F-21 - I think I'm in love

So I got my F-21 KGB camera in mail today from Czech republic in unbelievable condition, pretty much like new (very cheap too).. ..

I fell in love with this camera immediately.. this is by far becoming my favorite camera in my whole collection of 160 cameras or so... the size is TINY!!! Being a grown man and all and at risk of sounding girly - OMG IT IS SOOOO CUTE!!!! And it shoots a roll of film on a single wind! How cool is that??

Now I want to really use it! Is it even realistic? Is there such a thing now as 21mm film? Is it damned to sit and look pretty on my shelf forever? Did anyone actually use this camera nowdays?

Vlad

Vlad,

You can use the beautiful clockwork camera. You need to buy a 21mm film splitter so that you can take 35mm film and cut it down to size. Then you can load it, in a darkroom, into the little cassette that you hopefully got with the camera.

There was a person on Ebay that was making new film splitters for that size and they were inexpensive, but I don't see them up at the moment.

Here is a link that might help:

http://www.submin.com/large/manuals/f21/f21t.htm

Regards, Bill

Vlad,

Here are two more links that might be of some help:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160140731652

http://www.submin.com/large/collection/f21/introduction.htm

Regards, Bill

Thank you Bill for all these links! And I assume the development has to be done myself, no one will be equipped to handle such a film commercially....

Vlad

Vlad,

I did read (but can't find the page again) that some Walgreens stores have a photoprocessing machine that takes any size and that they can do processing for Minox, F-21, Hit, etc.

But, it is relatively easy to develop black and white yourself. I develop my own black and white film without a darkroom. In the case of the F-21 (I have several but have not used them, I believe you would need to get a plastic 35mm processing reel and cut it shorter to 21mm size (just cut out a piece from the middle with a hack-saw and then glue the ends back together. Then all you need is developer and hypo. Instead of a darkroom, you can just use a dark closet or even just sit under a bunch of heavy blankets in a pretty dark room (like I do ;-))!
The development is simple and you can do it in daylight.

Once I develop the film, I use a film scanner to make a digital file and then print on a printer (I use a Minolta Dimage Dual Scan IV Scanner and a Epson 2200 printer).

There is a lot of information concerning miniature cameras and film at the Sub Club if you search around (that may be where I read about the Walgreens processing):

www.subclub.org Club





Regards, Bill

Thanks Bill, yes I have developed B+W film myself in the past, my only concern was the one you addressed - is how to stick a 21mm into 35mm tank... I use of those Soviet tanks that has rails for the film but it's fixed 35mm.. maybe I'll have buy another one just to cut down... seems like too much work, and I'm quite lazy .. so I guess I'll look around to see if someone can do it for me.. hehe... but I'll need to find a slitter first I guess....

The camera is just way too cool to not use it... I'll be actively looking for the button and purse attachments for it now....

Thanks!

Vlad.

There is an exact clone of F21. It is known as the SY916 of chinese production Probably from Shanghai

I think there's a Chinese clone of every camera! I even think there is a Chinese clone of me! ;)

Vlad