The unusual suspects: G.B. Kershaw 110.

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Credits: tumbler

This is undoubtably the oldest camera in my possesion.
After just being bitten with the Lomo-bug and already shooting with my then newly acquired Diana F+, I found this on a flea market in Miskolc, Hungary (which is strange, because it’s an English camera), which I visited on a free sunday whilst being there for my work. After checking if all mechanics still worked I informed for the price and for a mere €20 (well, actually it was a couple of thousand Forint ;) ), I decided it was a bargain I could not let pass me by.

Credits: tumbler

The G.B. Kershaw is a camera from the fifties (I believe the first one was build in ‘54) and carries 120 film.
It has a glass lens (sorry, there’s no mention of the lens-size on the camera) that sits at the end of a bellow and folds inside the camera when not in use. The camera itself is made of metal and is actually quite heavy.
The lens pops out by means of a pushbutton on the top of the camera which is located next to the cold shoe flashmount.
At the back of the camera, you can find a red oval-shaped window to look at the film position (filmcount).
Advancing the film happens with a turning knob on top of the camera.
The shutter release button sits on top of the lens and works independently from the filmtransport, thus allowing double, triple, or as many exposures as you would want.
The lens has no focussing mechanism and only two apertures: f11 and f16, selectable with a switch next to the shutter release button.
On the other side of the shutter release button you have a PC-plug for connecting a flash (or of course a PC-to-hotshoe connection).
The camera has got a fixed shutter time (don’t ask me, I have no idea how short/long) but can also be put into bulb-mode by turning the ring that sits around the lens from I to B, thus allowing long exposures.

Credits: tumbler

Because there aren’t many setting to be made, the choice of film speed is very important (seen as you basically only have one stop to vary your takes, being f11 or f16).
The pictures are usually low in contrast, soft focussed and quite hazy, have a very ‘oldskool’ feel to them (logical, since the camera is already 57 years old) and have nice rounded corners, which invite you to leave a dark edge around them when scanning the negatives.

But enough talk: let the images speak for themselves…

Credits: tumbler

written by tumbler on 2011-05-25

One Comment

  1. weleasewoger72
    weleasewoger72 ·

    Good find. This is the best 50's camera I own.