asian's country Phaic Tăn. The book's full title is Phaic Tăn: Sunstroke on a Shoestring and was written by Australians Tom Gleisner, Santo Cilauro, and Rob Sitch.

http://www.jetlagtravel.com/phaic_tan/index.html

Photographer

Tattoofans of asian writings, here is the chinese translation of photographer. I saw somwhere on the net a tattoo of a Lomo LC-A on shoulder. I wouldn't go so far...

Fresnel lens.

A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses. The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design. Compared to conventional bulky lenses, the Fresnel lens is much thinner, larger, and flatter, and captures more oblique light from a light source, thus allowing lighthouses to be visible over much greater distances. (Source Wikipedia)

Harcourt, Paris.

Harcourt, is a photostudio in Paris, making glamour black and white portraits. Mainly contrasty face closeups of personalities and moviestars. The style is film noir. Price for a premium photoshoot : 1900 Euro.

www.studio-harcourt.eu/

Leica 3th Eye.

From a catalogue of photographic equipment, 1969, Belgium. Strange and metaphysical advertising of Leica. I have myself 3 Leicas, beside the history, nostalgy and myth of Leica's, when I use this cameras for my photographic work, I rather have to close one eye to use the rangefinder. Shouldn't we better call them cyclops?

The Gothic Pen F

The Pen F is a half-frame single lens reflex camera introduced in 1963 by Olympus. It is designed by the highly respected and quite famous engineer Maitani Yoshihisa, who also has created the Olympus Pen point-and-shoot series, as well as the OM-1 and the Olympus XA. The original model is easily recognized by its big gothic letter F engraved to the right on the front plate and on the lensdop. (Source Camerapedia) Strange association by the japanese designers, gothic refers actually more to gangsta'rap or gothic music, maybe they did this to have a clear alternative to the Nikon (normal font) F-series.

Serge Gainsbourg & Nikon F1.

Pierre Terrason, french rockphotographer, has made this set. http://negatifplus.com/Gueule-d-ange/#telecharger

Visit Pierre Terrasson's website : http://www.photo-terrasson.com/

Stankowski.

Found on a fleamarket at the forgotten neighborhood Krottegem, Roeslare, Belgium, a book featuring the photographic work of Anton Stankowski. Anton Stankowski (June 18, 1906 - December 11, 1998) was a German graphic designer, photographer and painter. He developed an original Theory of Design and pioneered Constructive Graphic Art. Typical Stankowski designs attempt to illustrate processes or behaviours rather than objects. Such experiments resulted in the use of fractal-like structures long before their popularisation by Benoît Mandelbrot in 1975. (Source Wikipedia)

Shutterbugs.

We are continually reminded that our society becomes more technological, it is also becoming impersonal. Characters trademarks resist that trend. They suggest a simpler era of neighborhood grocers and friendly repairmen. They are likeable. They are fun to look at. And they have come to represent a certain innocence with which we all, at some point in our live, can identify.

Icon.

This is the logo for my "Goed Licht" project. The idea is to have a place where vintage photographic material can be stored and restored, where the nostalgy and the beauty of those items from the past can be kept alive. I'm not a dead item collector, but I rather like to revive those "forgotten in the attick things", by publishing posts about them on sites and blogs like : Flickr, Tumblr, Blogger, Facebook, ... If you like to share, feel free to use my pictures, there is no copyright, but a reminder or a link to this blog will be nice.

Worst Leica Copy Ever.

This "item" is a toy, featuring a copy of a Leica, and a slideviewer. The slideviewer is in fact a wheelmechanism in the body itself, the releasebutton is used to turn the wheel, the images from the slideshow are african wildlifesecenery with, lions, girafs, elephants,... 6 pictures on the disk. I found this toy in a Buddhist temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. These temples are organising events, where families and children are welcome and this item is sold for children's joy. The toy is a replica of a Leica M8 or M9, with the Summilux Asph. M-lens, it's a 1:1 objective with a lens thread of 46mm, what the number 4135 means, I do not really know... There is even a random serialnumber on the lens. It has a black plastic body that isn't perfectly moulded and a bit out of angle. The paint is in a golden finish, but there where also models in green, blue and red. Made in China, retailprice 0,50 Eurocent.

Diana.

The Diana first appeared during the early 1960s as a inexpensive box camera sold by the Great Wall Plastic Factory of Kowloon, Hong Kong. Most were exported to the United States and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the Diana was imported by the Power Sales Company of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. During the 1960s, Power Sales Company wholesaled the Diana by the case - 144 cameras - at about 50 cents U.S. per unit to a variety of retailers and promotional merchandisers. Most Diana cameras were given away or sold for nominal sums as novelties or prizes at fairs, carnivals, product promotions, raffles, or other events. For a time, the camera was also regularly advertised for sale in various periodicals through mail order vendors. However, with the development of inexpensive, higher quality consumer cameras such as the Kodak Instamatic, together with the declining popularity of rollfilm, demand for the Diana - even as a novelty gift - gradually disappeared. Production of the Diana, its clones, close copies, and variants is believed to have stopped in the 1970s, though similar 35 mm box cameras were produced for many years thereafter by various companies in Hong Kong and Taiwan for use as promotional items. (Source : Wikipedia)

Krügener.

Then the family moves to Springwood, Ohio. In Elmstreet they had a little boy named Freddy.

Nikon Nikkor-S Auto 1:1.4 f= 50mm.

Nikon Nikkor-S (C) Auto 1:1.4 f= 50mm standard lens As stated this lens appeared in March 1962. This lens has 7 elements in 6 groups, which optical formula changed several times during its production. In fact this lens, as the modern AFD-Nikkor, is still in production. Changes in optical formula and its exterior were in 1972, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984 and as an AF-version in 1986 (see matrix). This very favorite lens - even in the digital era - still is one of the best standard prime lenses ever produced. More than 4 million lenses were build since its introduction.

(Source : http://www.mir.com/.com/)

Das große Buch der Farbfotografie.

Das große Buch der Farbfotografie In diesem Buch werden dem Hobbyfotografen die große Welt der Fotografie näher gebracht. Von Grundsätzlichen wie Ausrüstung, Technik, Grundlagen, zahlreichen Ideen für Motive und Beispielen. Bringt es auch die Fotografie als Kunstform näher. I.Kreativität 1.1.Vom Bauernhaus zur Burgruine 1.2.Senioren 1.3.Straßenleben 1.4.Vom Winde verweht 1.5.Wilde Blumen 1.6.Am Meer 1.7.Porttäts im Raum 1.8.Bewegung 1.9.Innenaufnahmen 1.10.Hochzeit 1.11.Schule International 1.12.Schattenspiel 1.13.Tierisches 1.14.Bildaufbau und Bildausschnitt 1.15.Menschen bei der Arbeit 1.16.Regen 1.17.im Gebirge 1.18.Spiegelungen 1.19.Stilleben 1.20.Die Sonne geht auf und unter II.Ihr Handwerkszeug 2.1Gegenlichtblenden und Filter 2.2Rollfilm-Kameras 2.3Bilderfabriken 2.4Das richtige Weitwinkel-Objektiv 2.5Die Wahl des Belichtungsmessers 2.6Sucher 2.7Gebraucht kaufen 2.8Sofortbild-Kameras 2.9Kriterien für Filmkameras 2.10Taschen und Koffer 2.11Systemblitzgeräte 2.12Was sie zur Farbentwicklung brauchen 2.13Lichtriesen 2.14Alternativen zum Stativ 2.15Meßsucherkameras 2.16Kleine Studio-Blitze 2.17110-Kameras III.Verbessern Sie Ihre Technik 3.1Tele-Brevier 3.2Mit der Kamera auf Reisen 3.3Kontrastbewältigung 3.4Schuß im Dunkeln 3.5Aufnahmen bei Kunstlicht 3.6Diakopieren 3.7Superweitwinkel-Objektive 3.8aufnahmetechnik mit Spiegelobjektiven 3.9Arbeiten mit einem Fotomodell 3.10Einfache Nahaufnahmen 3.11Filter für Spezialeffekte 3.12Kompakt-Kameras- klein aber fein 3.13Fotografieren mit Motor 3.14Reprofotos 3.15High-key. Low-key 3.16Fotojagd auf Vögel 3.17Feuerwerk 3.18Einrichtung eines Studios 3.19Aufnahmen im GegenlichtblendenWir drehen einen Film IV.Wie geht das ? 4.1Farbdiafilm 4.2Meßsucher 4.3Autofokus-Kameras 4.4Objektiv-Vorsätze 4.5Streulicht 4.6Objektiv-Vergütung 4.7Solarisation und Sabattier-Effekt 4.8Kamerabewegung 4.9Unsichtbares LichtriesenWie wir sehen 4.10auge und Kamera 4.11Der Kamera-Computer 4.12Objektivfehler 4.13Objektivkonstruktion 4.14Hyperfokale Entfern... Seiten : 568. Gewicht : 2,5 kg. Unipart-Vlg., Remseck (Februar 1992).

Photographic Notes 1980.

Monday 14 January

To take out the film.

First push the button or keep the button pushed.

Tuesday 15 January

Pull the upper (????) and turn in the direction of the (????).

Thursday 17 January

Open downside and (????) and put the film....

(Traduction from dutch.)

It's Kodak.

Ad from The Photographic Almanach, British edition 1958. What is better then a lovely women, with an attractive face and body to advertise the quality and merits of Kodak Film. Seems that the magenta-saturation is a bit high, but anyway, if this person should emerge from some trees, I surely would use Kodak-film to fix this moment of great joy and pleasure,...or a black and white ORWO-film,... maybe,...

T-Shirt.

Photographer. Found on a picture from Flickr, T-shirt design blessing the egocentrism of photographers.

Voigtländer Avus.

The Voigtländer Avus was introduced in 1914. They had a leather-covered aluminum body and a U-style lens standard with rise and shift for parallax correction. This later model (c.1930) has the brilliant finder centered over the lens, and uses an f/4.5 13.5cm Skopar lens (1 - 1/200) in a Compur shutter.

Eumig C3.

Eumig (Austria) started their film camera production in 1932 with the C 1 for 9.5 mm film stock. The C1 was soon fllowed by the C2, also for the then popular 9.5mm format. The C3 was Eumig's first camera for the 8mm film format, using double-8 film stock. B.t.w., the "C" in the type number means Camera, just like as the "P"-series were film Projectors.

At least two versions of the C3 existed, the black version and the grey verion. It might well be that the black version dates from before WW2 whereas the grey version dates from the 1950s.

About the Tits.

This pictures comes from a 1980 "very serious" book from Frans Naeff, about photography. The legend can be translated as :

"Pic 1.19. Deviation and balance. The rounded shape showed well against the straight lines of the background, while the dark grey down comes back in the hat."

If you asked me, it's about the tits,...

Ipad 1959.

In times that technology was rather basic, here an ancestror of the Ipad. Featuring a portable and compact screendisplay to project slides on a moveable unit. I don't know if Apple has got their inspiration from this beast, but surely is, it has a similar function.

Planar.

The Zeiss Planar is a photographic lens designed by Paul Rudolph at Carl Zeiss in 1896. Rudolph's original was a six-element symmetrical design.
While very sharp, the lens suffered from flare due to its many air-to-glass surfaces. Before the introduction of lens coating technology the four-element Tessar, with slightly inferior image quality, was preferred due to its better contrast. In the 1950s, when effective anti-reflective lens coatings became available, coated Planars were produced with much-improved flare. These lenses used the Zeiss T* coating system, which had been invented in 1935.[1] They performed very well as normal and medium-long focus lenses for small and medium format cameras.(Source Camerapedia)

43,27mm.

Pythagorean theorem Pythagoras has commonly been given credit for discovering the Pythagorean theorem, a theorem in geometry that states that in a right-angled triangle the area of the square on the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares of the other two sides : that is, a2 + b2 = c2.

Ultra-Fex.

The Ultra-FEX cameras are a real challenge for a collector of antic cameras. From 1947 to 1962, the quantity of cameras produced under the reference Ultra-FEX is huge. These cameras in bakelite were offered in a variety of 8 models (the one presented here is the fourth) and in an incredible number of variants. By the way, it is possible to find some discrepancies between a same model or variant... This abundance can be explained due to the fact that very often production was unsettled by the disruption in supplies. In such a case, the production of cameras continued with what was available... This range of cameras (and many other ones) was developped by Fritz Kaftanski. This German guy, born in Essen in 1899, emigrated in several European countries before moving in France. During the German occupation, he formed an association with Lucien Bouchetal de la Roche in order to produce cameras under the mark FEX (for France EXport). Located in Lyon, this company became FEX-INDO and then INDO (INDustrie Optique). It stopped all activities in 1981.

Yoshihisa Maitani.

Yoshihisa Maitani, the man who created the popular Pen series of cameras for Olympus, passed away July 2009, at a hospital in Tokyo. The cause of death was respiratory failure, as reported on a Japanese news Web site. The Olympus E-P1 was launched not too long ago, and since it was based loosely on the Pen camera design, the news of Maitani's demise has shocked the imaging industry. He joined the Japanese company in 1956 and held positions of chief designer, followed by managing director until he retired as an adviser to the firm in 1996. His most notable designs were the Pen line, the mini XA rangefinder snappers and the miniaturization of 35mm SLRs with the OM cameras. Some may say that Olympus has lost a great man, but insiders will know that the imaging industry has lost a great innovator.

The Importance of a Flash!

This is a scan of a description of the flash from a Kodak Instamatic 224 cameramanual. The camera dates from the end of the 60's. The graphic designer of this manual was very precise to indicate the location of the flash on the picture, or maybe the level of intelligence of the average user of the Kodak Instamatic 224 wasn't high too much!

Mercury Univex II Exposition Wheel

In time of analoge photography, if you did not have a lightmeter or experience, guessing the correct exposition was a bit of a challenge. Luckily some manufactors created tables and wheels with various combination to expose your film. On the Mercury Univex II, you can find such a wheel, the manual to use the wheel was heavier then the camera,... I think!

The Workshop.

The workshop's adress is : Goed Licht, Frère Orbanstraat 55, 8400 Oostende, Belgium. I have a huge collection, +600, of analoge cameras from 1900's till now. As extra services : Repairs, by myself or by my network of collectors; Pimping : leatherette renewal, themes specific designs; Estimation of the value of the camera. Here some photos :

Goed Licht's first post.

My first post for this new blog 'll go to Raúl Sá Dantas, photographic equipment collector, from who I got the permission to use the name "Good Light" (trad.), retirement home for senior photo gear, to use in this blog.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raulm/