PDA

View Full Version : 1955 Sears Camera Catalogue



D'z Nutz
03-27-2009, 11:44 PM
A member on another forum scanned these in and thought it was pretty neat.

Part 1 (http://www.codehappy.com/transfers/SearsCameraCatalog1955part1.pdf)
Part 2 (http://www.codehappy.com/transfers/SearsCameraCatalog1955part2.pdf)
Part 3 (http://www.codehappy.com/transfers/SearsCameraCatalog1955part3.pdf)
Part 4 (http://www.codehappy.com/transfers/SearsCameraCatalog1955part4.pdf)

(Note: $1 in 1955 = $7.92 in 2009)

Melinda
03-27-2009, 11:56 PM
Haha that is cool!

BerserkerCatSplat
03-27-2009, 11:57 PM
Hey, D, is that your Argus I spotted in there? :D

Edit: I take that back, I think I saw all your Arguses in there, haha!

It's really interesting to see how 35mm cameras were considered a "miniature" format when 4X5 and MF were standard film sizes - oh, to be able to buy 4X5 ortho film for $2.50 today...

TYMSMNY
03-28-2009, 12:10 AM
even with the conversion... it's still cheap!

Would be kind of neat to have one of these.

D'z Nutz
03-28-2009, 12:28 AM
Originally posted by BerserkerCatSplat
Hey, D, is that your Argus I spotted in there? :D

Edit: I take that back, I think I saw all your Arguses in there, haha!

It's really interesting to see how 35mm cameras were considered a "miniature" format when 4X5 and MF were standard film sizes - oh, to be able to buy 4X5 ortho film for $2.50 today...

Haha yeah, they're in there :D

I think 8x10 was also one of the standard sizes too (think contact prints). 35mm didn't really pick up until Leica and Argus came into the picture (no pun intended). Everyone wanted a Leica, but most couldn't afford it. They settled with the Argus C3 and they sold for 30+ years. Because of that, that pretty much made 35mm the standard format.


Originally posted by TYMSMNY
even with the conversion... it's still cheap!

Would be kind of neat to have one of these.

eBay. Most of them still work too :)


I didn't even know Kodak made lenses for the Hasselblad. I read up on it after seeing the ad and apparently those Kodak Ektar Hasselblad lenses are sort of collectors' items now.

BerserkerCatSplat
03-28-2009, 12:36 AM
Originally posted by D'z Nutz


I think 8x10 was also one of the standard sizes too (think contact prints).

Yeah, but I suspect the 8X10 views were more targeted as studio cameras rather than the size your average shooter might use, while someone having a Speed Graphic or Graphic View 4X5 wouldn't have been uncommon.