I use Flexaret camera's for years now, I really love them. I have a few with a Mirar Lens (like yours) which is a Triplet lens but I rather use the more "modern" Belar which is a Tessar type lens. Indeed very well build camera's but after all those decades most are in dire need of some cleaning, unless you buy one that has been refurbished already by the seller. I keep a Flexaret IV and VI in the running, they both have the same Belar lens but the Flexaret VI has automatic cocking of the shutter when you wind the film on, which is nice. The things is that they are cheap, quite easy to find online and give very good results. And if something goes bad it's not terrible to fix them yourself, even the more advanced Flexaret VI is not beyond the reach of ordinary people to fix it yourself. I had a IV with a non functioning film transport (the film did not stop automatically at the next frame like it should when wound) and while it took me some thinking to figure out what exactly was going wrong I found it out and it was an easy fix. These are build to last.
Thank you so much for your pleasant and informative comment, I really appreciate it. I also bought a Flexaret IV, and like you, my son and I fumbled a bit to set it correctly so that the film transport stops at the next frame. I agree with you that the Flexaret cameras are very fine cameras. Many of them were sold here in Norway. The other day, I was contacted by an old journalist colleague who had bought one in 1960. He sold it fairly soon, but a few years ago he ordered an old camera from Czechoslovakia. For nearly 30 years, I worked with black and white photography in Norwegian newspapers. It's fun to have taken up this form of photography again. There's something very special about black and white pictures. Good luck with your Flexaret cameras and photography!
How is using this camera at night? I have a Flexaret V it’s too dim to focus well under low lighting conditions. Is this just the case with these types of cameras, or should I consider changing the ground glass?
My experience after many years of black-and-white photography as a journalist, is that focusing with analog cameras in low light is a challenge. I find the Flexaret difficult to focus under certain conditions, even in good light. I also have a Zeiss Ikon Nettar (ruclips.net/video/BBQgFz8SFuE/видео.html), and with that, I have to measure or estimate the distance when focusing. You can do the same with the Flexaret using the scale. To photograph at night, you need to use a tripod or place the camera on a completely stable surface, as the shutter speed can be long, sometimes up to several seconds. We must remember that our eyes "adjust" to low light, allowing us to develop what is called night vision. The camera cannot do this. We can equip it with more light-sensitive film (400 ASA and higher), but the price we pay is that the silver grains in the film become coarser.
Sí, estas son cámaras fascinantes, sencillas, pero de muy buena calidad. Todavía funcionan, pero el espejo en el visor es una debilidad cuando envejecen. El espejo tiene un recubrimiento de plata que se deteriora con el tiempo. Compré otra cámara. Reemplacé el espejo original con un espejo de acrílico. Parece funcionar igual de bien. (Traducido del noruego al español con la ayuda de inteligencia artificial.)
@@GuttormEskildNilsen que fascinante amigo, debes sentirte muy feliz por eso, eres muy dichoso al tener esas cámaras, saludos desde El Salvador Centroamérica
I have one of these and i love it! I love the focus mechanism. It is very smooth and is a genius design.
Yes it is a simple and functional camera.
Exciting to see Vintage cameras at work, thanks for sharing :)
I use Flexaret camera's for years now, I really love them. I have a few with a Mirar Lens (like yours) which is a Triplet lens but I rather use the more "modern" Belar which is a Tessar type lens. Indeed very well build camera's but after all those decades most are in dire need of some cleaning, unless you buy one that has been refurbished already by the seller. I keep a Flexaret IV and VI in the running, they both have the same Belar lens but the Flexaret VI has automatic cocking of the shutter when you wind the film on, which is nice. The things is that they are cheap, quite easy to find online and give very good results. And if something goes bad it's not terrible to fix them yourself, even the more advanced Flexaret VI is not beyond the reach of ordinary people to fix it yourself. I had a IV with a non functioning film transport (the film did not stop automatically at the next frame like it should when wound) and while it took me some thinking to figure out what exactly was going wrong I found it out and it was an easy fix. These are build to last.
Thank you so much for your pleasant and informative comment, I really appreciate it. I also bought a Flexaret IV, and like you, my son and I fumbled a bit to set it correctly so that the film transport stops at the next frame. I agree with you that the Flexaret cameras are very fine cameras. Many of them were sold here in Norway. The other day, I was contacted by an old journalist colleague who had bought one in 1960. He sold it fairly soon, but a few years ago he ordered an old camera from Czechoslovakia. For nearly 30 years, I worked with black and white photography in Norwegian newspapers. It's fun to have taken up this form of photography again. There's something very special about black and white pictures. Good luck with your Flexaret cameras and photography!
What a great story/journey! The images look amazing and would be hard to imitate in software. Great job!
Thank you very much!
These Flexarets are extremely undervalued. Quality-wise they compare to Rolleiflex cameras.
Yes, I absolutely agree. A very fascinating and well working camera.
That was my question. Are the lenses sharp, and you just told me they are. Thanks
@@rickrogers728 Yes, as far as we can see, the lenses are in good condition.
How is using this camera at night? I have a Flexaret V it’s too dim to focus well under low lighting conditions. Is this just the case with these types of cameras, or should I consider changing the ground glass?
My experience after many years of black-and-white photography as a journalist, is that focusing with analog cameras in low light is a challenge. I find the Flexaret difficult to focus under certain conditions, even in good light.
I also have a Zeiss Ikon Nettar (ruclips.net/video/BBQgFz8SFuE/видео.html), and with that, I have to measure or estimate the distance when focusing. You can do the same with the Flexaret using the scale.
To photograph at night, you need to use a tripod or place the camera on a completely stable surface, as the shutter speed can be long, sometimes up to several seconds. We must remember that our eyes "adjust" to low light, allowing us to develop what is called night vision. The camera cannot do this. We can equip it with more light-sensitive film (400 ASA and higher), but the price we pay is that the silver grains in the film become coarser.
Esas cámaras son tan preciosas🥺😪 que daría por tener una de esas, lastima que en mi país no venden de esas ya
Sí, estas son cámaras fascinantes, sencillas, pero de muy buena calidad. Todavía funcionan, pero el espejo en el visor es una debilidad cuando envejecen. El espejo tiene un recubrimiento de plata que se deteriora con el tiempo. Compré otra cámara. Reemplacé el espejo original con un espejo de acrílico. Parece funcionar igual de bien. (Traducido del noruego al español con la ayuda de inteligencia artificial.)
@@GuttormEskildNilsen que fascinante amigo, debes sentirte muy feliz por eso, eres muy dichoso al tener esas cámaras, saludos desde El Salvador Centroamérica
If it's film is available , it can capture beautiful B/W photo .
Film is available here in Norway, and I'm sure in other countries too.