Vintage Camera : 1930's Voigtlander 'AVUS'

[@JenniferM13]

Very impressed with the print you showed at the end. Amazing what some of these old lenses are capable of.

[@theoldfilmbloke]

Yes -- I have a 20x16" Exhibition print of that but it is too large to scan on my A4 scanner ! Thanks for viewing.

[@jasonqian]

Agree, the lens is remarkable.

[@filmmagic6687]

Hello, I have a Voigtlander Avus shooting Instax Mini instant film. Nice to know someone else uses it too

[@madisonmoore8985]

Great Video, so informative and humorous but really needed thank you so much for the demo and the whole play by play peter! Cheers!

[@arianaerlank2034]

I recently found one of these and was so excited! The loading plate is missing unfortunately but thank you Peter! I really enjoyed discovering more about the camera.

[@nmd1211]

As always, I find your videos so interesting!

[@eddylim3011]

I now have an idea for my latest corporate gift set at www.ptcorporategifts.com.sg/ ...a photography club just approach us last week..dont know what to give them, but told them ill pm them by next week....it is so interesting to revive the old but sophisticated plate cameras ..

[@bluzizalright]

Thank you as always for an informative and thoroughly enjoyable video. I have one of these and it is a lot of fun to use. The quality of the lens is spectacular.

[@theclovercross]

I really enjoyed this, Peter. Thanks for sharing. I'll be having a ICA 111 on the way soon :)

[@thegreatvanziniphotos5976]

Found this while digging through some boxes last night. Thanks for your vid.

[@NewbergUSA]

Thanks for the video. It identifies for me the camera that has been in my attic for 40-50 years and came back as war booty from my fathers US service in WWII in Germany

[@theoldfilmbloke]

Glad to help The Yanks as THEY helped My Sailor Dad in WWII when his ship was torpedoed and they had to go to USA for repairs and he was billeted out with a kind American Family in Rhode Island -- The NASON family and we kept in touch with them for many years after the war.

[@NewbergUSA]

@@theoldfilmbloke We all helped each other back then.

[@Nightandday-j2u]

Hi Peter, great work you do showing how this old cameras work! Beside the other videos I enjoy especially this one very much because I got my mother's old Voigtlaender. But there is one Problem. Unfortunately the front doesn't open, because this little wheel down on the left side doesn't rotate. I don't even know in which direction it should be turned as I don't know how the opnening mechanism works. I would appreciate it very much if you could give me a lead how to solve the Problem.

[@HomeBuiltJunk]

Hello. I have the model Avus but in 6X9. I also have a Rada roll film holder for it. I had quite a battle with light leaks in my film holder. The velvet where the dark slide goes had mostly shed its fir and light would go right down in. Also, the holder had been removed and replaced so many times that the hook that holds the back on had rubbed a hole in the side. I replaced the velvet with plush velvet available from eBay and soldered the hole shut. I also cleaned and oiled the shutter. It is a fine camera now. I have mostly been using the Arista roll film from Freestyle with it. I don't have an enlarger that will fit 6X9 so I thought about making a lighted back so I can project through the camera and use it as a makeshift enlarger. I liked the video and explanation. It is hard to find anybody who can explain how the plate holders work, it seems. -Brian

[@theoldfilmbloke]

+Brian Schmidt : Hi Brian -- thanks for viewing and comment-- well when I was an impoverished Schoolboy and just starting out I made and enlarger at School in the Metalwork Class out of dried milk tins that the Yanks used to send over for us Poor Brits ( Thanks for that kindness Yanks ) and it used to fuse the house lights regularly. When I joined my first 'Adult' Camera Club at 15 they had an enlarger that members could hire and take home .

[@HomeBuiltJunk]

+Peter Elgar Did you manage to find a lens off of something else to use for the enlarger? What kind of camera were you able use then? It must have been quite difficult to find affordable but usable supplies.

[@theoldfilmbloke]

Brian : I had saved up my pocket money and bought a 75mm f4.5 Enlarger lens. My camera at that time was a British Ensign Selfix 16/20 Model II with 75mm f3.5 Ross Xpres lens -- it took me a long time to pay it off !

[@fotolookconde]

Great video thanks @Peter Elgar! I just bought 2 similar models as I am uploading videos on my KZbin channel dedicated to film photography as well!

[@mamiyapress]

Great image, I would love to see more of your prints taken with this camera.

[@spajdude]

Lovely Avus. I have a couple I'm using, 9x12 and 6,5x9, and two Voigtländer Bergheil in those sizes. Yours was made in 1927-28 according to the serial number on the lens. M = Moment (short times). I often use a selftimer with these cameras, an accessory selftimer (Autoknips V) with a cable release extension. Works well! They also have new groundglasses I've ground myself. That was easy, because the groundglass in this camera is the same glass as the glass plates. Same dimensions and thickness, so I didn't have to cut the glass. I see you have old glass plates, so with a little 800 mesh aluminium oxide you can grind a new glass for your camera!

[@theoldfilmbloke]

Thanks -- I didn't know exactly the YEAR -- my Ground Glass was ground for me at UCL Geology Dept -- I must try to do another one as you suggest == Keep Snapping !! -- Peter

[@lbochtler]

also, i have a film scanner capable of scanning up to 11x16 negatives. If you ever want some sheets / plates (yes it can scan glass plates) scanned, i can do it. currently i have been able to prove 6000dpi resolution on the scanner, with 8000 being possible. Thats over the entire 11x16 frame btw.

[@gabrysgabriukas]

Thank you for a interesting video! where I can get the metal frame in holders for holding the cut film sheet?

[@theoldfilmbloke]

Sorry -- I have NO IDEA from where you can get those Frames now -- all the 'old Suppliers' like Brunnings have gone broke !

[@gabrysgabriukas]

@@theoldfilmbloke Thanks. I'll try to find them on ebay but how they are exact named? sheet holders for large format or frames?

[@scottdavidpatience]

Thanks for the great video!

[@fotolookconde]

@Peter Elgar. Thanks for the video. I don't have sheeths to put cut film. Can I load film on the top of the glass plate?

[@theoldfilmbloke]

Luis ;; i never tried that --the 'thickness' may be too great to get the darkslide in . Just have to experiment I suppose.

[@fotolookconde]

@@theoldfilmbloke that what I thought. Maybe using thinner glass or metal....

[@LeendertCordemans]

Dear Peter, the German word "Zeit" sounds like phonetic tsite. The letter Z in this word sounds ts. But not like for example name like Zeiss-Ikon. In this case is the letter Z also sounds Z. I hope it will helps you a little bit. I think, I have the same camera. It's a lovely one. I take pictures in both options. Plate and filmroll. You can dry and wet plate aswell. A nice review.

[@theoldfilmbloke]

Ja ! Vielen Dank !

[@LeendertCordemans]

@@theoldfilmbloke you are allways welcome. Du bist immer hertzlich wilkommen.

[@Wackscave]

Im looking for one of those...

[@Andymae824]

So I have one that I found at my Nanas house and I can't get it open (it was my great great grandpas) how do you open it?

[@theoldfilmbloke]

+Andymae ; Thanks for your interest . You can see a 'Button' under the top handle in the leather covering and you press that and gently pull it open -- you must be SLOW and Gentle with all 'bellows ' type cameras as you open them or you can rip the old material of the bellows and cause light leaks. You can very lightly oil the struts.

[@dennisleavell3580]

I cannot figure out how to get the ground glass out to clean it or to put a new one in. Have you swapped out the cracked focus screen on yours?

[@theoldfilmbloke]

NO -- kept the cracked screen !

[@dbw]

When using 120 Film for 6x9, do you have to use odd frame numbers, 1,3,5,7 etc etc ?

[@theoldfilmbloke]

Usually with the 120 Rollfilm back there is a 'hole' with a Red Filter an d it uses the 8 exposures side of the backing paper so you use numbers 1 to 8 in the hole.

[@brianjoyce9417]

What model Rada film back works for the Voigtlander avus 9x12?

[@theoldfilmbloke]

Sorry but those back were discontinued so LONG AGO !! I just got one with the correct sliding edge -- i did not know there were different models .

[@brianjoyce9417]

Peter Elgar Thank you for getting back to me Peter, I have been trying to find out what type of mounting system this camera uses so I could use 120 film which is more readily available. All I been able to find out is that it similar to some Zeiss 9x12 back mounting brackets. Brian Joyce

[@fotolookconde]

@Peter Elgar and @Brian Joyce if that Rada back fits Zeiss most possible will fit a Contessa Nettel Onito (the backs from this brand just kept being applied to Zeiss cameras when both companies joined). I just bought a Contessa Nettel Onito and I want to buy a Rada back... if it fits the camera.

[@filmmagic6687]

Btw, I shoot my Voigtlander Avus almost everyday now

[@MezeiEugen]

How did you coat the lens?

[@theoldfilmbloke]

I did NOT coat the lens myself -- I sent it to a company that went broke -- it was in the late 1960's -- I think it was called 'Vanguard Instruments' in London.

[@blackrat4334]

i know this isnt the same camera that i have, but i was wondering if you know anything about ica cameras?

[@theoldfilmbloke]

No Sorry -- I have never seen one but have read about them on some Photography sites,

[@merlinframemakerartgallery6848]

Mom own one before, i just forgot where the hell she put it...its a treasure that we photography lovers should always keep.. Before our little business: merlin.com.sg/about-us/ was founded, mom used to take photos using this camera.. She keeps it until i was 10.. i was a 60's kid..

[@MezeiEugen]

So you ruined an entire box of plates for this video?

[@theoldfilmbloke]

NO -- the glass plates were very Old and already Fogged to light !

[@lbochtler]

what a waste of once perfectly good plates, shame.