The Perfex Signet 35

Trying to be clever in my titles. As I am way behind in posting, but rarely up to posting to "this week" as the photos are not recent.. I decided I would just post these pics and camera porn as it was, some from the Fall and some from Spring.

Just before I visited home (USA) in Octiober, my sister had forwarded a Signet 35 with an 44mm 3.5 Ektar lens together with a top mount Speed Graphic viewfinder and a 3D printed lens board also for the Speed Graphic. You might recall I posted of my adventures with the 90mm 6.8 Optar.

I recently had a similar vintage Kodak Pony ansd liked very much the build quality. Unfortunately, the shutter stopped and in my "repair" managed to "TTTWWIIINNG " first one and then two critical springs flew away . Suffice to say the Pon is now placed on the growing pile of shame.

I shot one roll with some loading problems before I went to the US and I've repeated some of the same mistakes here in the Spring.

While in the USA, I found a camera I bought some 12 or so years ago This was a Perfex 55 I was going to ask my Father to send it to to me, but it got sort of lost in the family homestead ...years passed ...etc . While there I stumbled upon it, and a Takumar 50mm ? Which actually belongs to my younger brother BJ. I left it there b/c it's his.

Some of us have voiced a rather low opinion of the Signet,, I was very enamoured of a post done here on the forum the photos were ishot n the desert with a yellow filter.

 

Kodak Signet 35 in California

 

Two other reason why I went for the Signet: I like semi wides like 42mm and 35mm focal lengths, and I don't own a Ektar intended for 35mm film. The other two are the 101mm for 2x3 Century and the 127mm for the 4x5 Speed Graphic.

Both of these cameras have been featured here in the past. I will mention my Perfex 55 is actually in pretty good condition and I have the screw-on shutter release lock. With both of these models and with the Signet twice, I failed to properly load the film lead. which I relaized after a while.. as this happened the first time around with the Signet ..you feel like an idiot. Slow Learner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well besides losing half the Signet roll to improperly loaded film, I sleeved the negatives while they were a bit damp. This results in tiny bits of Pergamin on the negs... which I tried to remove by re-wash the strips ... :( with varying degrees of success

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used the RF for the above pic. The patch is a green Triangle. Seems Ok

 

The next few are from a roll done in March which is a "I don't know WTF happened." Shame .. as the few images that made it .. look nice. Maybe I tried some "shady" yellow filter .. the whole roll had a veil of darkness with one ot two pics only partially affected or not at all. My short term memory sucks, I think it was this camera :(

 

 

 

Proof Sheet This is screen shot of what the scanned roll looked lik,,

 

 

 

Sample of how most of the above frames rendered

 

 

 

What might've been

 

As this was a wash.. I had to shoot another roll in the God Damned thing!!

 

 

My front Yard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That was it for the Signet

 

Let's move on to the Perfex . Here I managed to scratch the next roll.. I have since checked the camera over and the rollers were a bit rough so I ran some fine emery cloth over them

I travelled to nearby Venlo .. it's a custom to travel/shop to Holland ..back in the day people were arrested for smuggling coffee which was a lot cheaper . Still wuite the draw on the weekends.

 

 

 

 

 

Out of sequence .. view from my front door

 

 

From Venlo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here I used the RF as with the other and it appears to work Ok.. IT is a bit tricky to get the patch to appear

 

Edited June 26, 2022 by chuck_foreman|1

Well I tried to delete the last photo.. but the edit timer had run out.. it's not very sharp now is it??

Trying to be clever in my titles. As I am way behind in posting, but rarely up to posting to "this week" as the photos are not recent.. I decided I would just post these pics and camera porn as it was, some from the Fall and some from Spring.

Just before I visited home (USA) in Octiober, my sister had forwarded a Signet 35 with an 44mm 3.5 Ektar lens together with a top mount Speed Graphic viewfinder and a 3D printed lens board also for the Speed Graphic. You might recall I posted of my adventures with the 90mm 6.8 Optar.

I recently had a similar vintage Kodak Pony ansd liked very much the build quality. Unfortunately, the shutter stopped and in my "repair" managed to "TTTWWIIINNG " first one and then two critical springs flew away . Suffice to say the Pon is now placed on the growing pile of shame.

I shot one roll with some loading problems before I went to the US and I've repeated some of the same mistakes here in the Spring.

While in the USA, I found a camera I bought some 12 or so years ago This was a Perfex 55 I was going to ask my Father to send it to to me, but it got sort of lost in the family homestead ...years passed ...etc . While there I stumbled upon it, and a Takumar 50mm ? Which actually belongs to my younger brother BJ. I left it there b/c it's his.

Some of us have voiced a rather low opinion of the Signet,, I was very enamoured of a post done here on the forum the photos were ishot n the desert with a yellow filter.

 

Kodak Signet 35 in California

 

Two other reason why I went for the Signet: I like semi wides like 42mm and 35mm focal lengths, and I don't own a Ektar intended for 35mm film. The other two are the 101mm for 2x3 Century and the 127mm for the 4x5 Speed Graphic.

Both of these cameras have been featured here in the past. I will mention my Perfex 55 is actually in pretty good condition and I have the screw-on shutter release lock. With both of these models and with the Signet twice, I failed to properly load the film lead. which I relaized after a while.. as this happened the first time around with the Signet ..you feel like an idiot. Slow Learner

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431640[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]1431641[/ATTACH]

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431642[/ATTACH]

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431644[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=full]1431645[/ATTACH]

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431646[/ATTACH]

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431647[/ATTACH]

'

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431648[/ATTACH]

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431649[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

 

Well besides losing half the Signet roll to improperly loaded film, I sleeved the negatives while they were a bit damp. This results in tiny bits of Pergamin on the negs... which I tried to remove by re-wash the strips ... :( with varying degrees of success

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431650[/ATTACH]

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431651[/ATTACH]

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431652[/ATTACH]

 

I used the RF for the above pic. The patch is a green Triangle. Seems Ok

 

The next few are from a roll done in March which is a "I don't know WTF happened." Shame .. as the few images that made it .. look nice. Maybe I tried some "shady" yellow filter .. the whole roll had a veil of darkness with one ot two pics only partially affected or not at all. My short term memory sucks, I think it was this camera :(

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431653[/ATTACH]

 

Proof Sheet This is screen shot of what the scanned roll looked lik,,

 

[ATTACH=full]1431654[/ATTACH]

 

 

Sample of how most of the above frames rendered

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431655[/ATTACH]

 

What might've been

 

As this was a wash.. I had to shoot another roll in the God Damned thing!!

 

[ATTACH=full]1431656[/ATTACH]

 

My front Yard

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431658[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431660[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=full]1431661[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That was it for the Signet

 

Let's move on to the Perfex . Here I managed to scratch the next roll.. I have since checked the camera over and the rollers were a bit rough so I ran some fine emery cloth over them

I travelled to nearby Venlo .. it's a custom to travel/shop to Holland ..back in the day people were arrested for smuggling coffee which was a lot cheaper . Still wuite the draw on the weekends.

 

[ATTACH=full]1431662[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431663[/ATTACH]

 

Out of sequence .. view from my front door

 

[ATTACH=full]1431664[/ATTACH]

 

From Venlo

 

[ATTACH=full]1431665[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431666[/ATTACH]

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1431667[/ATTACH]

 

Here I used the RF as with the other and it appears to work Ok.. IT is a bit tricky to get the patch to appear

 

[ATTACH=full]1431659[/ATTACH]

Wir gehen nach Holland, auf grosse Butterfahrt,

weil Mutter gern 'ne Mark am Futter spart.

Wir kaufen billig, denn wir haben Grips,

und immer kommen wir nach Hause mit 'nem Schwips.

Wir kaufen billig, denn wir haben Grips,

und immer kommen wir nach Hause mit 'nem Schwips.

 

Venlo regularly used to see more visitors from Germany than it had inhabitants. Still does on German holidays. Goods were advertised in German and priced in DM, instead of Fl. Now it's Euroos on both sides of the border, of course.

Works the other way round too. Many banks and supermarkets in nearby German towns, popular by the Dutch. And gasoline is about 20 - 25 % cheaper in Germany.

Nowadays, i hope the two musea you show draw in just as many visitors. But hope springs eternal. ;-)

Well done Chuck, great to read of your adventures with the two cameras and see some results! I really like the Signet with that superb Ektar lens; I always feel it's a baby brother of the Medalist with it's wonderful Ektar lens, another camera I enjoy using when I'm feeling fit. Fine photographs of the camera, as well. I'm not familiar with the Perfex cameras, but your samples suggest that your copy has a nice lens and is capable of producing good results. And don't feel bad about your "pile of shame"; I have a box full of failed repair attempts. Thanks for posting!