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CAMERA NANNY
CURIOUS ABOUT OLD CAMERAS
Hi, I'm Helen, a grandma who likes taking pictures.
I wanted to find out what it would be like to use a
100-year-old camera and learn how to develop my own film. But then I was hooked and now I have 17 vintage film cameras!
There is something incredibly satisfying about buying an old, battered camera that has maybe been in an attic or drawer for decades, and coaxing it back to the life it had 50 or 100 years ago.
Here I share my learning, repairs, photos and thoughts. Feel free to read, comment or share your own discoveries. Hopefully it will be fun!
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18. The Secret Santa present
Most people who were excited about getting a camera for Christmas have been using January to try out a new Nikon DSLR or perhaps a...
Camera Nanny
Feb 64 min read
13 views
0 comments
17. Taking a Prague camera back to Prague
Prague is one of the most photogenic cities in Europe, full of great architecture and sublime views. Shortly before a recent trip to...
Camera Nanny
Sep 21, 20243 min read
22 views
0 comments
16. The Soviet fakes
In the early 1930s the Soviet FED factory in Kharkov (now Ukraine) began producing copies of German Leica cameras. Genuine Leicas were,...
Camera Nanny
Jun 18, 20243 min read
32 views
0 comments
15. A British camera - late to the party!
The Conway De Luxe Art Deco camera was produced in 1952 by Standard Cameras in Birmingham, England, from coated cardboard, Bakelite and a...
Camera Nanny
Apr 1, 20244 min read
133 views
1 comment
14. The Dresden Connection
You've maybe read post 11, an epic overland trip from London to Istanbul, following the route of the 1913 Orient Express and recording...
Camera Nanny
Dec 26, 20234 min read
25 views
3 comments
13. The German Voigtländer Brillant
Some people enjoy shopping for new clothes. I like shopping for old cameras! I browse the fabulous Living Image vintage camera museum...
Camera Nanny
Sep 18, 20233 min read
34 views
0 comments
12. An Italian 1950s camera... in Italy!
The Bencini Comet was manufactured in Milan, Italy in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its clean blocky appearance in aluminium appealed...
Camera Nanny
Jul 28, 20234 min read
72 views
0 comments
11. London to Istanbul with a World War 1 camera
The Orient Express, a luxury train across Europe to the gateway to Asia, was the brainchild of 19th century Belgian businessman Georges...
Camera Nanny
Feb 2, 20237 min read
291 views
0 comments
10. Recreating photos from the past
I'm so lucky to have such a lovely family. For one of my birthdays (which seem to be coming thick and fast!) I received a bound copy of...
Camera Nanny
Dec 7, 20225 min read
45 views
2 comments
9. Introducing more cameras!
I haven't posted for a while, but that doesn't mean I've been doing nothing. On the contrary, I've been quite busy, and here's why. It...
Camera Nanny
Aug 1, 20223 min read
39 views
0 comments
8. The Portrait Attachment
I've discovered that Kodak sold various accessories for their early cameras. My No.1A Autographic Kodak has a manual focus which can be...
Camera Nanny
Jan 1, 20222 min read
73 views
3 comments
7. Back to where it all started, Lacock Abbey
In 1835 William Henry Fox Talbot produced the earliest known negative of 'The Latticed Window' at his home in Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire UK....
Camera Nanny
Oct 16, 20212 min read
43 views
1 comment
6. My first photos with a 100-year-old camera!
Now that I've worked out developing and had a few practice runs, I'm keen to try it out with the film from my No.1a Autographic Kodak....
Camera Nanny
Sep 26, 20213 min read
51 views
0 comments
5. Developing at last!
I've finished shooting my first film on my No.1A Autographic Kodak. Finally I'm ready to learn how to develop a film, how exciting! I...
Camera Nanny
Aug 19, 20213 min read
45 views
1 comment
4. Film, camera, action!
The No.1A Autographic Kodak originally took 116(A) film, producing negatives of 2.5 x 4.25 inches (6.5 x 11cm). The film was 70mm wide...
Camera Nanny
Aug 4, 20213 min read
43 views
1 comment
3. Renovation part 1
The first camera which could preserve an image was invented in the 1830s. It consisted of a large wooden box with a hole on one side to...
Camera Nanny
Jul 26, 20212 min read
31 views
1 comment
2. Autographic Feature
One of the things which intrigued me in the sale photos of my No.1A Autographic Kodak was the tiny metal rod clipped to the front. Before...
Camera Nanny
Jul 19, 20212 min read
41 views
2 comments
1. I had this random idea...
Out of the blue I decided to buy a vintage camera, learn how to use it and to develop film. It’s difficult to explain what brought about...
Camera Nanny
Jul 18, 20213 min read
100 views
4 comments
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