Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/01/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]There were quite a few Robots at flea markets here in Germany some years ago. Most of them came from the surplus sale of the then dissolved East German Secret Police (Stasi for short = Staatssicherheit etc = State security) equipment. There were models with mufflers, special lenses you name it. Higher prices were asked for those with a story like 'this is the one use to photograph (insert name of West German state official) making love to one of the girls hired by Stasi for the occasion. I think the girls got medals if the shots were good. >In a message dated 25-01-00 03:13:13 GMT Standard Time, >mrabiner@concentric.net writes: > ><< I always wanted a square format 35mm camera with one of those crazy > rotational shutters! >> > >Mark > >I bought one at a street market on a bridge in Paris a couple of years ago. >As a boy I went to a church fete and, believe it or not, the guy doing the >official photographs had one and I was fascinated. I forget how old I was but >probably eight or nine. He showed me the wind-up motor and let me tag along >whilst he did some of the photographs. It was him who got me hooked on >photography, and when I was 14 I finally managed to persuade my mother (widow >and poor) to buy me a camera (alas a Kodak 44A) for my birthday. > >That was 40 years and a lot of film ago. When I saw the camera I just >couldn't resist but I have never used it and it sits in a cabinet. Yes, it >has a clockwork motor drive and takes 24mm x 24mm (about 1") square images, >but you forgot to mention the built-in right angle finder activated by a >little slide on the top that moves a small mirror or prism in the viewfinder. > >Happy days! > >Gerry >Gerry Walden (UK)