What is that?

[fredjeang]

I found this wired device on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/Koni-Rapid-Omega-200-Medium-Fmt-6x7-Camera-Excellent_W0QQitemZ150527964670QQcategoryZ710QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D270669843815%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D5466613755376551019

http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Koni-Omega



Curious, I found this: http://www.mir.com.my/michaeliu/michaeliu/medformat/konireview.html

http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/index-frameset.html?KoniOmegaRapidM.html~mainFrame

[narikin]

I remember this type of camera, it used something called 'FILM' which was made by boiling up cows bones to make 'Gelatin' which was coated with silver salts to make a light sensitive flexible material that went through the camera, and then developed in chemical baths, washed and dried.  Seems unbelievable, I know, but apparently its true.

seriously: look up 'Omegaflex' that was the TLR version of the Koni Omega, much more interesting and unusual camera. harder to find though.

[fredjeang]

What I found special about this camera I ignored is that this is a 6x7 rangefinder with a singular arquitecture and it caught my attention. It really looks interesting. Don't know if there are here some users.
It seems truly usable as a walk-arround camera and apparently, optics are damn sharp.

[byarvin]

Fred:

I don't post here very often, but I've got a bit of experience with these cameras.

I found that they were so solid that they invited abuse and indeed, many of the used ones I've owned and/or tried were abused in the worst sort of way.

There were two problems; first, the amazing push-pull film advance that used exposed gearing that looked like a rack-and-pinion steering mechanism would work itself out of alignment and frames would overlap. Second, the rangefinder wasn't anywhere as accurate as you might think (given its long base), it too required frequent attention.

Believe it or not, I did stock lifestyle shoots with these in the early nineties and still have a few of them around the house as bookshelf decor (along with a few TLR's).

But when they worked...nothing even came close. No camera before or since had a look and feel that was remotely similar. It was a whole 'nother photography.

[Fritzer]

Those were fun cameras, didn't Mamiya make one like it ?
The newer Mamiya 7 is probably a bit better to handle, and smaller too.

[Dick Roadnight]

As a rack-focusing 67 with removable film magazine it is a prime candidate for conversion to digital, with a sliding back.

Any other options for taking a digiback and P3 lensboards?

[BobDavid]

I remember a lot of wedding photogs using that camera back in the 70s.