Here are a few photos taken at the State Fair of Texas with a 1940s Argus Seventy-five. Special thanks to the Dallas Model A Ford Club for allowing me to take photos of the beautiful cars. The film was developed in Caffenol.
Caffenol Kits
Retired Cameras is now offering pre-measured Caffenol kits for 35mm, 120 and 220 film
www.retiredcameras.com/store.html
Bellows
Ever want to test out a camera but can’t because the bellows are damaged? I have a few myself and do not want to replace the bellows. I like to keep my cameras as original as possible. I preserve them rather than restore them. I still like to take them out and see what they can do though. So, here is a simple and practically free way to make your camera usable without replacing the bellows or damaging the camera in any way. Supplies needed are:
• Chipboard (or any thin opaque material)
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Black Electrical Tape
• Pen or Pencil
Complete instructions can be found at the link below
Caffenol
Have you tried Caffenol to develop film? It’s a mixture of instant coffee, washing soda and Vitamin C. It’s a cheap and environmentally friendly developer. The image below was developed using Caffenol. The recipe and instructions are available at the link below.
Film
Looking for 2.25 X 3.25″ sheet film? B&H carries in black and white. It is a little smaller than the film holder, but works fine. Sure beats cutting down a sheet of 4X5″ film.
Welcome to the Retired Cameras blog.
Enjoy blogging about classic and antique cameras, collecting, identifying cameras, sharing experiences, tips, locating film and more. If you are a collector, don’t just let your cameras sit on a shelf. Go out and use them. Film is still available and the majority of the cameras out there still work.
Weather
We have had some great weather here in Dallas – Fort Worth. Looks like this next week is going to be beautiful as well. Take some time to enjoy it. I’m going to be headed to the State Fair of Texas with a few antique cameras later this week. I’ll post the pictures when I get back.
