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Picking up a camera that is 50 or more years old, understanding how it works, using it in the field and obtaining a set of unique photographs can be very rewarding. There are many how to books whether they are original camera manuals or photography technique books, but I found few books that help a photographer get the most from using old and vintage cameras in today’s world.

I chose to use Purma cameras as they are a somewhat eccentric series of cameras, relatively easy to use and readily available at a reasonable price from auction sites, car boot fairs, Facebook Marketplace, etc. The shutter mechanism, lens and body are all simple and it is therefore usually possible to understand whether a Purma camera is usable upon first inspection. The only issue that photographers may need to navigate is the supply of 127 film. It is available from some film suppliers or sourced by adapting 120 film. This book is a compilation of information from several out of print publications, web resources and my own observations and experience of using Purma cameras. I have taken the opportunity to update both the content and grammar of the out of print publications to make them more readable and helpful to photographers using a vintage camera in the twenty twenties.

The Purma Camera Guide is available as a Paperback and a Kindle ebook