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<p>Actually, it's the Dacora-Matic 4D in very thin disguise; various Hanimex versions are known to exist but this one still has the lens marked "Dacora Dignar" rather than "Hanimex" or "Hanimar". The bezel around the front of the lens is a truly awful shiny vinyl circle with raised mock-chrome lettering, and I'll bet if I peeled it back I'd find a Dacora-something underneath...I suspect that this copy is a very early version of the Electra II.<br /><br />This is certainly a most unusual camera, possibly unique. Manufactured by Dacora-Kamerawerk in Reutlingen, Germany in the period 1966-66, it was also marketed as the Ilford Sportsmaster in the UK. Quite why Jack Hannes decide to run with it as part of his Hanimex empire is rather a mystery; it's sales in Australia and New Zealand were apparently minimal and today it's a fairly rare item. The four buttons on the front each performs two functions; on depression it causes the lens focusing helical to revolve to a specified distance, and further pressure releases the shutter. <em>Each</em> button does this, so you can imagine what the machinery behind the front plate looks like. I've seen photographs, and<em> I</em> wouldn't want to venture in with a screwdriver...Ranked from the top, the buttons with their little symbols provide for landscape/infinity, groups, single figure and portraits. No finer adjustment is possible.</p><div>00Yfqu-354823584.jpg.5b0f0ee609b49873ae9055b33a7e0f7f.jpg</div>
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<p>Obviously, with all the linkages, nothing feels very smooth or positive. The system works on this copy, but the camera-shake must have been legendary. Exposures were controlled by the Bertram selenium light meter adjusting apertures, with settings and go/no-go symbols visible in the viewfinder. I no longer get the signals in this copy, though the aperture does appear to alter with changes in light intensity. It's a primitive system; setting the ISO rating of the film sets a constant shutter speed throughout, from 1/30th with 10 ISO film through to 1/500th with 200 ISO. This is totally inflexible, and has obvious drawbacks. A manual aperture adjustment is provided for flash photography. From all accounts the 45mm f/2.8 Dignar lens is a reasonable performer, but I'm not going to put a film through this oddity; life's just too short. But I thought you might be interested to see one of my stranger acquisitions.</p>
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<blockquote>

<p>This is totally inflexible</p>

</blockquote>

<p>From your description, it sounds like you can put it in flash mode and manually set your aperture wherever you want... and with the asa setting you can manually set your shutter speed on whatever you want. The only thing not flexible is the zone focus ranges, it sounds like.</p>

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<p>Good point, <strong>Cliff</strong>, though I bet the average user never spotted that trick! The data regarding the operation of the system was never available to the user, so far as I know, and I'm sure it never appeared in the manual...But if anyone knows better, please correct me!</p>
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<p>I do not know this camera but I suspect that the shutter speed is set to 1/30 in flash mode, allowing for the usage of bulb flashes which still were popular in the 60s. The possibility to change shutter speeds in flash mode via the ASA setting would have been an error source, and obviously the designers of this camera wanted to avoid any errors due to wrong user settings.</p>
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<p><strong>Winfried</strong>, it appears that once the aperture ring is moved from "Auto" the camera defaults to 1/30th or thereabouts, and altering the ISO speed then has no effect on shutter speeds. This was a common with many similar cameras. So you're probably quite correct in your assumption. Sorry, <strong>Cliff</strong>!</p>
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<p>Rick, If the camera doesn't have M and X flash sync, I guess the 1/30th flash speed would keep the shutter open long enough for flash bulbs to reach their peak power (?).<br>

Those four toggle/buttons on the front remind me of the three toggles on the top of the Fotron, except the buttons on your camera perform more [useful] functions then those on the Fotron.<br>

Are you sure you're not going to run at least one roll of short dated film found on $ale trough the camera?</p>

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<p>Thanks for the comments. I <em>will</em> have to take a good hard look at where I'm heading...<strong>Gene</strong>'s influence can't be anything but good, though I appreciate your concern, <strong>Steve</strong>. Thank you, both. You're right <strong>Capital</strong>, I noticed in the other current thread regarding old stuff that we share a similar viewpoint. This really is gimmickry at it's worst! Or best...</p>

<p>You're right, <strong>Marc</strong>, about 1/30th of a second was as fast as you could go, giving the bulb time to ignite. I'd actually like a Fotron for my collection of weird machines. But then I'd also like a '56 Chrysler, <strong>Kevin</strong>. Nice point regarding the accordion, <strong>Tonu</strong>.</p>

<p><strong>Starvy</strong>, <strong>Rob</strong> and <strong>Peter</strong> are shoving me into putting a film through the beast. I just wish no-one had raised the subject of "The Triple Dog Dare"...</p>

 

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<p>It could be a four button accordion if it had a bellows.</p>

<p>I remember my uncle's early '60's Chrysler Newport with the pushbuttons on the left side of the dashboard. aka. dash shifter</p>

<p> </p>

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It shouldn't take much to disable the 1/30th lock on the shutter so it would work with electronic flash at any speed. Then camera shake woud not be a problem when you push the funky buttons, and you could use it in manual mode at any speed and aperture. But it may not be worth the effort.
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Wow waht a find! That's something I've never seen before. I hope it works as funky as it looks.. apparently so based on some comments. And indeed I wouldf immediately think of thoser transmissions. I think I've seen both mentioned! This camer belons to a museum.....uumm I think you've got on there in your cupboard Rick..right?
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<p>You're right, <strong>Cliff</strong>, but I really don't think I want to get inside the thing. It's really more of a curiosity than a picture-maker! And <strong>Tim</strong>, those buttons are<em> so</em> like the "dash shifter", but I don't think I'll worry about the bellows, either.</p>

<p>It's certainly an oddball, <strong>Chuck</strong>, and the silly thing is sitting right here, looking at me. From the look of all the old clutter on my desk, it could well be in a museum...</p>

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