Canon Demi camera

My Canon Demi camera.

I've never really been a big fan of Canon cameras, as I've always been a Nikon person. In my opinion, Canon cameras weren't well-made, especially in the 1960s, when this camera was manufactured. Their line of early rangefinder cameras has nice optics and is comfortable to shoot with, but I just prefer the Nikon line.

 One of my frustrations with Canon was working in a camera store during the 1970s, when the unbelievably popular Canon AE-1 was introduced. For over a year, the camera was the top seller in our chain of stores as we couldn't keep them in stock, and people absolutely loved it. Personally, I think that Canon held back production on the camera to add to the mystique of having a camera "hard to get", which added to the popularity of the camera. Daily, we had so many questions about that camera. Today, I could do a demo on the camera with my eyes closed.

 I don't remember the exact year I purchased the Canon Demi camera, but I know I've had it for several years.  My guess is it's been about 8-9 years. I do remember, I purchased the Canon Demi camera at a flea market, mainly because the camera was red, and I'm a sucker for colored cameras. Checking out the camera at the time, it had the original red camera case, and the person who sold it to me said the camera's meter wasn't working.

 Having had many cameras with a selenium cell light meter, they tended only to last around 20 years or so until the selenium cell loses the ability to read light and work in cameras. I wasn't worried about that at the time of purchase, as the primary motivation to purchase the camera was that it was red and had a red case.

 The Canon Demi was introduced in February 1963. The camera has a sleek and modern design from this expressive period.  The camera has rounded corners and a straightforward point-and-shoot viewfinder with a zone focus system. It wasn't made to be a professional camera with built-in focus capabilities, but for the family and photo hobbyist. A selenium match needle metering system was easy to operate, keeping costs down for the consumer. By the end of 1963, the Canon Demi came in four colors: traditional, black, white, blue, and red. These colors didn't last long and were quickly discontinued.

My Canon Demi with wrist strap, and 27mm UV filter

 Another advantage of the Canon Demi was that it was Canon's first half-frame camera, introduced four years after the Olympus Pen camera in 1959. Rolls of film at that time had either 20 or 36 exposures, so shooting 40 or 72 photos on a roll of film was excellent and considerably less expensive for the family to use.

 In September 1964, Canon introduced the improved Demi S, which had a 30mm f/1.7 lens and an improved metering system. 

 In April 1965, the Demi  C, with interchangeable lenses, was introduced. You had the standard 28mm f/2.8, and a 50mm f/2.8  was available for the camera.

 The Demi Rapid, with a rapid loading system, battery-operated CD meter, and self-timer, was released in June 1965.

 May 1966 saw the release of the very popular and top-of-the-line Canon Demi EE17. This camera was the same as the Demi Rapid without the rapid loading system. 

In April 1967, Canon returned to the original style with the Demi EE28, back to the Selenium cell metering system, and a 28mm f/2.8 lens. In four years, Canon introduced five different models of the same camera, which were very similar to what the auto industry was doing then.

History:

Canon Inc., a large Japanese multinational corporation, has played a significant part in the evolution of camera technology. The company's journey in the camera industry began in the 1930s and has since developed into one of the most recognized names in photography worldwide.

 Canon's first camera, the Kwanon, was developed in 1934 by a small team of Japanese engineers. It was Japan's first 35mm focal-plane shutter camera named after the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Although it was never mass-produced, it laid the foundation for Canon's future success. In 1935, the company adopted the name Canon, signifying precision and excellence.

Canon ad for Canon Demi

During the 1940s and 1950s, Canon focused on refining its rangefinder cameras. The Canon II, released in 1946, helped the brand establish itself as a competitor to German camera makers like Leica. In the 1950s, Canon began to diversify its product line. By 1959, it introduced the Canonflex, its first single-lens reflex (SLR) camera—this marked Canon's entry into a growing market that prized versatility and interchangeable lenses.

 The 1970s and 1980s were transformative decades. In 1971, Canon launched the F-1, a professional-grade SLR that rivaled Nikon's offerings. Later, in 1976, the company released the AE-1, one of the world's first cameras with a built-in microprocessor. The AE-1 was affordable, reliable, and popular with amateur photographers, helping Canon grow its user base significantly.

 In 1987, Canon introduced the EOS (Electro-Optical System) line, beginning with the EOS 650. This groundbreaking autofocus SLR system used a fully electronic lens mount and paved the way for future innovation. The EOS series would become one of history's most successful camera lines.

 Canon embraced digital technology in the 1990s and 2000s. The release of the EOS D30 in 2000 marked Canon's serious move into digital SLRs. This transition peaked with iconic models like the EOS 5D series, which brought full-frame digital photography to a broader market.

In the 2010s and 2020s, Canon adapted to mirrorless technology, introducing the EOS R system in 2018. This full-frame mirrorless platform represents the company's latest push to stay at the forefront of imaging technology.

 Today, Canon continues to be a leader in photography, producing a wide range of cameras that cater to everyone from beginners to professionals, while also advancing imaging technology across multiple industries.

My Camera:

My Canon Demi camera is 4.5" wide by 2.75" tall and only 1.5" deep, including the compact 28mm f2.8 lens. It weighs 14.4 oz and is not adorned with frills, bells, or whistles. It's a very typical 35mm camera with a zone focus system and shutter speeds ranging from 1/250 to 1/30. The aperture settings range from F/2.8 to F/22.

The zone focus is set by moving the lens to either a mountain for infinity, three people for a group, or one person for a portrait, and these symbols are set around the lens.

The camera uses a match needle system. You point the camera at your subject, and when you turn the dial around the outer ring of the lens, the shutter speed and aperture are set to the ASA/ISO you set within the exposure ring.

The back door latch is on the left side of the camera, which unlocks and opens the film door to load film into it. Drop the 35mm cassette into the camera's left side and bring the leader to the take-up spool. Slide the end of the film leader into the slot on the take-up spool. Make sure the film sprockets are on the back drive gear. 

 One thing I do to make sure the film is moving in the camera is take up the slack by winding the rewind knob a few turns to take uo the slack in the film cassette. That way when you close the back of the camera and wind the camera to get it to the first frame, watch the rewind knob turn so you know the film is advancing in the camera. Checking the rewind knob is a good thing to do with any 35mm camera. I can't tell you how many times I've seen where people think the film is advancing, but the film wasn't loaded correctly, and no images were ever recorded on the film.

Once you've taken all the photos on your roll of film, press the button on the bottom of the camera. This releases the winding gear inside the camera so you can easily rewind the film back into the film cassette. If you don't press the rewind button, you'll tear all the film sprockets on the roll of film, making the process more difficult. After the film is rewound into the film cassette, open the back and load a new roll of film.

 

My Results:

I took this camera on my trip to Barcelona this week, partly because I had a roll of older Plus-X film with 20 exposures, and the second reason was the camera's shutter works, but the meter doesn't. I wanted to experiment with some of the exposures to see if I could get exposures on the roll of film. It probably wasn't the best idea to try a 40-50-year-old roll of film under these circumstances, but I wanted to write about the camera and didn't want to shoot 72 exposures to get bad results.

 The results turned out pretty well, and the camera meter is in decent condition, as many of the images turned out pretty well. However, the film is pretty grainy for being ASA 125. Nonetheless, here are a few photos from walking around one of the main shopping areas in Barcelona.

Conclusion:

My expectations for the camera weren't high, so I was pleasantly surprised by its relatively easy-to-use nature. Basic focus and a match needle meter make this compact camera very fun and easy to use. 

 If you enjoy vintage manual cameras, this is one to put in your coat pocket or hang around your neck. It gets twice as many photos from a roll of film and records memories for the photo albums. It is another excellent camera to use on a daily basis.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes to read about this fantastic, compact half-frame camera. A faster lens would have been nice, but it's unnecessary under most circumstances.

 I also sell cameras on eBay under Cuny's Cameras and Photos. Take a look, and you may see something you are interested in or a camera or two that piques your interest.

 Click on the link to read about some of the other cameras reviewed.

 Until next week, please be safe.

 

Contessa Nettel Cocarette I DeLuxe

My Contessa Nettel Cocarette I DeLuxe camera

As I've mentioned in other posts, colored cameras are some of my favorite cameras to collect. That's a good thing when the camera is a different color than the standard drab black camera and a beautiful, rich brown-toned camera. When the camera is a rich brown-toned camera and is a rarer version, that makes the camera even more special to me. When the camera is a rich brown tone, a rarer version of the black model of the same camera AND, the camera is in good working condition and has a clean lens, then to me, it's, as we say in the U.S. and to use a baseball term  "a real home run."

 The Contessa Nettel Cocarette I Luxus camera was purchased from a seller in Florida five or six years ago. I purchased this camera along with a few other wonderful cameras, like the Zeiss Super Nettel, a Zeiss Tenax II, a Zeiss Nettax, and a few others, which were real gems in my collection for a long time until I sold them, which at times I look back and regret. That's all part of the collecting world.

 The camera appeared to be in great working condition. The bellows seemed to be light-tight, the aperture moved smoothly, and the camera came with an upgraded Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar lens and a Compur shutter, which, upon inspection, were in excellent condition. Also, the exterior leather was without tears and with minor scuffs, and the Cocarette I handle on the camera was still intact.

 When I received the camera, I wanted to find out more about the camera, so as I usually do, I saw if there was a manual or catalog on the camera. My go-to website for camera manuals is www.butkus.org , which has an extensive collection of manuals. They did have the Zeiss Cocarette manual,

According to the manual, Contessa Nettel made three different Cocarette models, each with four cameras of various sizes.

 The three  Cocarette models are:

Special: Called I/0, II/0, III/0, and IV/O, covered in black leatherette and with hinged metal front.

Standard: Described as Cocarette I, II, III, IV, With real black leather coverings, leather bellows, and hinged "Stirrup" front.

DeLuxe: Styled respectively "de Luxe" I, "de Luxe" II, "de Luxe" III, and "de Luxe" IV. This type is covered in the finest brown Morocco leather and has bellows of the same. ​ All the edges are bound in German silver.

 The different negative sizes of the models described above are as follows:

l/0, I and "de Luxe" I . Film 3 1/4 x 2 1/4 inches

II/0, II and "de Luxe" II . Film 4 1/4 x 2 1/2 inches

III/0, III and 'ode Luxe" III . Film 4 1/4 x 3 1/4 inches

IV/O, IV, and "de Luxe" IV. Film  5 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches

History

Contessa-Nettel AG was a prominent German camera manufacturer based in Stuttgart. It was formed in 1919 by merging two influential companies: Contessa Camerawerke Drexler & Nagel and Nettel Camerawerk. This merger combined the innovative strengths of both firms—Contessa Camerawerke, founded by Dr. August Nagel, and Nettel Camerawerk, known for its advanced strut folding cameras and focal plane shutters. Dr. Nagel, who began his camera design business 1908 as Drexler & Nagel, quickly rebranded it as Contessa Camerawerke before acquiring Nettel in 1919 and establishing Contessa-Nettel AG.

Ad showing the different negative sizes.

 Contessa-Nettel became renowned for its diverse and technically advanced range of cameras. The company offered approximately forty different models, including many variations of the Cocarette, a folding camera that became one of its most famous products during the 1920s. Other notable models included the Deckrullo-Nettel series, which featured self-capping focal plane shutters—a significant innovation. The company also specialized in stereo cameras and produced various compact and portable designs, such as the Piccolette and the Stereax.

 The Deckrullo-Nettel cameras, initially developed by Nettel, continued to be produced under the Contessa-Nettel name after the merger. These cameras were admired for their engineering, particularly their strut folding mechanisms and reliable shutters. Contessa-Nettel's products were recognized for their build quality and design excellence, reflecting Dr. Nagel's eye for detail.

 In 1926, Contessa-Nettel became part of Zeiss Ikon, a new conglomerate formed by merging several major German camera manufacturers, including ICA, Ernemann, and Goerz, alongside Contessa-Nettel. This consolidation aimed to strengthen the German photographic industry and create a powerhouse capable of competing internationally. After the merger, many Contessa-Nettel designs and models continued under the Zeiss Ikon brand, and the Stuttgart factory became a critical Zeiss Ikon site.

 Although Contessa-Nettel, as an independent brand, ceased to exist after 1926, its influence persisted. Feeling out of place at Zeiss Ikon, Dr. August Nagel left to establish the Nagel-Werke factory, which Kodak later acquired. Nagel's subsequent innovations, such as the Kodak Retina and the first pre-loaded 35mm film cassette, trace their lineage to the design philosophy he honed at Contessa-Nettel. The Contessa-Nettel name also lived on in Zeiss Ikon's product lines, most notably in the Zeiss-Ikon Contessa cameras of the postwar era.

 Contessa-Nettel's history is marked by technical innovation, quality craftsmanship, and a legacy that shaped the evolution of camera technology in the 20th century.

My Camera:

My Contessa Nettel Cocarette I Deluxe camera is 6 5/8" long by 3.5" wide, 1.5" deep when closed, and 5.5" deep when opened, with the lens extended from the body. It weighs 1 Lb. 6 oz. My camera's serial number is 422872. It also has a Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 10.5cm f4.5 lens, serial #588166.

 To open the camera, there is a button on the side of the camera, which is similar to another folding camera, which you press, and the front door opens, exposing the front of the camera. Just below the shutter is the company name, Contessa Nettel, and on either side of the name are two knobs which you grab and pull the front standard of the camera out from the camera body until they stop. You're now ready to take a photo if you have film loaded into the camera

Pulling the front standard from the camera body lets you see the controls on the camera much better. Looking down at the camera, you have a bright waist-level viewfinder with indents on each corner representing a vertical or horizontal format for framing your photo. Currently, the camera is in the vertical position or, in modern terms, in portrait mode. The viewfinder can also tilt to the side if you plan on using the camera in the horizontal position to photograph in landscape mode. Right next to the viewfinder is a red bubble level to ensure the camera is level for straight photos and does not have crooked horizon lines.

On the camera's bed, just to the right of the shutter, is a focus lever, which allows the photographer to get closer to their subject and take clear photos. The focus lever can go from 2 meters to infinity, with a few different distances in between.

 When you look at the front of the camera and focus on what is on the Compur shutter, on the right side is the shutter release lever, and on the left side is a dial with Z, D, and M. These are used for different shutter functions. Z opens the shutter when you release the shutter lever and closes when you pull the shutter release again. D opens the shutter when you pull down on the shutter release and closes when you release it, and M is for the more normal use of the shutter speeds built into the shutter. The shutter speed ranges from 1 second to 1/250. All the shutter speeds on the camera seem reasonable, even the 1 sec, which is fantastic for a 100-year-old camera.

A small lever is on the bottom of the shutter. Sliding the lever from one side to the other changes the aperture setting, which you can see on top of the shutter. The camera's operations are very easy to see while holding it. You can view the shutter speed, the aperture settings, the focus distance, the viewfinder, and the bubble level, all while composing the photo in the vertical or portrait position.

 On the right side, as you're holding the camera, is a chrome knob on top of the lens standard. This slightly raises the camera lens, which will correct for vertical distortion. It doesn't do much, but it gives you a little movement in several of the better-quality folding cameras from this era.

For horizontal photos, you can swing a wire finder around the lens. On the back of the camera, a small eye finder slides out to create an action or sports finder from the two pieces. Using the camera in this position is a bit more clumsy due to where the shutter release is positioned.

Eyepiece on back up, and wire frame in place for action photo.

Fortunately, the Cocarette I cameras can use the popular 120-size film. The film chamber slides out from the camera body to load the film. On the left side of the body is a lever that you slide to unlock the film chamber from the body. Once the film chamber is unlocked, it can slide up to reveal the take-up spool and the film area. To put the film in the film area, there are holders that you flip up to get the take-up spool and the film into the respective areas.

 When loading the film, slide the paper packing under the thin channel to keep it flat across the opening. Another oddity of this camera is a large cut-away on the top of one of the corners of the exposure areas. I don't understand why this is there, as it did produce the cutout on the negative. If you know why that is there, I'd love to know. It may have had something to do with the older films of that time.

Once the film is loaded into the film back of the camera, slide it back into the camera and lock the back onto the camera body to prevent it from getting exposed to light. A small square red window with a cover is on the back of the camera. Winding the film with the take-up spool will take you to the number 1 photo, and now you're ready to make your first photo.

 

My Results:

I loaded the camera with a roll of Rollei RX100 film and walked through the neighborhood with my trust Sekonic L-308 meter. The day was somewhat overcast, so the contrast in the images wasn't the best. I also used the focus control on the camera. Since the day was cloudy, the settings on many of the photos were a shutter speed of 1/100 and aperture settings of f/4.5, which means there's not a lot of play when it comes to depth of field, and the photos show that.

 Here are the results I got from the Contessa Nettel Cocarette I Deluxe.

Conclusion:

The camera is straightforward to use, which I’m used to because I often use folding cameras. The controls were straightforward to define and comfortable to hold for composition purposes. However, the results I received weren't the best when I used the focus control on the camera. It's very possible my distances were off, and having to use a shallow depth of field didn't help.

 It wasn't bad, but my expectations were too high. Getting a 6x9 format negative with a Zeiss lens, I was hoping for better results. That shows I'll need to take this camera out and try again.

 Thank you for taking the time to read about this beautiful and very functional camera. It certainly looks terrific in my collection, and I enjoy having it.

 Click on the link if you're interested in reading some of the other camera reviews. 

 If you are interested in some of the cameras and other camera oddities I have for sale, I have a store on eBay called Cuny's Camera.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Riley Rilex camera

My Riley Rilex camera

The first time I saw the Riley Rilex camera was at a camera show in Seattle, WA, about six months ago. I was selling cameras and other photo items at the show. A friend who had driven up from the same area I live in and know well approached me looking to sell the Riley Rilex camera.

 He handed me the camera, and my first impression was that it was an odd and unusual-looking press-style camera. It was a full-sized 4x5 press camera, but It's a more miniature 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 press-style camera. There's a large handle on one side, making it very easy to handle and carry, but what caught my eye was the bright aluminum camera body and how light and compact the camera was. A rangefinder was attached to the side of the camera, and the focusing method seemed sketchy and rudimentary but was in working condition. 

 Playing with the camera, the shutter worked well, the aperture moved as it should, the bellows were intact and seemed in excellent condition, and the focus was smooth. When my friend told me the asking price, I told him I didn't do much with this style of camera and handed it back to him, but then he lowered his price, and my thought was, this seems to be an odd and unusual camera, it would be fun to write about it. I had never heard of a Riley Rilex camera, so it would be fun to research it. I thought I had some holder back home, so I pulled the trigger and purchased the camera from him with the intent to write this article about it.

Nameplate on my Riley Rilex camera

 I've owned several Graflex Baby Graphic cameras, so I'm not unaware of the smaller press cameras made during the 1940s and early 1950s. The Baby Graphic cameras are fully enclosed within the camera body, which is covered in black leatherette. Here is the Riley Rilex camera, which is almost the direct opposite. It is bright and shiny, made from lightweight aluminum, and without a boxy case, the lens and bellows fit into. What an odd and wonderful-looking camera.

The Company:

Several camera companies opened up in Southern California just after World War II. Companies like Printex, which manufactured a 4x5 Press camera in Pasadena, CA; Newton Photo Products in Los Angeles, CA, which made a lightweight view camera; and Brand Camera Company, also of Los Angeles, also made a rail-style view camera. All of these companies opened right after World War II, between 1947 and 1947, giving returning soldiers employment and hoping to build onto the growing photographic industry of the time.

 Curtis Riley was a tinkerer, amateur inventor, and aircraft engineer at Lockheed in Los Angeles, CA, during the 1940s. A photographer friend, frustrated by the weight of press cameras during this time, mentioned to Curtis that the cameras were rugged to carry around. Curtis, at the time, was working with lightweight aluminum for the aircraft industry, so he took up the idea of coming up with a lighter-weight camera for the industry.

Ad for Rilex camera

This was the start of the husband and wife-owned company, Riley Research Company, located at 128 Berkeley Street, Santa Monica, CA. Curtis came up with the design of the Riley Rilex camera, and they started to produce the aluminum body camera. It's unknown how many employees they had or if they did most of the manufacturing themselves. The design is relatively simple, and once the camera pieces were machined, putting them together wouldn't be difficult. It was confirmed that Gay, Curtis's wife, would fold the bellows at the kitchen table, and from what I understand, it wasn't her favorite job.

It's estimated that The Reily Research Company produced around 800 cameras over three years, during which the company was in business. The cameras had the option of a Wollensak Raptar lens in an Alphax shutter. If you wanted the Rapax shutter with speeds up to 1/400 sec., that was an additional $12.00.

 Advertising of the camera started in the fall of 1948 with ads in Popular Photography and local camera stores. The Riley Rilex camera was advertised for $49.50, including a tax-free lens. The rangefinder was "optional Equipment." In the advertisement listing the included Lens and Rangefinder, the camera is listed at $99.80, with a savings of $35.24.

 Unfortunately, the Riley Rilex was only advertised for three years, from 1948 to 1951. Due to the success of this small camera company in filling a requested need, other larger manufacturers began building a similar style of camera. After 1951, Curtis and Gay moved on to other endeavors, and the Riley Rilex camera became a desired collectible camera. 

The Camera:

My Riley Rilex camera measures 7" wide, including the metal handle, by 6" tall, including the eyesight knob, which doubles as a tightening screw on the back of the camera by the rotating back, by 6.5" with the bellows extended or 5.25" with the lens and bellows retracted. My Riley Rilex camera weighs 2 lb. 14.6oz and includes a 101mm f4.5 Wollensak Raptar lens in a Rapax shutter. My camera was an upgrade to the information above. I also have the Model B camera with the serial number 617 

 The Riley Rilex camera was made in three models: A, AB, and B. The first model, the "A," was short-lived, as the recommendation of adding a rangefinder to the side of the camera was made. The first production run was halted to add a rangefinder and the focusing rod to the camera's right side. I've seen some examples of the Rilex camera with a Kalart or Hugo Meyer rangefinder. One of the other modifications was having a rangefinder that supported an external flash.

To use the external rangefinder on the Rilex camera, a focusing rod comes out of the top of the rangefinder and leans up against an aluminum block attached to the focusing rack and pinion rod for focusing capabilities. When you used the rack and pinion focusing on the camera, the focus rod would move, thus focusing on the rangefinder.

 You can also use the traditional ground glass on the back of the camera, which flips down or up depending on the orientation of the camera's back. The back of the camera is highly polished chrome, which adds to its look.

To change the orientation of the cameras back from horizontal to vertical, the eyesight, which can be used with the wire built into the front frame, can be used as an action finder, which can be turned to lock or unlock the back rotation. There is a small line just behind the eyesight knob to show the camera's back is level with the camera.

 The camera offers full swings, tilts, rises (no falls), and horizontal shifts from the front brace of the camera. Like the back, there are centering marks on the front to quickly return the camera to a level and even settings on the camera. One thing on my camera that I'm sure some have already noticed is that I'm missing one of the knurled nuts that hold the 2 3/8"  lens board onto the camera body. That wouldn't affect the clarity or ability to use the camera. It's more of a visual appearance flaw than anything.

Unfortunately, I don't have the film holder for this size of the film, and the back of the camera cannot be easily removed to use a roll film adapter, so I could not use the camera, which would have been fun to try.

 

Conclusion:

I've had the absolute pleasure of continuing correspondence with Curtis and Gay's granddaughter, Barbara. She has helped me with this article by providing fabulous family photos and advertising for the family company. I want to thank her for all the insight she's offered me, which is tremendously appreciated.

 The camera itself is marvelous. It's small, compact, and visually appealing. The bellows are made from a stronger material than most view or press cameras, and it's terrific to think they were all hand-folded.

 I need to find a small film holder to try out this camera. I know I've had them, but I must have sold them with other cameras or just separately. Once I actually use the camera, I'll be sure to update this post with some images it produces.

 Thank you for reading about this unique family-owned camera company from Los Angeles that filled a niche product people were asking for at the time.

 Are you interested in reading my other camera reviews?

 I also have a store on eBay, Cuny's Camera, which has some odd and unusual products, including cameras and lenses.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Futura-S Camera

My Futura-S camera.

As a camera collector for over 50 years, I was unaware of the Futura cameras for almost 45 years. It wasn't until a friend and fellow collector mentioned the Futura camera that it stuck in the back of my mind, as I haven't come across one in all these years of collecting.

 After hearing about the Futura cameras, I did some research and had many questions: How well were they built? How many lenses were available? How many different models did they offer? What lens mount did the camera offer? So I pulled out my trusty camera bible, McKeown's camera guide, and started to learn about the little-known (to me) brand of Futura cameras.

Futura Logo on the camera

Having purchased my Futura-S camera in a "lot" of cameras purchased, and it wasn't until I received the box of cameras that I noticed one of the cameras was the Futura-S. The only thing in the photo of the camera "lot" was the back of the brown case. The top of the case was missing, so I figured it was some random or very common camera that I've owned in the past, but when I took the camera out of the case, the Futura was in surprisingly good condition and seemed to be working, too.

 Picking up the camera, I set the shutter speeds to higher speeds to see if the shutter fired, and it did. The transport moved and cocked the shutter. The lens looked clean, and then I tried some of the slower speeds on the camera. That's where I ran into some difficulty. The slower speeds locked up the shutter, and it wasn't until I reset the shutter speeds to a higher speed that the shutter closed, and I was able to cock the shutter again.

 One of my first thoughts was I wanted to run some film through the camera to see how it handled it. Then, I felt compelled to write about my experience with the camera and how it was handled, knowing I couldn't use any shutter speed lower than 1/50 in my testing experience.

History:

Fritz Kuhnert founded Optische Anstalt in Freiburg, Germany in 1942. The company initially manufactured optical equipment for the German military during World War II. The factory was bombed and destroyed during the war. In 1946, Fritz rebuilt the company in Gundelfingen, a nearby town, and concentrated his efforts on producing consumer cameras due to the growing photography market.

 1947, the company introduced its first camera at Photokina, the Efka 24. It was a simple scale-focus camera that used 35mm film to produce 24x24mm images. The name "Efka" was derived from the phonetic spelling of Kuhnert's initials, "FK." In 1950, the company introduced the Futura, a more advanced 35mm rangefinder camera with interchangeable lenses and a proprietary screw mount. The lenses were named after Kuhnert's family members: Elor (his wife Elenore), Evar (his daughter Eva), and Petar (his son Peter). 

 In 1951, due to financial difficulties, Kuhnert sold the company Hamburg ship-line owners Ernst and Eduard Komorowski, who renamed it Futura Kamerawerk GmbH. Under their ownership, the company produced four different 35mm rangefinder cameras, including the Futura S, which was introduced in 1952. This model featured a Synchro-Compur shutter and maintained its predecessor's distinctive design and lens mount. They also produced two of the fastest standard 50mm and portrait 70mm lenses of the time with a maximum aperture of F1.5, named Futura Frilon.

 Futura Kamerawerk struggled to compete with established German brands like Leica and the emerging Japanese camera industry despite producing high-quality cameras. The company ceased operations in 1957 and closed the factory in 1958. Today, Futura cameras are valued by collectors for their unique design and historical significance.

My Camera:

My Futura-S is 5" wide by 3" tall by 2.5" deep with my Futura Elor 50mm f2.8 lens. Without the fitted leather case, my camera weighs 1 lb. 9.4 oz. The Futura-S is a very well-made camera but a bit heavy due to its solid cast metal body. I prefer heavier cameras because they fit my hands better. Cameras like the Nikon F body, the Robot Royal, and now the Futura cameras feel comfortable.

The "S" in the Futura line stands for Syncro-Compur, or the shutter system used on this camera. All of the exposure controls are located around or on the lens. The shutter speed dial is located on the outside of the lens area and is moved by two knobs on opposite ends of the dial. The shutter speeds go from 1/500 to 1 sec. along with "B". Also, on the bottom of the shutter speed ring is "Futura Freiburg."

 The focus is controlled by the ring just inside the shutter speed control. This ring has a larger knob sticking out to change the focus as needed to create a sharp focus. The aperture ring is on the lens barrel itself. The aperture range is f/2.8 to f/22. There is an even larger knob located on the outside of the shutter speed ring, which sets the flash sync for "X," electronic flash, or "M," bulb flash.

To remove the lens, you unthread it from the body. The lens has a proprietary thread mount of 33.8mm, so it's not your usual Leica or Pentax thread mount system. I must say, the lens has a very fluid and lean look to it. On the back of the camera is the rangefinder viewing eyepiece. The rangefinder on my camera is exceptionally bright and accurate. We'll see when I test the camera with film in it.

On top of the camera going from left to right, is the rewind knob, which has an arrow on top to show the direction to turn to rewind the film into the cassette. Next is a cold shoe used for a mounted meter or flash attachment.  Behind the cold shoe is a pointer switch, which you can point to either  SW, 'Schwartz/Weiss' (Black & White); C, 'Color'; CN, 'Color Negative.', which is a reminder to the photographer to the film in the camera. Thank you, David Babsky and Mike Eckman, for this information. 

 Next to the cold shoe is a lever which on my camera is a non working on my camera self-timer. Above that and slightly to the right is an additive frame counter. Twist the dial to "0" when you load the film, and the frame counter increases. Just below the frame counter is the cable release threaded shutter release. An interesting item about the shutter release is you can "lock" it down for longer exposures by turning it to the right after depressing it, which locks it in the open position until you turn it to the left to release it. 

Having the locking shutter release is good if you don't have a cable release, but the bad thing is you're still moving the camera a bit during exposure, which might create blur in the image. On the far right is the film advance knob. This turns counterclockwise to advance the film.

 Four nubs on the bottom of the camera lift it and give it stability when placed on a flat surface. Also, there are two knurled buttons, one on the left, to release the drive gear and allow the film to be rewound into the film cassette. The larger one in the center of the camera opens the back of the camera to load film. Slide the larger button toward the arrow pointing to "O," and the back will come off by pulling it down.

Once the back is off the camera, the take-up spool comes out for more effortless film loading. The camera's serial number is imprinted on the metal plate under the frame window. My serial number is S11244. When you put the back onto the camera and slide it up, it automatically locks onto the camera.

 My Results:

Now that I have put a roll of T-Max 400, 24-exposure film into the camera, which I purchased out of date a few months back, I want to walk around the neighborhood to take photos. Unfortunately, my wife was taking a nap, so I needed to keep my eye on our two dogs, who have a tendency to bark when out of sight. So, I just stayed mainly in my backyard to take the photos.

 I have to say the camera was extremely fun to shoot with, but the one thing that kept bugging me was the camera advance knob. I'm just not used to turning the knob counterclockwise to advance the film. It's not that big of a deal, but I kept turning it clockwise for the first few frames to advance the frame. Once I had it in my head that the winding knob was "backward," it went smoothly, and the camera did a fantastic job. 

 Here are a few of the frames from my backyard.

Conclusion:

I don't know how I didn't know about the Futura-S for so many years. It's a fantastic German rangefinder camera with excellent optics. While my camera could use a complete CLA to bring it up to excellent condition, I have to say that for its condition, it did great.

 I can see why this is a desirable camera, especially for the discounted price from top brands like Leica or Alpa. The camera is compact and easy to use, and the rangefinder produces fantastic results.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your day to read about this underappreciated German rangefinder built in the 1950s.

 I'd love to hear from you if you have any questions or comments about this camera.

 Until next week, please be safe. 

Rajar No. 6 Camera

My Rajar No. 6 camera

I don't know what it is about the Rajar No. 6 camera, but ever since I purchased my first McKeown's camera guide more than 40 years ago and spent hours leafing through the pages learning about all the different styles and shapes of cameras, I've always desired to have one in my collection.

 It wasn't until just a few months ago that I pulled the trigger and purchased one from a great reseller in the U.K. It was listed for parts that were not working. The seller was selling the camera for a friend and wasn't sure if it was in good working condition. They mentioned the shutter fired but couldn't guarantee the other working parts of the camera, so I took a chance and purchased it. I don't know why it took so long to get one.

 The shape of the face and the crosshatching on the camera's face drew me to it. It has a very classy and classic look, which is something I find on many cameras made during this timeframe.

 It took a while for the camera to arrive from the U.K., but it arrived last week, and I was anxious to see its physical condition. To my surprise, the camera was not only in excellent physical condition with no chips in the Bakelite, but the shutter was firing, and there was a roll of film still in the camera, which the seller failed to mention, so I was doubly happy.

 I took hold of the film advance knob to see if the film was advancing, and it was so at this point, I didn't see anything wrong with the camera. Not knowing how old the film was, I went outside to take the last few frames on the included old roll of film, and it wasn't until I got to the final frame I found out what was wrong with the camera. 

 I wasn't aware of what was so different in the film spool until I took the film out of the camera, which I needed to do in a dark bag since the camera stopped winding right after I took the final photo on the roll of film included with the camera.

 The Rajar No.6 camera has a special take-up spool written right there on the back of the camera, "only the Rajar No. 6 spool will fit this camera". I saw that when the camera arrived and at first I thought I couldn't shoot with it because it took a different or special size of film. Nope, it's the take-up spool. At least in my camera, the take-up spool is special and has a square tip that fits into the take-up spool instead of a slot that fits into most 120 spools. 

 It appears the Rajar No.6 has a brass item attached to the metal take-up spool that had become loose, making it impossible for the camera to wind the film to the next frame. The drive portion came loose, and the film wouldn't advance anymore. The disconnect of the brass piece and the take-up spool must have happened during the winding of the film, as it was working for a few frames. Another explanation is that the brass portion was stuck to the take-up spool and became loose after the film was with a few frames.

The Company:

Rajar No. 6 nameplate

Rajar Ltd. was established in 1901 as an offshoot of Brooks-Watson Daylight Camera Company Ltd., which had a facility in Liverpool. The company produced camera film, paper, and Rajar film backs for daylight loading film. In 1904, it moved to Moberly and was renamed Rajar Ltd.

 In 1921, Rajar Ltd. They merged with six other companies to form APM, Amalgamated Photographic Manufacturers Ltd. In London, in 1928, four companies involved in film manufacturing formed APeM, Amalgamated Photographic Equipment Manufacturers Ltd. APeM, which would eventually be rolled into Ilford, which is still one of the major film companies today.

 The Rajar No. 6 camera was introduced in 1929, just a year after APeM started. APeM also produced box camera as well.

The one thing that makes the Rajar No.6 camera unique is that the camera body, faceplate, and back are all made from Bakelite. The Rajar No. 6  was the first camera to have the majority of the camera built with the new material. As I mentioned earlier, it's incredible that after almost 100 years, the Bakelite is still in fabulous condition. There are no chips to be found, and the camera still has the gorgeous shine of the new camera.

My Camera:

My Rajar camera measures 6.5" tall by 4" wide, including the winding key, by 4.5" deep when the camera is extended. My camera weighs 1 lb. 0,6 oz., so the camera is very light. The camera is extremely simple as it has a meniscus lens, and an "Everest" shutter, meaning it doesn't cock. When you move the shutter release from one side to the other, the shutter fires, and then when you move it back, the shutter fires again, so you'll need to wind the film right after taking the photo to avoid double exposures.

There is no aperture setting, as the lens aperture is set to what I'm guessing at F8. The only shutter speed setting is for instant or timed exposures. The Rajar No.6 camera is a strut-style folding camera, which means the camera body pulls away from the body on four chrome rigid arms, as opposed to the traditional folding bed style.

 It took me a few minutes to figure out how to pull the faceplate away from the body, but when I held the camera upside down, the faceplate dropped, and it was easy to pull it away from the body and lock it into position. To close the camera, you only need to pull outward on the four strut corners, and the faceplate folds back into the camera body. There is a small viewfinder on the top of the camera, but this only works for vertical photos. There is no viewfinder for horizontal images unless you tilt your head, which is very uncomfortable.

To open the back of the camera to load film, two clips hold the back onto the camera's body. Just flip back the clips, and the back can be lifted off easily. The Rajar No. 6 camera is a 6x9 format camera and takes eight exposures on a roll of 120 film. Yes, the only difference between the No. 6 spool is the take-up spool. It's not a different film size, as 120 film fits the camera well. I've even seen that Rajar made an adapter to fit onto its square proprietary film take-up end to fit into 120 film spools. I don't have one of the adapters, so I'll need to keep my special take-up spool and reuse it with each roll of film.

My Photos:

Since the take-up spool appeared to be broken and I couldn't pull the film from it, I glued the special square drive area directly onto the metal spool that it was spinning freely on. After waiting an hour or so for the glue to dry, I loaded a roll of 120 film into the camera and onto the special take-up reel. The take-up spool worked wonderfully, and I got through the roll of film without a hitch. In fact, the film transport was extremely smooth.

 Here are some results from walking through my neighborhood with the Rajar No. 6 camera.

Conclusion.

The images have a softness that I find appealing. They are very similar to Lomography-style cameras like the Diana. They seem a bit sharper than a Diana, but the lens has a creamy effect on the images (in my opinion). I enjoy that the corners are rounded on the negatives. I also see that the images extend into the rebate portion of the film's border, as I can see the film name and other information in the image area.

 The camera worked great. The shutter was smooth, and the film transport was even smoother. Once I glued the two pieces together and dropped the film into the camera, the photo-taking experience went flawlessly.

 The camera is compact, rugged, and a real "point-and-shoot" style camera. I aimed the camera for horizontal images and figured the lens on the camera was most likely for wide images, which proved to be true.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes to read about this fun and easy camera to shoot with.

 I'd love to hear from you, so if you have any experience with this camera or any of the others I've written about, please email me.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Kowa Six MM Camera

My Kowa Six MM camera.

For some odd reason, I've always felt negative about Kowa cameras. It goes back to when I worked in a camera store in the mid- to late 1970s. The first job I had was handling camera repairs for the shop, which meant packing up the cameras, shipping them to the manufacturer or independent repair facilities, handling the repair estimates, pricing them when they came back from repairs, and calling the customers to let them know their camera was back and ready to be picked up. 

 I can remember when I received notices from many of the camera repair facilities that Kowa cameras were no longer serviceable due to a lack of parts, and that still sticks in my mind to this day. There was always a thought in the back of my mind that if you had a Kowa camera and something happened to it, it was not repairable. 

 It wasn't until many years later, and when I say many, probably 40 years later, that I visited a repair facility in Los Angeles. This person had many Kowa cameras and said he could repair them. He liked the quality of the camera. These weren't the 35mm Kowa camera but the Kowa Six medium-format camera. At that moment, my thought process switched, and the negative stigma of a horrible camera turned to something somewhat positive.

Kowa Six MM with grip.

 Fast-forward about five years, and I had the opportunity to pick up a Kowa Six MM camera for a reasonable price. I didn't know if the camera was in good working condition, but I knew where to get it fixed if it wasn't working.

 When the camera arrived, I started to fiddle with it for a bit, and my negative thoughts faded when the camera was in good working condition. The Kowa Six had a 55mm f3.5 lens, which I like, and a grip for the camera, which gave the purchase more value. As I was playing with the camera, I went from a negative feeling about the camera from many years ago, to WOW, this is a nice and well-built camera. It was time to put some film in the camera and see what this camera can do.

Company History:

Kowa, a Japanese company, has a long and fascinating history in optics, including producing high-quality cameras and lenses. Founded in 1894 as a trading company, Kowa Co., Ltd. initially focused on textiles and later expanded into various industries, including pharmaceuticals and electronics. Its entrance into the optical and photographic industry began in the mid-20th century, marking a significant era for the company.

Ad for Kowa Six camera.

 Kowa began producing photographic equipment in the 1950s, when Japan's camera industry flourished. One of its earliest camera lines was the Kowa Six, a medium-format 6x6 cm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera introduced in the early 1960s. The Kowa Six and its successors—the Kowa 6 MM and Kowa Super 66—became particularly popular among professional and serious amateur photographers due to their solid construction, sharp lenses, and competitive pricing. These cameras were often praised for their simplicity and reliability. They offered interchangeable lenses and accessories similar to more expensive competitors like Hasselblad.

 In addition to medium-format cameras, Kowa produced a range of 35mm film cameras. The Kowa SW, a fixed-lens wide-angle camera introduced in 1964, was particularly notable for its ultra-wide 28mm lens. Other models, like the Kowa SER and Kowa H series, featured leaf shutters and high-quality fixed lenses, catering to various photographic needs. Despite strong optical performance, Kowa's 35mm cameras struggled to gain significant market share, especially against major players like Canon, Nikon, and Minolta.

 Kowa eventually withdrew from the still camera market in the 1970s, focusing instead on its core strengths in optics and electronics. However, the company remained in the optical field, becoming well-known for producing spotting scopes, binoculars, and lenses for industrial and medical applications. Today, Kowa lenses are used in various professional contexts, from wildlife observation to television broadcasting.

 Though Kowa's time in the consumer camera market was relatively brief, its medium-format cameras have left a lasting impression. Collectors and film photography enthusiasts who value their durability, sharp optics, and mechanical precision still seek them out. While sometimes overlooked, Kowa's contribution to photographic history represents a unique chapter in Japan's post-war camera industry boom.

My Camera:

 My Kowa Six MM camera is 5" tall when the light chimney is closed and 7.5" tall with it open, 4.5" wide including the winding lever, and 4" deep without the lens attached. The serial number on my Kowa Six MM is 325240. The lens on my camera is the first of three generations and is a  55mm f3.5 lens. The serial number on my lens is 153507. One of the great things about the Kowa Six system is that all the lenses have leaf shutters built into them, which is very similar to the Hasselblad system. My Kowa Six MM with 55mm F3.5 lens weighs 4lb. 9.7oz without the side grip.

The shutter speed built into the lens goes from 1/500 to 1 sec. Along with "T" for timed exposure, the aperture ranges from F3.5 to F22. One of the advantages I found about the Kowa Six MM was how easy it is to set the focus, shutter speed, and aperture, which are all located on the lens barrel. Each setting has its ring and is easily moved and marked. The focus ring moves smoothly, and the shutter speed and aperture rings click into the desired setting. The lens also has the flash PC socket, along with a switch to set the 10-second self-timer (V), along with the flash settings for bulb (M), electronic flash (X). The shutter release is on the front and bottom right of the camera body. There is also a locking collar around the shutter release to prevent releasing the shutter when you don't want to.

 When reading about the camera, a few things were mentioned. One of the items mentioned was that the camera tends to move the focus slightly due to the mirror movement, causing the image to lose sharpness. I'm unsure if the focus or the camera is moving, which causes the image to be a bit soft, but I'll be aware of that when I shoot the camera.

 To view your subject, open the light chimney. Pull up on either side of the light chimney, and the viewfinder opens easily. There is a magnifier for critical focus, which you can activate by sliding a button along the back of the front. Sliding the button to the right pops up the magnifying lens. Pushing it down will lock it out of position. The light chimney has hinges on the side that must be squeezed together to close the viewfinder.

You can change to a different viewfinder by pressing a chrome button between the strap lug and film locking lug. Once the button is pressed, slide the viewfinder forward to remove it. You can also remove and change the focus screen by pressing the same chrome button and lifting the focusing screen. Put the focus screen back, line up the red dot on the camera with the red dot on the focusing screen, and drop the screen back into place. Pressing the chrome button to seat the focusing screen into position. You can slide the viewfinder back on, and it will lock into position once it's pushed back onto the camera.

The collar on the body must be turned counterclockwise to remove the lens. Before moving the collar, you'll need to wind the camera so the camera is in the "cocked" position and the mirror is down. You can move the collar somewhat, but until you slide the lens locking button back, the collar won't move the entire way to remove the lens. To put the lens back onto the camera, you'll line up the red mark on the lens to the red mark on the camera body, and turn the collar clockwise to lock the lens back onto the camera body.

To open the back to load film, turn the lever on the bottom of the camera to the "O" position, and the back of the camera unlocks. Lift the back door, which exposes the film chamber. Bring the empty reel from the bottom of the chamber to the top, which will now be your take-up spool. Pull out the film locking knobs on the side of the camera to put in the empty spool and the new roll of film you're loading into the camera. Bring the leader up to the empty spool and thread the lead into the slot and turn the winding knob on the right side of the camera to take up the loose film. There ia a handle built into the winding knob to make the turning of the knob easier. Keep winding until the "start" arrow points to the red dots on the sides of the shutter, close the back, and continue to wind until the winding lever stops. At this point, the frame counter will be on number one, and you're ready to start taking photos.

 The Kowa Six MM will take either 120 or 220 film. If you plan on shooting 220 film, be sure to change the pressure plate to the proper position, and on the side of the camera, make sure you've selected "24" on the selector between the strap lug and frame counter on the right side of the camera. Selecting 24 tells the camera you're shooting 24 images on 220 film instead of 12 exposures on 120 film.

You can also lock the mirror "up" by turning the knob on the right side of the camera to the "up" position. This function reduced camera vibration. You can also do double or multiple exposures on the Kowa Six MM. To do so, after your fist image, turn the knob on the top of right side of the camera from the orange dot and orange line which is for normal film advance to the red dot and red line. This is disengaging the film advance so you can do multiple exposures. Once you're done, turn the dial back to the orange dot and line position, and the film will advance.

As I mentioned, my Kowa Six MM camera has a side bracket, making it easy to hold and handle. Still, I didn't realize how nice this grip was when I went to take it off. Not only is there a nut that hold the bracket onto the camera, but there also a screw that locks the nut into place so it doesn't accidentally get unscrewed and have the camera fall off the grip.

My Results:

Since the clouds were moving in and out, I didn't want to shoot a slow-speed film, so I loaded the Kowa Six MM with a roll of Ilford 125 ISO film and proceeded to walk through the neighborhood, focusing on many of the spring flowers that have been blooming this time of year. After walking around, I went home and processed the film. Here are the results from my walk through the neighborhood.

My Conclusion.

WOW!!! Was I wrong for so many years? This camera worked fantastically and was fun to use. The viewfinder was bright, the magnifier was easy to use, the shutter speeds sounded accurate, and having the shutter speed, aperture ring, and focus all in the same spot was fantastic.

 The film advance was smooth, and carrying the camera with the grip made it very comfortable. I understand why the technician who coveted the Kowa liked the camera so much. The system offers nine lenses from 19mm to 500mm, different viewfinders and focusing screens, so it's complete. The price of these cameras is less than half of Hasselblad's, and they are smaller and easier to handle. I'll keep this camera for a while and see if I can expand the lenses I have for it. While I like the wide-angle lenses, getting an 85mm standard lens would be nice and slightly cut down on the weight.

 I love to hear from the people who read my posts. If you have a question or comment, please let me know. I'm always looking for ways to improve this experience.

 Until next week, please be safe.