Every film photographer looks to the box camera with a mixture of respect, for the people who used them, trepidation, to try to use one on their own and curiosity for how the images would come out. I forget who said it but I have recently heard a quote which said that there would be more Cartier-Bresson's in this world if more people began learning photography on a box camera.
The argument is a simple one, if you can pick up one of the simplest cameras ever made, understand its shortcomings (many) appreciate its strengths (few) then you will have stripped away as much technical sophistication to get you down to pure, simple, straight photography. I seriously doubt that putting a box camera in the hands of a small child will make them a Cartier-Bresson but I am convinced that they would look at photography and perhaps their world significantly differently.
To understand the Kodak cameras of the 1950's and '60s you must realize that Kodak made film. This is where they made their money. Cameras were expensive items at a time when few people had disposable income to be spending on photography. They had made great strides in film quality but the market just was not sufficient to fulfill their ambition. In true corporate brilliance they solved the problem by making cheap cameras. They had no intention of making money from the sale of cameras but wanted more people to be buying film.
The Kodak lines of cameras during this period were built with a careful eye on cost. They needed to be able to sell a camera for the least amount of money possible. The Brownie line was intended to be this entry level camera and it began in 1900 with the first Brownie. Some would argue it is the most important camera ever made simply because it took photography to the masses. I would say that there are plenty of important cameras that altered the art of photography and I am sure this one plays a vital role in that.
The Brownie Flash II was made from 1957 through to 1960 with my version coming from the factory in London. It is made from a metal body with leatherette covering, a single meniscus lens, a BULB option, two bright viewfinders (for vertical and horizontal shooting), a close up lens and a contact for a flash unit. This was far better build quality than many other box cameras which is why I chose this one to try and use.
The Close Up lens is a lever which slides another lens behind the main meniscus lens. The standard lens was set at a focus point of infinity, which with the f/11 aperture meant that everything from 10 feet out to infinity was in focus. Pulling in the close up focus lens allowed you to focus between 5 and 10 feet. This little add one helps make this a bit more sophisticated than most box cameras.
The shutter is a simple spring button that cocks and releases the shutter. It fires anywhere from 1/30 sec to 1/60 sec. I measured mine to be around 1/55 sec or so. It is amazingly consistent in the firing for it to be such a simple mechanism. Obviously the advance wheel is a manual one and you keep turning until you see the film count change looking in the back of the camera.
The camera takes 8 shots on a 120 roll. There are two things to keep in mind when using a Brownie and that is:
1. There is no shutter cocking system. Pushing the shutter release cocks and releases the shutter. This means if the shutter button is pushed while in your bag an image will be taken. To help with this I cover the lens with a light tight cover. This way if it does accidentally fire it will not capture an image.
2. You need to fall into a pattern when using it. I advance the film then fire. So each time I pull out the camera the first thing I need to do is to advance the film. I tape on the instructions "Advance then Fire". If you forget you will either have a double exposure or a blank image.
The argument is a simple one, if you can pick up one of the simplest cameras ever made, understand its shortcomings (many) appreciate its strengths (few) then you will have stripped away as much technical sophistication to get you down to pure, simple, straight photography. I seriously doubt that putting a box camera in the hands of a small child will make them a Cartier-Bresson but I am convinced that they would look at photography and perhaps their world significantly differently.
To understand the Kodak cameras of the 1950's and '60s you must realize that Kodak made film. This is where they made their money. Cameras were expensive items at a time when few people had disposable income to be spending on photography. They had made great strides in film quality but the market just was not sufficient to fulfill their ambition. In true corporate brilliance they solved the problem by making cheap cameras. They had no intention of making money from the sale of cameras but wanted more people to be buying film.
The Kodak lines of cameras during this period were built with a careful eye on cost. They needed to be able to sell a camera for the least amount of money possible. The Brownie line was intended to be this entry level camera and it began in 1900 with the first Brownie. Some would argue it is the most important camera ever made simply because it took photography to the masses. I would say that there are plenty of important cameras that altered the art of photography and I am sure this one plays a vital role in that.
The Brownie Flash II was made from 1957 through to 1960 with my version coming from the factory in London. It is made from a metal body with leatherette covering, a single meniscus lens, a BULB option, two bright viewfinders (for vertical and horizontal shooting), a close up lens and a contact for a flash unit. This was far better build quality than many other box cameras which is why I chose this one to try and use.
The Close Up lens is a lever which slides another lens behind the main meniscus lens. The standard lens was set at a focus point of infinity, which with the f/11 aperture meant that everything from 10 feet out to infinity was in focus. Pulling in the close up focus lens allowed you to focus between 5 and 10 feet. This little add one helps make this a bit more sophisticated than most box cameras.
The shutter is a simple spring button that cocks and releases the shutter. It fires anywhere from 1/30 sec to 1/60 sec. I measured mine to be around 1/55 sec or so. It is amazingly consistent in the firing for it to be such a simple mechanism. Obviously the advance wheel is a manual one and you keep turning until you see the film count change looking in the back of the camera.
The camera takes 8 shots on a 120 roll. There are two things to keep in mind when using a Brownie and that is:
1. There is no shutter cocking system. Pushing the shutter release cocks and releases the shutter. This means if the shutter button is pushed while in your bag an image will be taken. To help with this I cover the lens with a light tight cover. This way if it does accidentally fire it will not capture an image.
2. You need to fall into a pattern when using it. I advance the film then fire. So each time I pull out the camera the first thing I need to do is to advance the film. I tape on the instructions "Advance then Fire". If you forget you will either have a double exposure or a blank image.
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To the left are the shooting instructions. Six simple steps to get images. You can see that the "light metering" suggested was simple...be in sunlight, between an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset. That is it.
Forget aperture, shutter speed and even film ISO (not too many options back then). Just be sure you are in daylight. Film and development was cheap enough that if you lost a frame or two no one would mind. This is what I mean by uncomplicated photography. The focus of the photographer is on the subject, the small aperture means that everything is in focus so all you really have to play with is composition. This uncluttered approach to photography is mesmerizingly attractive and it is the reason that film photographers keep coming back to the box camera. It strips away all control except for the direction you point the thing in. Everything else is handled through a mixture of chemistry and luck. |
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The Good:
It is a piece of history and something you can buy very cheap. Once you overcome the fear of doing something wrong, you do not have enough control to do too much wrong, then it is a joy to use. Light, robust and simple. The Bad: It uses 620 film which is not longer made. You can try loading in 120 film or re-spool the 120 film into a 620 spool. It is the same film just the 620 has a smaller spool (see video links below). You can no creative control beyond composition which is why the camera is interesting. The shortcomings, no adjustment in shutter speed or aperture must be overcome with ingenuity or creative flexibility. |
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Overall:
If you are going to buy this camera it is not because you need a camera to capture life's moments. You will get this because you want to know what one feels like, how it shoots and what it can teach you about your hobby. Is it worth it....most definitely! My suggestion is to buy three rolls of film (about 15GBP) pick up a Brownie Flash II (about 10GBP) and assume the first few images will be lost. Once you can fire a roll without missing a single exposure, you have mastered it and can move on grasshopper. If you like you can then sell your Brownie to the next photographer and so continue the tradition, or put it on your wall as a reminder of the simpler times. |
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Price & Value:
You will not be able to get something cheaper. In terms of history there are few things of this age that continue to work as well. It is a box camera that is better made than most. This ensures that you will not be struggling with limitations of age but just camera design. The quality of the lens is very basic so you will not get sharp images. This is more of a throwback to the pictorialist efforts, where soft focus, play on light and basic scene manipulation are the rules. I would not spend more than 15GBP for one in good shape. There is not much that can go wrong. I originally tried to get some older Brownies but they are aged beyond useful life. This one is better made and stands the test of time better. |
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Good Information:
This website is all you need on Brownie cameras HERE.
Here is the video of Chuck re-spooling film HERE.
See Flickr HERE.
This website is all you need on Brownie cameras HERE.
Here is the video of Chuck re-spooling film HERE.
See Flickr HERE.
