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john_bear

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  1. CJ - I acknowledge bright frame finders were not invented in 1959, and I am not trying to suggest there was anything "technical" to the use of a single glass cover. Of course it was primarily a styling issue. However, I have noticed that - in several cases - new models introduced around about 1959/60, which included the addition of a bright frame have also been accompanied by the style change to a single glass panel covering the expanded collection of windows, e.g. 1959 Beauty Lightomatic and 1960 Lightomatic II, the 1959 Minolta A3 and the 1960 A5, the 1958 Ricoh 300 and 1960 300s, pre and post 1959 Mamiyas, the 1958 Yashica 35 and the 1959 35 YL, etc. Unless we accept this was a case of convergent evolution, where each manufacturer independently came-up with the idea, then there must otherwise have been some inspirational factor that drove manufacturers to similarly restyle their models at the turn of the decade. The 1958 Minolta V2 is a great early example, because most Minoltas before this camera had visually distinct rangefinder and viewfinder windows, and lacked a bright frame. Was the V2 the first example? Rather than attempt to research this myself, I am trying to draw on the collective wisdom of this forum's membership to suggest camera models that pre-dated 1959, and which may have inspired a design change. This may bring to light further examples where the style change has coincided with the adoption of a bright frame, or inspire some other logic. From the evidence I can find, the introduction of a bright frame, and the resultant two windows becoming three, was connected to the design imperative to stylistically combine the windows under a single piece of glass.
  2. Agreed Allard ... but .... fashion usually follows a trend setter, which begs the question - who did it first? My own "in" to this riddle is the 1959 Beauty Lightomatic becoming the 1960 Lightomatic II, with the most significant change being the inclusion of a bright frame finder, and all the windows getting covered with a single sheet of glass. In this particular example, Werra and Beauty made the change at the same time (ahead of Voigtlander). I cannot name them all, but I have seen lots of examples of other cameras where this design change also came in 1960, but I have failed to identify the first (e.g. a model that did it in 1959). I realise I am being a bit of an anorak, but this was a significant step in the evolution of cameras, and I want to understand it better.
  3. I think I've found the answer to this question (should anyone be interested). Bright Frames! They appear to have become common in 1960, and required a further window to illuminate the projection of frames into the viewfinder, leading to the set of windows being covered with a single piece of glass.
  4. Hi Greg: Yes that is a chart of the automatic settings. I can throw some light on the CLC part, but the explanation probably begs more questions in the case of the Hi-Matic ... as you have suggested. In the SRT 101 SLR, the metering employs two separate cells, situated at the top and bottom view screen edges. These cells measure the light falling on different parts of the view, such that readings may better take into account the contrast in a scene, thereby reducing underexposure of shadows, or other dark areas, and minimising the influence of particularly bright regions (as in backlighting situations). The CLC appears to be a metering circuit designed to give a little bit of bias towards extra exposure when the readings in different parts of the frame varied widely. In effect, CLC metering seems to be bottom weighted average metering to typically prevent a bright sky from causing underexposure in the foreground. Given that the Hi-Matic has one cell, I guess the CLC effect is a global under-exposure? This camera is more mysterious than I had first realised.
  5. http://www.camera.portraits.srv2.com/graphics/himatexpo.png
  6. I was wondering if anyone has considered how this camera actually works? Page 34 of the instruction manual includes a graph of the automatic exposure aperture and shutter speed selection profile. Assuming this is accurate, it suggests intermediate apertures and shutter speed values are invoked: there are only four EVs at which the profile intersects standard stop combinations: • f/2 @ 1/30th for EV 8, • f/5.6 @ 1/60th for EV 11, •f/11 @ 1/125th for EV 14, and • f/22 @ 1/250 for EV 17. I'm not sure what to make of this - it seems an unlikely profile for a wholly mechanical camera? I think if the Hi-Matic was capable of setting intermediate values, this would have surely been something worth mentioning in the literature. Any thoughts?
  7. Sadly it's a fake. Take a look at http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-213.html for guidance on how to spot a fake.
  8. <p>I've been trawling the Net, looking for the December 1960 issue with no luck. Then it occurred to me ... all I have to do is search Photo.net, because <strong>Marc</strong> is bound to have posted a copy ... and BINGO ... there it is. So, can I say "thanks very much" for these postings.</p>
  9. <p><strong>Chuck</strong> - I don't know the answer to any of those questions. All I know is there was a Solinette before the Solinette II, and I have two separate lists (from books) that agree the shutter/lens combinations of the model's variants. I can find no information on the Solinette on the web, nor any photos of one, and postings on forums like this have not brought forward any owners. I am interested in the camera mainly because it seems to be an enigma.</p>
  10. <p>Thanks <strong>JDM</strong>. The same five I listed (didn't bother including the names and numbers, but they match your details).<br> I didn't know there were five Solinette IIs - I'd only identified three different types.<br> I just find it odd that all the images available are of Solinette IIs. </p>
  11. <p>According to the publication "Agfa: Geschichte eines deutschen Weltunternehmens von 1867 bis 1997" (Agfa: story of a German world company from 1867 to 1997), there were five <strong>original</strong> versions of the Agfa Solinette - with the following lens/shutter variations.<br> Solinar f/3.5 - 45mm Synchro-Compur<br />Apotar f/3.5 - 50mm Prontor SV<br />Solinar f/3.5 - 50mm Compur RMXV<br />Apotar f/3.5 - 50mm Prontor SVS<br />Color Apotar f/3.5 - 45mm Prontor SVS (USA only)<br> There are plenty of pictures and references to the Solinette II on the Internet, but I can't find anything on the original Solinette.<br> The purpose of this post is to ask if anyone has an original Solinette, and can post images?<br> I am particularly interested in seeing a picture of the baseboard, since this will presumably be embossed with something other than "Solinette II".<br> <img src="http://www.camera.portraits.srv2.com/graphics/sollogo.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="115" /><br> If there are any other external differences (aside from lens/shutter combinations) between the Solinette and Solinette II, it would be good to find out about them too.<br> Hope someone can help to solve a mystery.</p>
  12. <p>Sorry - but I too much prefer this older version, and did not appreciate the layout and design being dumbed down.</p>
  13. <p>Yes the postage costs to the UK are a total killer ... it's like this company are attempting to discourage overseas sales. It would cost one quarter of that price to send something from the UK to the USA. I too want one of these battery caps, but there is no way I'm going to pay more than £10 for postage.</p>
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