Zeiss Ikon Nettar 517/16 + Fuji Acros 100

[miran]

I can't beleive I wasn't even aware of the existence of folder cameras before. I mean I must have seen them but I never considered them as something I would ever own and use. Then a couple of weeks ago I got this humble little Nettar 517/16 camera. It's over 60 years old (this model was apparently produced between 1951 and 1953), it's cosmetically in probably about average condition but works perfectly. No holes, lens is clean, shutter works, everything is just fine.

I already put two rolls of Acros 100 through it and nearly all shots came out great. I made a couple of accidental double exposures (no mechanism to prevent that on the camera), a few are under/over exposed (no metering of course, sunny 16 to the rescue) and one or two are less than perfectly focused (no rangefinder or other focusing aid of any kind, you have to guess the distance) but the photos are for the most part at least acceptable.

The lens is a lowly Novar-Anastigmat 75mm/6.3, a simple triplet, but seems to be very sharp and contrasty at the apertures I used (mostly between f/11 and f/16). The shutter is the simplest Vario type with only three speeds apart from B, namely 1/25s, 1/75s and 1/200s. Mostly I used 1/200s, at 1/75s one or two shots were a little blurry and I daren't use 1/25s without support. This all leaves just a few exposure combinations and basically limits this camera to sunny day outdoor usage.

You get a little more options with 400 ISO film which is next on my list but for the first two rolls I used Fuji Acros 100. Developed in Adonal (Rodinal) 1+100 for 60 minutes @20°C with a couple of inversions at 30 minutes and "scanned" with digital camera. Here a few frames:

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3. Unintentional double exposre but I like the result.


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9. My favourite. A little blurred at full size but looks ok here.


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17. That's me. Badly misfocused but at web size it seems you can get some sharpness back.

[Nesster]

Excellent results, and welcome to the Folding Camera Fools... erm Fanatics... My story is about the same - when I discovered these old things work and are fun and produce good photos, I was hooked. Hooked!

The damn things have one fault: they tend to multiply in the cupboard. Unlike humans, who are brought by a stork, these cameras often travel in boxes to your door, or sometimes they hop a ride home with you in your car.

[Excalibur]

Well I had a folder once and it was so long ago I can't remember if it worked Nice results from yours.

[miran]

[Attila]

Great success, congrats!! I love double exposure best