So would the two early Gen X'ers find that their classic American staple tasted like a finely aged Bourbon or stale beer? Read on to find out!
Camera Models: Minolta Autopak 700 (ca 1966) and GAF Anscomatic 726 (ca 1969)
Similarities: Both are Japanese made 126 format auto-exposure rangefinders of early 1970's vintage with the capability of full manual control.
Differences: The GAF has a higher top speed (1/500) than the Minolta (1/250) and, from limited previous experience, is much more accomodating to use of 35mm film spooled into a 126 cartridge.
Film Shared: Expired Kodak Gold 200-126 expired in January 1992.
It was just last May when I first elected to pick up and use a camera in the favorite format of my mom: none other than 126 cartridge. Though it seemed my initial tries with this film and format encountered more challenges than conquests, I ultimately discovered a new love and respect for this largely forgotten film format, and some of the machines designed to utilize it. With cameras in 126 format available for next to nothing, I snapped up a small sampling of various "Instamatic" type cameras to get a better feel of all that the 126 format once was.
Amid this spree, I picked up a Minolta Autopak 700 and a GAF Anscomatic 726 to see how they compared to the Kodak Instamatic cameras in the 700 and 800 series that I was quickly becoming enchanted by. Both of these seemed to have a full feature set that was comparable to the typical 35mm Japanese rangefinder cameras of the same period, something lacking in the quirky Kodak versions.
In these pickups, I hoped to find a suitable alternative to the Kodak's that married the best features of these cameras into a single body, in particular, the ease of rangefinder assisted focusing, and a manual stroke advance that was receptive to using 135 stock in the 126 cartridges. The addition of full manual controls would make the perfect trifecta of features that could make either of these models perfect to allow the use of film speeds not really possible in the Kodak models. For this experiment, I'm using a scarce roll of original 126 film, a cartridge of Kodak Gold that expired in early 1992, the scarcity of which offers a good justification for splitting between two cameras.
The Minolta Autopak 700 is a compact rangefinder camera that is apparently built upon the same platform as the Minolta Rapid 24, which is a similarly square format 35mm camera using rapid cassettes. The 700 offers a reasonably fast f/2.8 lens, shutter speeds from 1/30 to 1/250 including B, and an automatic mode that selected shutter and aperture based upon light conditions detected by the meter.
The GAF Anscomatic 726 is a Petri-made product branded under GAF that seems at initial glance to be a distinct product of its own merit, and not a rebadge of an existing Petri product. It too sports a modestly fast f/2.8 lens, and the availability of a shutter priority automatic mode, but it benefits from a faster top speed of 1/500.
Both cameras are fairly commonly found for sale on sites familiar to vintage camera collectors, and typically can be had for about $10, though the Minolta seems to have better brand-esteem than either GAF or Petri, so it seems more is written online about the Autopak than the Anscomatic, based on its name recognition.
Minolta Autopak 700
Just a few clues are evident at first front glance that this is NOT a 35mm rangefinder.
At first glance, the Minolta Autopak 700 can easily be mistaken for a 35mm rangefinder, but at closer look, telling clues become evident, from the square viewfinder and wider focal length of the lens on the front to the cartridge based back.
The availability of manual aperture and shutter speed settings were the main drawing points of the Autopak 700 for me. As I looked about the marketplace for the various offerings of 126 format cameras, the full manual operation of the Autopak 700 and its affordable price was certainly a bonus. I looked forward to seeing if this could be a great alternative to the aforementioned (and rarely seen) Rapid 24 that I could use to shoot square format 35mm shots on any film stock when spooled into a recycled 126 cartridge.
However, this model and I got off on a bad start. The first example, picked up for about $15 online, would not advance film when the door was shut. I had written the model off as a loss, when I was lucky enough to see one on an auction listing in tandem with an Instamatic 800 I already wanted. Fortunately, the advance on this camera dropped into place properly on closing the door, and I thought I was in business to shoot respooled 135 film. Until I got to my second shot. The film advance moved forward and the shutter wouldn't fire unless I opened the back and re-set the pin. I managed another shot or two on the camera before giving up on the folly, electing to use it simply as a vessel for the occasional cartridge of true 126 film I might happen across, of which this would be its first.
A look at the top of the Autopak 700 reveals my least favorite aspect of it, the offsetting display scales and use of tabs to adjust them. Distance scale is actually on the underside of the barrel. Note the EV scale window that correlates with the right side of the bright rangefinder with a clear contrast patch.
Unfortunately, even with a true 126 cartridge, the shooting experience from the Autopak 700 left something to be desired. This seems to be a camera intended to be set to Auto, as adjusting manual controls on it is arduous at best, particularly for anyone who is used to shooting a 35mm fixed lens rangefinder of similar vintage. As while all of the settings such as aperture, shutter speed, and focal distance are set on the lens barrel, most require using inconveniently located tabs to adjust, resulting in a shooting experience that hardly feels intuitive. And while I'm sure that the typical buyer of this camera at the time simply got used to it after shooting cartridge after cartridge of 126 film, I find its odd layout to be a challenge to adapt to under occasional use, after having shot so many other cameras that stay closer to a uniform layout. I also notice that the film door on this model tends to have a fair amount of play, suggesting some concessions in build quality. However, I had little to no issues in seeing the rangefinder patch, which, once I figured out the focusing tab on the bottom of the lens barrel, made for rather easy work of focusing subjects.
When the 126 format negatives of this long expired Kodak Gold film returned from the photofinisher, I was pleased to see a remarkable amount of definition, detail, and contrast in them, indicating that they would have no issue on scanning. Sure enough, the results from the roll that began to emerge in the scanning process indicated that not only had the film aged remarkably well, but also that this camera took full advantage of it to produce photos indicative of its capabilities.
Gallery:
Taking a backlit photo on 25 year old film for my first shot in the Autopak was likely a terrible idea in hindsight, but damn if this camera didn't perform admirably given the conditions. A sharp rendition and surprisingly good color and contrast are present in the inaugural snap on true 126 film for this camera.
Some bluish shifting was evident in shadowy scenes, but the results are still pretty incredible. Despite a fairly wide aperture, the sharpness in the plants in the outcropping is impressive.
At the nearer end of the focal range, I snapped this image in golden hour light, resulting in a shockingly good rendition. The bokeh on this image has some swirl and shows the diamond shape of the aperture opening.
Jaw Dropper. This is film that expired before Justin Beiber was born, and without any post processing enhancements, put forth this phenomenal result that looks more like a color slide than a scan from a negative. The Autopak masterfully eeked out every bit of fidelity in this film for an amazing result!
And oddly, for a follow up image taken moments later, there is a slight red shift to the result. Still, quite good though.
Had I known that this film was so well preserved, I'd have likely spent it on more vivid scenes than this, but still, the Autopak worked well in this setting as well.
Afternoon shadows and low sun cast a start look on this scene, which was easy picking for the Autopak 700.
One final close up scene that mirrors one done in Dutch Date #3 shows a rather interesting case where the smaller format 110 camera offered better background muting than this 126 camera, despite similar exposure settings. A little hint of light leak is evident in this image alone, though it may have resulted during the attempted dark room transfer of the film cartridge to the Anscomatic.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
GAF Anscomatic 726
The "26" suffix to the model number, square rangefinder patch and viewfinder window, and front mounted shutter releases are the few telltale clues that the GAF Anscomatic 726 is something other than a 35mm rangefinder.
Just as with the Minolta, the GAF Anscomatic 726 certainly favors a Japanese 35mm rangefinder in appearance as well. Given that it is made by Petri, this should come as little surprise. Most of the tell tale signs of being a 126 format camera also stem from the peculiarities of that format, including the rear film cassette door and the flash cube mount atop the camera.
My interest in this camera sprang from an antique store stop, in which I discovered an example of an Anscomatic 626, sister model to this camera which lacks the rangefinder assistance for focusing. I was quite impressed by this camera, though it showed signs of a tough life, with a bad ding in the lens ring, and a rear door that simply would not latch. A glance online led me to discover the 726, also available at a very modest price, and expecting the camera should be an improvement on the 626 that I came away with a favorable impression of, I opted to add it to my collection. Fortunately, the Anscomatic 726 didn't try to reinvent the wheel in its design. The ring arrangement atop the camera with the its trifecta of settings aligning to a center indicator, is in line with the vast majority of 1960's rangefinder cameras, and will look instantly familiar to anyone who has used these types of cameras previously. Though the two toned black and silver camera may use a plastic material instead of a leatherette for its finishing, the camera feels particularly well made, with the entire camera having the perfect amount of heft for its size, and the metal finishings feeling particularly well secured.
It was actually difficult to find something I didn't like about this camera, but I did find the brightness of the rangefinder patch to be on the marginal side. Another slow shutter speed slower than 1/30 might have been nice as well, but these speeds were becoming increasingly less common on many rangefinder models as it was, in order to keep costs down and shutter mechanisms less complex. As such, the overall feature set of the Anscomatic 726 is one that seems of equivalent capability as most comparable 135 format cameras of the era.
The display and alignment of all settings to the top of the lens barrel on the Anscomatic 726 is a welcome difference from the arrangement on the Autopak 700. Clear and easy to read markings make the difference. Rather than use an EV system, the 726 uses basic settings, which are suggested in the easy to see viewfinder with its equally nice rangefinder patch.
Using the Anscomatic 726 was a very enjoyable experience. While the rangefinder brightness did make focusing on some closer foliage a challenge, the majority of my shots were smooth as silk. Settings were able to readily adjusted on the fly, focus was supple and smooth, and the shutter release and film advance all worked with satisfying precision, seeming to defy the notion of this being a camera that was made half a century ago. Having the 1/500 shutter speed was a welcome plus that allowed me to open up the lens a bit more than I could when using the Minolta.
Just as with the negatives shot with the Autopak, I could see that shots 13-24 on the roll of Kodak Gold seemed to look just as good. In my scan, I realized I hadn't varied the compositions as much on this part of the roll, but what was shot was quite pleasing, and the scans bore this out.
Gallery:
A bit of internal haze in the GAF's lenses presents a more dreamy look than that of the Autopak 700. A similar diamond shaped bokeh is evident in the backdrop.
A wider scene shot of the same location shows the slightly softer rendition to a great degree. Still a wonderful result.
Focus on the Anscomatic was pretty much spot on, and colors, while seemingly not as vibrant as those taken on the Minolta, still portray beautifully.
One enemy of the Anscomatic was flare, which did not render well in this snapshot of some of the nearby cows.
In this instance, the near branches were very well isolated from the muted backdrop, to which a very pleasant swirl is evident.
Having a bulb mode with full control of aperture is a great feature on both of these cameras. The GAF's settings were easy to use and delivered a lovely result here.
Managing to capture this image as both Autumn and daylight rapidly descended into cold winter darkness, I got a generally good result, with a hint of banding and flare near the top of the frame.
One final capture, taken wide open (note the circular bokeh pattern) and at closest focus, rendered a somewhat grainy, but still pleasant and dreamy result from the Anscomatic 726.
Thoughts:
After focusing on the usage of the cameras, and hoping that the film would carry decent images, the true Wow factor from this roll came more from the remarkable vibrance present in the images across the roll. It really was as if this cartridge of film had passed through a time warp.
When that elation subsided, I realized that I had two very capable cameras at my disposal that could put forth some exceptional images. Despite being very similar in specification, both cameras were quite distinct in their usage as well as the qualities of their rendered images on film.
The Minolta put forth a often blistering sharpness combined with an amazing color rendition. The GAF offered a softer color rendition and a nicer swirl the bokeh in its images. Of the two, GAF was certainly the easier of the two to use, giving it the slight edge over the Minolta if I were pressed to pick a favorite.
But the GAF Anscomatic 726 will likely never see another cartridge full of 126 film, while the Minolta Autopak 700 almost certainly will. This is by no means a damnation of the camera - quite the opposite. With supplies of decent 126 film being especially finite, and with the GAF being so especially tolerant of respooled 135 film in its chambers, the GAF will likely be treated to more usage with fresher film stocks while the Autopak will make it out here and there when I have an original 126 cartridge that I can supply this picky camera.
You are a very talented camera guy!. You really know ur stuff! And very well versed! Interesting read!
ReplyDelete