Dacora Daci - Made in Germany in the 1940's

Back to basics. A tram photo, what else.

Unfortunately there has not been that many sunny days and old film cameras with black and white film, im my opinion, give better results in bright conditions. More contrast. But as I am how I am, not patient at all, I took photos although the days were mostly pretty gray and grim and what do you know, 12 frames went by incredibly quickly.

This is one of the tree cameras that I bought from the second hand shop called Mappi Ö a while ago. Altogether the three cameras were 30€ so I guess this one cost me 10 euros.

I love how simple looking and how simple to use the Dacora Daci is. I looks like it's made from a German U-boat, or perhaps it is an accessory that you get when you buy one, I don't know, could be. It's like, you have several options and you can't decide which submarine to buy and there you are, thinking in front of the seller, that should you buy a German U-96 submarine or something else and the seller says: "Aaaaaaand, you also get this aaaamaaaazing Dacora Daci camera with it!" and as you hear that, you immediately know that you want it and say: "Oh! Of course then my choice is the 3,5 million dollar U-boat if I get a Dacora Daci for free with it!"

Could be, could be.

Someone had scratched the letters I and S beside the lever that you use to choose either instant or bulb mode. I understand the need to make the markings but wouldn't it be more fun or perhaps not fun but interesting to just try to remember which is which. That's what I've done with several other cameras. And some day you will se the results. Let's not say they are bad but interesting. Also I never use the word failure in my photos or other work. I use artistic. I leave it up to you to ponder what kind of an image would be something that I'd describe interestingly artistic. Or the other way around. Artistically interesting.

Daci is a medium format box camera made by Dacora and introduced in 1948.

Film 120 roll, picture size 6x6cm
Lens: simple meniscus f/9
Shutter: rotary, one speed 1/40 (instant) and time
Body: metal

https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Dacora_Daci

The camera wasn't all that dusty or dirty, but as it was so easy to dismantle and I thought that the cleaner the better, I decided to wipe it with some alcohol. The usual stuff. I also have my sensor cleaning sticks that are meant for digital cameras but are old and used, they look clean but aren't anymore, so they are really handy in cleaning not so sensitive camera parts. Pretty much anything that you can't do that easy with a regular cloth and thick fingers.

Ilford Delta 100 ISO was my choice for this little beauty.

Again everything went smoothly, which I love. A tiny camera that seems to want to co-operate.

Yes, I know. It's stupid to think that things have a character or feelings but what can I do about that? My cameras have! Some may be a-holes and some are cute little darlings like this one.

Look at that how proud the little thing is with the film it got!

As usual I've done nothing to the photos. Few of them might be better if post-processed but as I want to know what kind of results does this camera and this film give in different conditions, I've left them as they are and I'll show you the photos with all of mine and the cameras flaws in the pictures.

Gray days, no stand needed because I'm stubborn. Bridge, fence, church, dog walkers, double exposure and night lights. Been there done that.

Christmas market. I used a table as a stand.

Sun! light! Snow! OMG OMG OMG OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG! Take a picture quickly before the sun disappears!

Perhaps I should have thought about what I photograph better before taking the picture. But in my defense, my fingers were already frozen but of course you can't see that from the photo. Perhaps next winter I will have to include my fingers to the photos. Though we've all seen how that looks. Instead of grandma Carols head, there's a huge dark shadow that looks like the photographers forefinger.

This is Stephen Kings Dark Tower. We have that. I used a railing as a stand.

When I had almost taken all the 12 pictures, I, after one of my photowalks, noticed that the camera had opened in my bag. It has this quite loose knob that you turn so that the arrow on the knob points to I can't remember which way and it locks the front part to the back part and keeps the film in the dark and then you just trust that it'll stay that way. But it didn't. So the camera had opened in my bag but fortunately I noticed it before taking the camera out of my bag.

The paper on the 120 film spool of course protects the film a bit but it may be that the tiny light leakage that you see on the top right corner of this photo, may be from that accident. I'm happy that it didn't ruin the whole frame so I'll accept this little hiccup with the Daci. But if I ever take photos with it again, I better remember to tape the knob so that it won't turn on it's own.

What did all this cost me?
Dacora Daci: 10€
Ilford Delta 100: 9,50€
Film developing: 17,90€
Film scanning to TIFF: 20€

Best of the worst, the tram photo again.

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_{Film cameras
Balda-Bünde Baldixette
1
Bilora Bella 66
1
Closter C63
1
Cosina Flash 35E
1, 2, 3, 4
Felica
1, 2, 3, 4
Kodak Box 620
1, 2
Kodak Brownie Six-20 Model C
1
Halina Paulette EE II
1
Voigtländer Bessa 66
1
ZIAG Colora F
1}

_{Digital cameras
Sony A6400, 16-50mm
1
Sony A6400, Laowa 25mm f2.8
1
Comparison: Sony A6400, Canon EOS 550D, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P32, Canon PowerShot A550
1, 2}