I have a Six-16 Brownie Junior that I have recently purchased from a second hand store. I don't know anything about these cameras and was hoping to have some questions answered. Is there anywhere that i can purchase film for it? Are there any books out there about repairing and cleaning these things? How can I tell the age of my camera? If any of you wonderful people out there can help me it would be much appreciated.

Thank you, Erica May Salem, OR

-- Erica May (welderwoman12@aol.com), January 15, 2002

Answers

Hi, Erica, I will attempt to answer your questions. I was going to say that most of your questions can be answered by a quick perusal of Chuck Baker's site, but when I went there myself to look, I couldn't get in. So here we are, right? OK, you can look for film at couple of places online: Film for Classics, and BH Photo - they have 116 or 616 film, but it's pretty expensive. An alternative is to use 120 film in your 616 camera, respooling the film onto the 616 spools, if you have two. But you have to be careful of light leaks due to the smaller film on the larger spools. Marcy Merrill's Junk Store Camera Page (merrillphoto.com) has a bit on altering your 616 camera to take 620 spools, so there's an alternative as well.

As far as books for cleaning and repairing, if it doesn't work, you're better off trying to get another camera, really, than trying to fix the one you got, unless you wish to accept the challenge of repairing it yourself, because it'll be expensive to send out to repair. And there are probably books out there on this subject. Start here: http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/. Cleaning is easy, though. A bit of leather cleaner for the outside parts, some lens cleaner, soft rags and q-tips for the lens and metal bits. Easy peasy, japanesey, as they say.

Your model camera was manufactured and marketed by Kodak between 1934 and 1942, with an original list price of $2.75.

I'm sending you a private email with more information. Good luck and have fun!

-- Pete Lutz (mariner8378@hotmail.com), January 16, 2002.