Ok, so, in this special day for me I’d like to post about something a bit special for me too. Well she’s not a very rare camera, nor a great camera to use. Ergonomically, I say that she’s the worst. And not practical at all. She’s not a rangefinder, so that the viewfinder is, well, what can I say, a bit useless. Yeah it shows you what’s in frame, but not that accurate too, since it’s not an SLR. But it sure is a damn bright viewfinder!
She’s so small, and the lens is just amazingly sharp. That makes her a great companion for snapshots everywhere. Since she’s a scale focusing camera, and changing the speed, aperture and ASA dial you’ll need to look it from the top, so I found that the best way using her is by taking the picture in waist level. I’m still getting used to the scale focusing lots of the time on the run. But then again, the results are amazingly sharp. The light meter is broken, so does my other cameras. So that should not be problem. For a camera that small, almost the same as my cigarette pack. But she delivered a high quality image.
I got her around February 2010. Yes, she’s a new member, the youngest in the family. what makes her more special for me is that I been wanting her for like, I don’t know, more than 6-7 years. It’s not that I’m not looking for her, I did. But when I found her siblings on the flea market, I just don’t want to take them home. Because of the condition and the unreasonable price. Back in November 2008, I saw her in an antique shop at Cihampelas street in Bandung. There were lots of other cameras too, like zorki’s, fed 5, leica III, lubitel, mamiya’s, Polaroids, zeiss ikon, contarex and so on. But they all looked so… hhh… all I know is how sad I am to look at them. Then while I was checking those cameras, right in the corner, there she was. Covered in dust. I looked at the price tag, 785,000,- IDR. Shit! I asked the sales girl “can I bargain the price?” she said “no, the price is fixed” I put her back right in the cupboard and leave.
More than a year later, I came back to that place. It was Friday. I was surprised to know that she’s still there, and also the other cameras. Untouched. I remembered how I left them a year before. I picked her up from the cupboard, and then asked the sales girl “I want it less then the price tag..” then she said “oh okay, but the owner is not here yet, she usually come at 6 pm”. “okay, I’ll be back at 6!”. Then I went to the office and can’t stop thinking about it at all. I really thought that she’s waiting for me to take her home
I go straight to the place after office, then talked to the sales girl and started to bargain. She asked me whether or not the camera is still working. All I said to her is that the shutter seems fine, but I don’t know about the rest. There are only a few minor dents on the corner, nothing so serious. The lens was very very clean! No dust, no scratch or whatsoever. And the inner side of the camera was like brand new. After for about half an hour bargaining, I finally get to take her home for 375,000,- IDR. Hell yeah!
When I finally got home, I started to clean her body. Then there she is, just like brand new. And I just can’t stop looking at her for the next few days. She’s just so adorable. Here are a few picture samples with her. Please kindly click me and me too.
