Browsing the local Junk Shop, I came across a little brown leather case hidden on a shelf that looked interesting amongst a random selection of items. Inside said case was a Dacora Daci. A camera I had considered buying before for it’s looks, but never wanted to pay the £30+ asking price on eBay.

With a price tag of £12, and being in very good condition with a working shutter, it was quickly purchased.

I imagined it to be bigger, but it is very compact and rather cute. Even though it is a simple pressed metal box camera, it looks really nice with the front details and textured coating.

A bit of research suggested that the single shutter speed was around 1/30th of a second, with an aperture of f11 - so I loaded with a roll of Kentmere 100.

It took a while to work out what conditions were right for the 100 speed film, metering scenes looking for the 1/30th @ f11 until one day it matched up. I shot most of the roll on a little drive through the country lanes around Ozleworth in Gloucestershire.

All shots needed a tripod due to the slow shutter speed and also it was difficult to see viewfinder. The quite small waist level finder has a lot of reflections in daylight, so had to be shielded with the hand just to be able to see through it. Even then it was not easy to compose.

The first image is quite nice, I like the flow of the fence through the frame, and it wasn’t until I got the scans that I noticed the sheep watching me! A funny added element!

This grand barn lies hidden on the side of the valley, only visible through a break in the tall hedges and trees that line the lane. Only because I was slow working my way along looking for compositions, did I see it.

I am really impressed with not only how the camera performed, but the film too. I’ve swayed away from Kentmere films as I love HP5, but I may be persuaded to add some more to the fridge.

I know the images are not sharp, or high quality, but that is not the point. They have a feeling - that vintage look, that can only be achieved on film and a crappy old lens.

This shot gives an indication of the lanes around here - they are narrow, bumpy, steep and don’t see much traffic, hence the grass growing down the middle, but they are picturesque. They are roads you don’t just stumble upon, hidden in valley’s off the beaten track.

Although barely anybody ventures down these lanes, I am sure everyone in the area will recognise this structure sitting at the top of the hill.

Originally constructed as part of the Cold War Backbone project as a microwave communication tower in case the Russians ever came, but later used by BT as a telephone mast due to it’s position. Standing at 250 feet tall and on the edge of the Cotswold Escarpment 235 meters above sea level it can be seen for miles. Now decommissioned, it serves as a monument to the past.

With only one frame left on the roll, I had to wait until the conditions were favourable again to finish it. A week later I was heading out of the city, and had a brainwave - I knew of a bridge over this busy road looking back into the city centre.

And that was it - roll finished!

With no idea how it would turn out, only the wait for scans would tell. Questions like did I wobble the camera when pressing the shutter?, or is the estimated shutter speed correct?…

It turned out very well considering. I am glad I only paid a third of the usual asking price for the camera, and even though it was not the easiest to use, it was fun! In a world where complicated and expensive gear is seen to be the way to go - why not slow down and shoot the most basic thing you can. It is more rewarding!

Shooting the cute little Daci…

Almost perfect P&S…