Taking pictures with a nearly-100 year old camera | Kodak No. 2 Brownie

[@Oske.images]

I've been in to photography for 40 years, since I was a kid. Just been cleaning out my dad's home after losing him and have masses of photos and a few cameras. One being a No 2 Brownie. I just took photos of it to put on eBay.. But NO. You changed my mind... It would have been my grandparents.. I'm going to take black & white photos of my family and daughter.. And keep the camera.. It was touching seeing you getting emotional. I think I'll be the same...

[@TheCuriousWorld]

I'm sorry for your loss, and I'm so happy my video has inspired you to play around with your camera. I hope you and your family have a wonderful time with your No.2 Brownie and make many new memories with it

[@coulie27]

Super old school! I took a photography class in summer as a kid. We made pinhole cameras and developed the photos in a dark room, and everything. This reminds me so much of that. 😊

[@TheCuriousWorld]

That sounds really fun. I've never developed my own photos, but I've always wanted to. Someday!

[@TechNed]

When I was a kid, just after we migrated to Australia, my Mum gave me her Ilford camera that used 120 roll film. I got 12 shots per roll. I always did my best to load in subdued light (and hold roll tightly so no light can leak in past the spool ends).

[@TheCuriousWorld]

The more I think about it, the more I think the lens wasn't what caused those marks on the pictures. I'm thinking it must have been dust in the camera getting dragged onto the film, OR that the film itself must have been damaged? Either one of those may explain why it was on one roll and not the other. Any photographers out there have an idea?

[@LukeEdwardstube]

I just picked one up for a fiver at a Boot Fair! I’m excited to use it. I can’t believe it was (one of) the first ever commercially available camera. Great video :)

[@ObviouslyASMR]

This is so cool!

[@TheCuriousWorld]

Thanks :)

[@clarabyrd6885]

Where did you get your film developed?

[@leeosborne3793]

This is a great camera because getting film for it is so easy - one of the few Brownies that take 120 film. I shoot with mine quite often, it's great fun!

[@matthewdeacon1970]

You will find a No.1 portrait attachment makes good close ups of people. Also, try a slower speed of film like 100 on a sunny day with the middle stop of the camera.

[@mybellyisapinata]

Fascinating how our brain contextualizes things like nostalgia even when we know different 🤔 Congrats on the Brownie and your Patreon, wishing you success with both 🙌 Thanks for sharing more neat things with us!

[@TheCuriousWorld]

Thank you very much :)

[@AM-sw9di]

I just bought one of these, I can't wait to try it out! Also just found your channel and I'm glad I did

[@AtalienaFhang]

So cool that it still works! There's something special about old cameras and film, they capture such rich images. I wonder if the scratches/lines are cinch marks? 🧐

[@TheCuriousWorld]

Hmm I haven't heard that term before. It could be!

[@charlespitts5901]

Your camera appears to be a No. 2 model "F". The minimum focus distance to the subject is about 10 feet. With 400 speed film and the camera stopped down all the way in daylight, you may get acceptable focus distance down to 7 or 8 feet. I shoot a 2A model "B" that I converted to 120 film that once belonged to the Disney family they purchased in 1911. I photograph historical Disney locations using it. I added an internal medium yellow filter (metal rim removed) lightly tack glued to the inside of the front of the camera for added contrast. I cleaned the lens in the front by sticking a Q-tip through the shutter hole (the back side is easy and accessible). I do have a No 2 model "F" that I used at a a car show once with surprisingly good results.

[@Ronnie-oh5ew]

I have a camera similar that was my G grandma and it has the original paper 📜 instructions in side, but what is asking price of one like these . Just curious!? 🧐🤔

[@DenisAkhmarov]

Спасибо за видео. Буду ждать новых

[@troynov1965]

I have my grandpas old Brownie he got back in the late 1910s- early 1920s when he was a coal miner. He got it at the company store with script.

[@TheCuriousWorld]

Very cool. Have you ever tried using it?

[@troynov1965]

@@TheCuriousWorld No I have not , but after seeing your video I may have to try it out. I do have some old photos that have passed down to me that were taken with it many years ago.

[@JohnnyBrentwoodReviews]

Hi Bridget! Love your content! Liked & subscribed!

[@leannefaldyn5262]

So neat!! Where did you send the film to have them developed?

[@gunduzmustafaev]

Your heart is very pure

[@019bc3]

Hi Bridget. Fascinating video. Is it possible to control focus on this camera?

[@TheCuriousWorld]

There is no feature to control focus. Instead, I think it's a matter of lighting/sun position, keeping the camera level, and having the subject the appropriate distance. Here's a manual: www.brownie-camera.com/manuals/no2andno2ab.pdf

[@nikko2434]

Lovely raw video. Also beautiful photography. I hope you make a follow for this. Or something new like a Polaroid. ❤

[@leeosborne3793]

Do try colour film in it too, the results are quite beautifully strange because the lens was not designed for colour.

[@TheCuriousWorld]

I actually just bought color film for that purpose :)

[@rochabarros1350]

Hi, I'm from Brazil I like a lot of your videos I learned English watching your videos.

[@fortunechannel9018]

Beautiful .Have a good day . Have fun 💞💞🙏

[@koalafrancehk]

What's the bg music?

[@chriscard6544]

I have a camera from 1906 with a brass lens from 1899 and it works

[@tiortedrootsky]

Pretty cool! 1) Scratches/dirt on the lens are not likely to give sharp marks on the film, they would be out of focus (but modern optics should be especially clean on the back lens) So if the scratch is so sharp its probably on the film itself. I would guess that on the edges of the box there should be 2 rollers that help film to turn 90 degrees. Maybe at first the rollers were stuck and scratched the film, but later they started rolling properly, no scratches. Maybe the rollers were lubricated and the old greese is too thick now. But maybe it shouldnt be lubricated on account of grease finding its way to the film. So do more research if the rollers are sre still dragging a little. 2) "About Lenses" by Eastman Kodak Co., 1919, page 14, a table states that #2 Brownie with largest aperture gives sharp focus from 13.5 feet to infinity. With smaller apertures it will be closer, but i doubt that it could be close enough for selfies. In one of the manuals they state that for 3/4 figure portrait the camera should be 8 feet from the subject. I'm not sure if they mean to use smaller aperture, or maybe there are different models of the camera. But maybe they just assume that slight blur is acceptable for the size of printed photo. Image will be sharpest at the focal distance (some state 25 feet, some - infinity), and more and more blurry the farther you get from it. 3) Fil Nenna's article states characteristics of the camera as: 1/60 shutter (presumably slower due to age of the camera) apertures of 16, 22 and 32 Focused to infinity (presumably hyper-focal) 90mm focal length (a ‘normal’ length for this size of negative) Lomography site states as follows: Lens: Meniscus Shutter: Rotary, two speeds: B and 1/50th of a second (with very large tolerance) Aperture: Lever adjusted, values about: f/16, f/22, and f/32 "B" shutter is probably manual, open while you hold it. From some forum: About Lens by Eastman Kodak Co., 1921 www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/kodak_5.html on page 14 shows a #0 Brownie to have a depth of field from 10 1/2 feet to infinity, a *#2 Brownie* 14 ft. to infinity, a #2A, #2C, and #3 Brownie 15 ft. to infinity. On page 31 depth of field table it states *"fixed focus cameras are focused on 25 feet"*. Hope it will be of some help.

[@Knowledge17807]

I love your channel 🌸

[@chriscard6544]

close-ups are out of focus because you are to close, but you could use a narrow aperture to get a bigger DoF. You should test apertures and distances. Another thing it says 100 iso but try a 400 iso film in low lights. Remember the Sunny Rule.

[@gunduzmustafaev]

❤

[@mehdi.z.9557]

long time no see

[@tiortedrootsky]

YT is at it again... Deletes my comments for no reason, hope this will come through... Pretty cool! 1) Scratches/dirt on the lens are not likely to give sharp marks on the film, they would be out of focus (but modern optics should be especially clean on the back lens) So if the scratch is so sharp its probably on the film itself. I would guess that on the edges of the box there should be 2 rollers that help film to turn 90 degrees. Maybe at first the rollers were stuck and scratched the film, but later they started rolling properly, no scratches. Maybe the rollers were lubricated and the old greese is too thick now. But maybe it shouldnt be lubricated on account of grease finding its way to the film. So do more research if the rollers are sre still dragging a little. 2) "About Lenses" by Eastman Kodak Co., 1919, page 14, a table states that #2 Brownie with largest aperture gives sharp focus from 13.5 feet to infinity. With smaller apertures it will be closer, but i doubt that it could be close enough for selfies. In one of the manuals they state that for 3/4 figure portrait the camera should be 8 feet from the subject. I'm not sure if they mean to use smaller aperture, or maybe there are different models of the camera. But maybe they just assume that slight blur is acceptable for the size of printed photo. Image will be sharpest at the focal distance (some state 25 feet, some - infinity), and more and more blurry the farther you get from it.

[@TheCuriousWorld]

Not sure why KZbin removed your comment, but I found it and approved it. Thank you for such a helpful comment. I think you're right about the rollers. I'm going to give them a good clean before I use the camera again. And ah, 13.5', that's so good to know, thank you for looking into it!! (There is a "portrait" model of the camera so they may be referring to that in the "8ft" line? Not sure) Regardless, I think the farther the camera from the subject, the better. So I'll keep that in mind next time, while keeping the camera totally level. Thanks again!

[@tiortedrootsky]

You're welcome! A few more things. 1) If you have a digital camera with manual settings, you could try to set the settings like on the film camera and see if you have enough light for example before you risk the film. So the #2 brownie shutter is about 1/50 s, and 3 aperture settings should be f/16, f/22, and f/32. If your digital doesnt have f/32 you can just use f/22 with 1/100 s and so on, shutter goes faster 1 stop (x2), aperture - dimmer 1 stop, this way you get the same exposure as 1/50 s + f/32. 2) It looks like the manual is for normal #2 brownie. Actually they do state, that you need to use dimmer aperture for closer portraits. This is from manual googled by "Picture Taking with the No 2 and No 2A Brownie Cameras": "To make portrails when the subject is about eight feet from the camera, use the smallest stop opening (aperture). If the subject is about ten feet from the camera use the middle stop opening; and when the subject is farther from the camera than ten feet, use the largest stop opening." From a manual googled by "Kodak brownie 2 instruction manual, Kodak No. 2 Brownie": "To Make a Portrait For a bust picture the camera should be *five feet* from the figure; for a three-quarter figure seven feet, and for a full figure ten feet. The background should form a contrast with the sitter. In making portraits where the subject is less than eight feet from the camera, use the smallest stop and time accordingly. (See page 16.) As a general rule use the middle stop for portraits." I used ABBYY FineReader 15 to create searchable pdf from the manual files and copy the text. Works pretty good generally, but not always perfect, if the quality of the scan is good. It used to cost about 110$ for limitless license, maybe theres still sites that give this price for older versions (15). 3) Might be a good idea to buy a cheap cylindrical bubble level with flat bottom to put near the viewfinder.

[@TheCuriousWorld]

I actually am not super experienced with photography and things like f stops and aperture and shutter speed. But I think that my Brownie camera is a great way for me to get more familiar with those things. Analog photography makes more sense to my brain. Thanks for the tips!

[@Realjamshidbek]

Wow, in your instagram profile it looks much bigger😅

[@juanitosew5044]

Lets fake an entire photographer 😂😂😂

[@TheCuriousWorld]

What?

[@paragbhujbal7758]

Are you a historian let me know 😊

[@jeffkilgo2143]

Nice video...thanks for sharing. These old box cameras like a lot of light so it is best to shoot them in full sun. Some have B settings so you can do timed exposures for low light scenes, but you would need some way to stabilize the camera in this scenario. There's a new product called the Box Topper (gbphoto.net) that's helps with stabilizing cameras that don't have a tripod socket. These cameras do have a minimum focusing distance...typically around 5 or so feet. Keep shooting and add to your collection...as you mentioned most of these cameras are still really inexpensive.