Holy Grail (The miniature version)

The Compass Camera was manufactured by the Swiss watch-makers Le Coultre et Cie for the Compass Cameras Ltd., based in London. It was conceived and designed by Noel Pemberton Billing, an airman and Member of Parliament. The camera was launched in March 1937, and it was at least available in London until 1941.

‘Compass: the embodiment of scientific system in miniature cameras. Built like a watch – as simple to use.’
- Advertisement, 1938

It's here

The best 50mm on the planet: the Summicron f2.

What to have (V)

A Peterson Hudson. A reinvented classic, a slightly bent bulldog I fell in love with.

What to have (IV)

A 1953 De Soto Adventurer

What to have (III)

 No, seriously, this is a pipe, made by the best Romanian pipe maker out there - Rolando Negoita.  

Atelier 7, from the Art Deco series.

What to have (II)

A wonderful, oversized rusticated Moretti pipe.

What to have (I)

Pereche de pipe Peterson din perioada pre republicana (1906, ca sa fim mai exacti). 

Holy Grail (The cut throat edition)

"...Wilkinson-Latham contacted Charles Rose, head of the experimental workshop at Wilkinson Sword Company's factory in Southfield Road, Acton, London W3. He charged Rose, and the firm's foreman   grinder, Mr. Martin, with the task of producing three prototype Fairbairn-Sykes knives.

Of these three prototypes, one is known to survive. Fairbairn kept it with him until the day of his death. From 1942 to 1960, he carried it in an OSS All-Ways scabbard. This scabbard, known among OSS trainees as the "pancake flapper," was designed by Fairbairn for the OSS and manufactured in the United States.

Wishing to spare the collector the nuisance of counterfeits, we will omit giving a detailed description of this prototype, save to say that it has distinctive features in common with the other two prototypes.

Of the two remaining specimens, one was presented to Sykes and is presumed lost. The other was retained by the factory. It was, in time, given to Wilkinson-Latham's grandson, Robert, when the latter was eleven years old. A year later, Robert traded it to a school chum for a bayonet. We may set our fancy to work, and imagine this unique specimen resting in the collection of some fortunate, although unknowing, knife collector."

Holy Grail (The too late edition)

Lot #821: James Dean's Rolleiflex Camera, Tripod and Case Circa 1954

"This was James Dean's Rolleiflex camera, tripod and case that was given to him by his close friend and photography instructor Roy Schatt while he was learning photography. The famed photographer, responsible for the iconic photographs he took of Dean in 1954, including the "Torn Sweater" series, was Dean's friend and teacher in the last year and a half of Dean's life. At that time Schatt loaned this camera equipment to Dean and he can be seen with the camera here in one of Schatt's famous shots of Dean at the Dakota in New York City. Walking with Schatt and actor/friend Martin Landau, Dean jumped over a rail in front of the Dakota and Roy took this photograph of Dean photographing them. These images and details of the close friendship between Schatt and Dean can be found in Schatt's famed book "James Dean, A Portrait" which accompanies this lot. The camera and accessories come from Roy Schatt's family and a letter from the family accompanies this lot."

Estimate:                                                              $6,000-$8,000
Minimum Bid:                                                    $1,000
Final Bid (Includes Buyers Premium):     $5,026.80
Number of bids:                                                 5
Ended:                                                                  10.16.2010

Well, too late.

On the M6 TTL dial

The great Italian designer, Alessi, said that the Leica M camera body is one of the few designs of the 20th century which he thought was so perfect he would never try to change.

Well, I can tell you right now, he never used the damn thing. If he did, he would definitely change the shutter speed dial (among other things).

The M6 TTL dial is suppose to be, let's quote Leica on that,"... ergonomically perfect: it is easy to use and can be operated with the camera held to one eye.". I beg to differ. First, it's hard to get with the camera held to one eye. Second, I would say that "buttery smooth" is not an accurate description of its action. I don't know, maybe the butter I get uses a different recipe - I would say that one finger, thumb or index easy action could qualify for this description, but this is not the case.  I understand both aesthetics and the need to protect the dial from accidental tripping, but I would gladly trade putting a supplementary on/off  switch for the meter (it could be easily accommodated on the battery cover compartment, that could become an on / off switch itself) over the need of having a 1 mm bigger, a little bit forward moved, onward protruding dial that will make index operation a breeze. 

I bet that having a 1 mm rubberized grip on it will definitely improve the ergonomics of the design. Also, it wouldn't hurt to have a smoother action, but unfortunately this is not for me to tackle with.

So, this is it. I have a new project to play with. 

Holy Grail

"1949 -50 TSVVS - A remarkable camera taking the Contax bayonet mount and Leica body to produce a hybrid camera. Produced in very small numbers for presentation to senior officers in the Topographic Service of the army air force known as the TSVVS. A much modified Fed with brass body rather than aluminium fitted with a genuine Contax bayonet mount Carl Zeiss Sonnar f1.5 or f2 50mm lens taken as spoils of war from the Zeiss factory at Jena. Again a lot of fakes in circulation. The true origin of the TSVVS camera is still unknown. Two major circulating theories are that the camera has either been manufactured at Moscow's Almaz factory or it had been ordered for manufacture by the Soviets from East Germany (possibly Zeiss, but it is also not confirmed). This camera is probably the most mysterious in nature out of all Soviet cameras. An old belief that this camera was made by FED factory is disputed by the fact that the body is wholly made out of brass and it is different dimensions physically than the FED-1 cameras..."

Holy Grail

Especially for the North American market, a special edition of the Rollei C 35 with an artificial leather covering in traffic-red, yellow-orange, deer-brown, steel-blue and white was produced, counting 100 items for each color. But as these test samples did not cause much interest, they were not quoted in any price list.

Fumer, c'est mourir un peu

Daca vreti sa ma faceti fericit, iata o reteta simpla: pe 30 noiembrie mergeti la vila Marcel Dessault cam pe la opt seara - o sa o recunoasteti usor, nu sunt multe stabilimente pe Champs Elysees cu un avion de vanatoare Mirage in curte - da' dupa ce iesiti de la retrospectiva Monet de la Grand Palais, ca altfel e pacat de dupa-amiaza de dinainte. Intrati la Dorotheum si licitati pentru obiectul de mai sus. Dupa care il impachetati frumos, ma sunati si imi spuneti ca aveti o surpriza pentru mine. Pai cum de ce? Pentru ca dupa ce o sa dati un milion si jumate pe un "Sarut" licitat in acelasi lot, cei cinci mii de euro pentru pipa asta cioplita in joaca de Brancusi  o sa vi se para peanuts money. Practic e contravaloarea pontului.

E, acum o sa se vada cati miliardari seriosi si iubitori de tara imi citesc blogul. Domnule Vantu, this is a huge PR opportunity: repatriati o opera de arta, o sa va iubeasca toate femeile din Gorj!

Holy Grail

The Leica 250 Reporter is a body variant of the Leica screw mount rangefinder. It was designed to take bulk film by rolls of 10 metres, allowing 250 exposures. The film was charged in special film cassettes (code KOOBF).

Two prototypes Leica 250 DD were made based on the Leica II. According to Luigi Crescenzi in Classic Camera issue 19, s/n 114051 was later modified to a 250 GG and s/n 114052 still exists (in chrome finish).

The Leica 250 FF was based on the Leica III, with slow speeds, and the Leica 250 GG on the Leica IIIa, with 1/1000 top speed. Most were black but some existed in chrome. Less than 1,000 were made. There were many small variations: some had no slow speeds (see here for example), some were coupled to a motor drive. Fake Leica 250 Reporter are known to exist.

Independent craftsmen have modified ordinary Leica cameras to load bulk film. The work can vary from crude to excellent, but these are not Leica 250 Reporter.

Holy Grail (the somehow sinister edition)

"Two climbers, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, lost on Everest in 1924, may have been the first to reach the summit. Another member of the expedition has been quoted as saying that he had loaned his Kodak VPK camera to Mallory as they passed each other on the north ridge. There are and extensive efforts underway using current technology to locate Irvine's body and perhaps, the camera."

Holy Grail (the camera that came from the cold)

The FED 'Siberia' is a standard FED, modified with large nobs to enable it to be used whilst wearing gloves.

The authenticity of this camera is sometimes questioned. Because counterfeiting is rife in Russia any really rare FED such as the Siberia, TSVVS and the FED-V must be assumed to be a fake. The FED S is more likely to be real because to fake one you need a rare lens and a body with 1000 speed. The price that could be realized for a FED S will not cover the effort to fake one,The Zorki red banner of Labor, the Siberia and Yura must also be assumed to be a fake. Even an expert can only verify that it may be original. Some items such as the FED Stalinets and Stemar copy are known to all be fakes.

In many cases even an expert can only say "this appears to be original" because only 1 or 2 of the model have been seen.

Holy Grail

"... as for the Maxim, last of the Corfield 35 mm cameras, a mere six prototypes were produced, of which only one is still known to be in existence."

Buy me two

The winner of The Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building: The Rambler, made by Cook Custom Choppers. 21-inch wheels, an air-cooled 550cc four-cylinder engine and a modified BMW gearbox and shaft drive.

Despre mestesugari

Intrand week end ul asta la Green Hours, am realizat brusc ce ma sacaia in legatura cu targurile de hand made de prin Bucuresti: people, you got it all wrong. You don't struggle for perfection. You show no craftmanship. You have no self respect.

Lucrurile pe care le faceti arata ca si cum ati lucra pe banda rulanta, in graba, lipind cu putin clei idei de mana a doua. Pana una alta, cunosc doar trei mestesugari romani care isi merita numele: Lola, Monica Paduret si Ana Ponta.

A, ar mai si Rolando Negoita, doar ca daca te uiti la price tag, intelegi ca el are chiar foarte mult respect fata de sine.

Ceea ce e bine.

Holy Grail

"... There was even a Start-​3 pro­to­type, about which we know next to noth­ing. Ap­par­ent­ly it was sold on the black mar­ket, and can now be had for an as­tro­nom­i­cal price at the Leica Shop Wien..."