No, I’m not doing my best John Belushi impersonation, and I’m not mis-reciting the name of a 1970 motion picture epic.
Let me explain.
Two years ago, I received a very special camera gift from my fellow blogger Teri Conroy. It was a Rolleiflex Automat MX twin-lens reflex camera, and using it allowed me to enjoy the wonderful world of medium format film. It’s become my favorite 120 camera, and the fact that I can get fantastic pictures out of it – as well as double-takes from people who see the camera and go, “Dude, is that a Rolleiflex?” – that’s a plus as well.
At the same time that I received the Rolleiflex, someone else provided me with another orphan camera. This camera was a Kowa Super 66 medium format SLR camera, and let me tell you it’s built like a tank. The Kowa Super 66 came with an 85mm f/2.8 lens, and could shoot from 1:500 all the way to 1:1, plus T (no bulb mode on this camera). The camera also has interchangeable darkslide backplates; you could pre-load 120 rollfilm into individual magazines and then snap each one on the camera chassis as you need them.
However, the Kowa Super 66 I received was in dire need of restoration. My first test roll of film came out awful – overexposed and out of focus and a big fat light leak in the middle of every shot. I will now wait for Sébastien Barré or Bennett Campbell to remark, “Well, Chuck, are you sure it’s the camera and it’s not you?” Tick tock tick tock…
And to be honest, I almost gave up on the Kowa. In fact, for about a year the camera simply sat on my display shelf, its big 85mm f/2.8 lens mockingly taunting me. Twice I considered bringing it to the Photo Center of Troy for their camera swap shows, but I didn’t have the heart to do it. I also didn’t want someone accusing me of dumping a malfunctioning camera on them. Eventually I put another roll of film in the camera, tested it out – results were the same. Poor pictures with some light leaks.
What, did I think the camera was going to heal itself?
I even purchased a beat-up “use for parts” Kowa Super 66 on eBay – just for its backplate magazine, to test if there were problems with the camera or with the magazine. Nope. The light leaks were still there. And in addition, there was an issue with the film advance knob. Oh well, if nothing else, I now have an additional backplate magazine, should I need one.
Only one option left. I sent the camera to the one person in America who can restore a Kowa Super 66, a California camera repairman named Ross Yerkes. He has repaired and restored more Kowa cameras than anybody else to my knowledge. I packed the Kowa and the two film magazines in cocoons of bubble wrap and shredded newspaper. And off to California it went.
On June 7, Ross sent me an e-mail with the diagnosis.
“Dear Chuck, your camera arrived today … the bubble packed camera and extra mag were in good condition. None of the equipment has had any service in decades. It appears the very clean camera and one mag look like they have never been opened. The trouble with that is, that everything needs service. All the light seals and the lubricants are gone, and the shutter blades are sticking.”
I saw his estimate. It was a fair price, considering that I’m planning on using this camera and not letting it just rest on a shelf.
Two weeks later, I received another e-mail from Ross Yerkes. The camera was tuned and ready. I paid him the estimate, and my new old Kowa Super 66 was on its way back to the 518.
On June 21, the camera and the film magazines were waiting at my doorstep. I looked it over. Everything appeared clean and functional. Ross Yerkes did his job well.
I packed one of the magazines with a roll of Fuji Velvia 50 film, and added Kodak Ektar 100 to the other magazine. And out for a walk I went.
Got these shots along the Albany County Rail Trail. This was the first shot I took, captured a jogger along the Rail Trail with Fuji Velvia 50.
A little peek-a-boo of the sun through the trees.
And then I visited the Normanskill Creek. Got this shot with Kodak Ektar 100.
As you can see, the water flow on the Creek was low, and I could easily walk along the exposed rocks in the creek bed, and I walked to the center of the Creek to get this next photo of the Normanskill Bridge.
I should let you know that I used my two swap-out magazine backs, so that I could switch between B&W and color pictures.
Yep, that shot was taken with Ilford FP4+ film. All I did was change the backs, and I can capture the same image without having to thread the film into the camera and waste all that time.
Then, later that day, while I was in Cohoes, I swapped out the back…
And I got my wonky Svema 32 film to create THIS industrial, gritty image.
And just to show that I can swap back and forth between the plates… here’s another shot with the Svema, of the Green Island Bridge over the Hudson River…
Swap out the back…
And look! I still had a few shots of Ilford in my other magazine!
I gotta say. Ross Yerkes did a fantastic job restoring my Kowa Super 66, and the pictures that came out of the camera are exactly what I hoped the camera could produce. So after two years – well, essentially 23 1/2 months of camera inactivity – welcome the Kowa Super 66 to my camera collection. I can use it and the Rollei for quality 120 medium format photographs, and that’s a plus for me.
Oh… do you want to see the photos I took with the Kowa?
Here’s a slideshow for you. Hope you enjoy!
Chuck The Writer 
Beautiful stuff Chuck and congrats on acquiring an excellent machine. I’ve been shooting 2-1/4 for decades and love my still functioning Yashicamat-124. The meter has gotten a little intermittant over the years, but a little tap always brings it back. Adds to its personality.
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Awesome photos, especially the b&w – hmmmmm, maybe a new addition to my collection amongst these!!!
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