Forgotten Camera: Anne-Lise Karam-Choueiri

Hello,
First time I enter this contest that I think is really cool.

I think it's great to try to uncover old cameras from dust. I just got a Nikonos II, didn't have time to test it; maybe next year I'll use it for the contest.

The camera I used is an Agfa Isobox 45 that was built in Germany in 1940. It's a very simple camera, no aperture to chose, no speed to control. Basically you can't control anything. It takes 120 film rolls. I had to test it because as I can't control aperture and don't know what its set aperture is, my first films didn't really work. I now use FP4 125 films, that I pull by 25 to 30%. It's great in practice.

Hope you like it and like the photo I took with it.

P.S. The source of the image of the box (the camera) is www.collection-appareils.fr. Thanks a lot.

Anne-Lise Karam-Choueiri
Ottowa, Canada

Comments

[John Robison]

Alright Anne-Lise, now you gone and done it. After seeing this picture I had to go look at the box camera sitting on my camera shelf. It's a Tower (Sears house brand) that shoots 120 for eight 6X9 exposures. Mine's marked f11 and the everset shutter looks like about 1/30. The strap is marked *made in western germany* so it might even be made by Agfa. Now I've got to feed it a roll of 120, see what you started Mike?

[Stephen Gillette]

I like this shot quite a bit. For me, this image evokes a feeling for the emotional quality of light itself. Anne-Lisa has used her uncomplicated, 68-year-old camera in a patient, inquiring way, to great effect. Bravo!

[latent_image]

Anne-Lise, I think this photo is super!

[eugene chok]

WHAT THE

I have one of these...any idea where I can get a replacement spool? I've got a box Brownie one and it doesn't fit. :(

The image looks sweet and it really makes me want to shoot with it too....

[Dan Bullock]

Very good photo...a perfect example of using the tools at hand, and the vision of the photographer, to create a great image. Thanks, Anne-Lise!

[Henry Rogers]

That's a lovely picture, Anne-Lise.

[charlie d]

Impressive photograph.

[Roy]

Very nice, first thoughts were of Bill Brandt's beachscapes.

[anne-lise]

reply to eugene chok.
hello, thanks for you comment...
for the spool, i got ripped off when i bought the camera coz i realised after that you only need to use a 120 film, develop it and keep the spool that's in the film. so you can ask someone who uses 120 films to give you the spool. i paid mine 5 euros, i was so mad...anyways you might want to check that your camera uses 120 films and not 620, there are two sizes of films for two sizes of spools. so if your brownie spool doesn't fit, it might be because it's a 620 one...
take care, annelise

[Joseph el Khoury]

... Just to say that i'm proud of you little sis!
The pic is impressive!

[Mani Sitaraman]

"I had to test it because as I can't control aperture and don't know what its set aperture is,"

I have a slightly later version (1950s) of the same camera, an Agfa Synchrobox. You do have a rudimentary aperture control mechanism. Pull out the chrome tab (it may take some effort if it hasn't been used for a long time) on the right side of the box. That should slide a smaller aperture for "bright sunny days" into the lens axis, if my guess is correct and your camera functions like mine. It may also slide a yellow filter into place if pulled out halfway.

Good luck, do let us know if the feature exists or was useful. These cameras were basically designed for 50 or 100 asa film, the high speed emulsion of the 1940s. And to think, nowadays we whine about digital noise at ISO 3200.

[anne-lise]

Reply to Mani Sitaraman.
Wow great, thanks a lot, i knew i had the yellow filter, on my camera it's actually yhe smaller aperture halfway and the filter if you pull all the way...so now all i have to do is test.
thanks a lot for the tip.
do you use your camera?have you tried portraits with it?
thanks again