5 ms·

The article makes quite few statements as if $40 is just some cheap camera. $40 in 1962 is $395 today. Still much cheaper than some special custom NASA thing,

by orev 4y ago

The article makes quite few statements as if $40 is just some cheap camera. $40 in 1962 is $395 today. Still much cheaper than some special custom NASA thing, but that amount buys you far more than a “cheap drugstore camera”.

Aissen 4y ago
$395 is cheaper than a spaceflight-designed flight-certified espresso coffee cup ($650): https://spaceware.co/products/flight-space-cup https://spaceware.co/products/flight-space-cup (you can find articles about this).
- klyrs 4y ago
  The shape of that vessel makes me feel unreasonably angry. Which, isn't all that angry to be honest, but it manages to press that "don't f with my coffee" button somehow. I think I'd prefer a mylar bag with a sippy valve.
  - SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
    I think an resin printed cup for $700 makes me an appropriate amount of angry. That it’s in a completely idiotic design is just to be expected at that point.
  - Aissen 4y ago
    This design allows you to smell the coffee, something the mylar bag wouldn't allow. It also uses capillarity to prevent liquid bubbles from escaping while you drink. See more: https://blogs.nasa.gov/ISS_Science_Blog/2015/05/01/space-station-espresso-cups-strong-coffee-yields-stronger-science/ https://blogs.nasa.gov/ISS_Science_Blog/2015/05/01/space-sta...
    - klyrs 4y ago
      If you gently squeeze on the mylar bag in space, the liquid will cling to the surface of the spout. I'm sure that the over-engineered design is great at what it does, but it's an unnecessary skeuomorphism.
ghaff 4y ago
Even though it's probably at the lower end of rangefinder camera, I'm even a bit surprised you'd buy something like that in a "drugstore." That said a lot of stores were much more mom & pop back then and some probably carried things that wouldn't pass muster in a modern CVS.
- paulmd 4y ago
  While not exactly a drugstore, one fun one that others might not know is that Sears' camera lineup was actually quite extensive and serious, featuring premium models rebranded from Asahiflex/Pentax, Nicca/Yashica, Mamiya, and others. A Sears/Tower brand camera wasn't bad at all! It sounds odd, but "white-labeling" by importers was quite common in those days - Pentax cameras were often sold as Honeywell Pentax, and large format camera lenses traveled through extensive networks and partnerships (Calumet, DO Industries, Graflex, etc). Today's distributor networks are very, very centralized in comparison, and there are a lot less players in the market. Today the closest analogy is probably CCTV lenses where there's still a pretty thriving industry and lots of sub-vendors. Given the historical nexus of drug stores to film developing... I guess I could see a drug store carrying some products, especially popular ones, and maybe having the ability to order some stuff too. Ansco was a film brand too (actually it's part of Agfa iirc, quite a large one!) so they could have been able to order cameras.
  - ghaff 4y ago
    Ansco and Agfa merged in 1928. I forgot that the Ansco brand continued to be used independently. I never used Agfa film much. I was always mostly Kodak consumables although I used Ilford B&W materials quite a bit for a while.
    - paulmd 4y ago
      Late reply but I just remembered: many Agfa products were actually rebranded as Ansco for the US market. I know the Karat series were for example. I wouldn't be surprised if there is an Agfa equivalent of this model too.

by orev 4y ago

Aissen 4y ago

$395 is cheaper than a spaceflight-designed flight-certified espresso coffee cup ($650): https://spaceware.co/products/flight-space-cup https://spaceware.co/products/flight-space-cup (you can find articles about this).

klyrs 4y ago
The shape of that vessel makes me feel unreasonably angry. Which, isn't all that angry to be honest, but it manages to press that "don't f with my coffee" button somehow. I think I'd prefer a mylar bag with a sippy valve.
- SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
  I think an resin printed cup for $700 makes me an appropriate amount of angry. That it’s in a completely idiotic design is just to be expected at that point.
- Aissen 4y ago
  This design allows you to smell the coffee, something the mylar bag wouldn't allow. It also uses capillarity to prevent liquid bubbles from escaping while you drink. See more: https://blogs.nasa.gov/ISS_Science_Blog/2015/05/01/space-station-espresso-cups-strong-coffee-yields-stronger-science/ https://blogs.nasa.gov/ISS_Science_Blog/2015/05/01/space-sta...
  - klyrs 4y ago
    If you gently squeeze on the mylar bag in space, the liquid will cling to the surface of the spout. I'm sure that the over-engineered design is great at what it does, but it's an unnecessary skeuomorphism.

ghaff 4y ago

Even though it's probably at the lower end of rangefinder camera, I'm even a bit surprised you'd buy something like that in a "drugstore." That said a lot of stores were much more mom & pop back then and some probably carried things that wouldn't pass muster in a modern CVS.

paulmd 4y ago
While not exactly a drugstore, one fun one that others might not know is that Sears' camera lineup was actually quite extensive and serious, featuring premium models rebranded from Asahiflex/Pentax, Nicca/Yashica, Mamiya, and others. A Sears/Tower brand camera wasn't bad at all! It sounds odd, but "white-labeling" by importers was quite common in those days - Pentax cameras were often sold as Honeywell Pentax, and large format camera lenses traveled through extensive networks and partnerships (Calumet, DO Industries, Graflex, etc). Today's distributor networks are very, very centralized in comparison, and there are a lot less players in the market. Today the closest analogy is probably CCTV lenses where there's still a pretty thriving industry and lots of sub-vendors. Given the historical nexus of drug stores to film developing... I guess I could see a drug store carrying some products, especially popular ones, and maybe having the ability to order some stuff too. Ansco was a film brand too (actually it's part of Agfa iirc, quite a large one!) so they could have been able to order cameras.
- ghaff 4y ago
  Ansco and Agfa merged in 1928. I forgot that the Ansco brand continued to be used independently. I never used Agfa film much. I was always mostly Kodak consumables although I used Ilford B&W materials quite a bit for a while.
  - paulmd 4y ago
    Late reply but I just remembered: many Agfa products were actually rebranded as Ansco for the US market. I know the Karat series were for example. I wouldn't be surprised if there is an Agfa equivalent of this model too.