Another Classic - the Prinz 35 ER

<p>Yes, the Prinz 35 ER (Electronic Rangefinder?). I think its a classic anyway.</p>

 

<p lang="en-US">I’ve had it for some years but only recently got around to using it. It’s one of those little 80’s compacts which just had everything you needed for easy picture taking - a decent lens, a rangefinder for focussing, and electronic exposure. This one has shutter priority with speeds from 1/8 to 1/500 plus B set on the lens barrel , and when set on auto, it selects the aperture which is indicated via a needle in the finder. The manual settings are for flash. I’ve got the instructions somewhere.</p><div></div>

<p lang="en-US">The lens is a nice 40mm f1.7, marked PRINZ COLOUR CORRECTED. Of course Prinz was the major UK retailer Dixon’s own brand name, but I think these were made by Cosina, with various brandings and probably minor differences. I’ve found claims that it is the same camera as the Revue 400 SE, Vivitar 35ES, Minolta Hi-Matic 7sII and Konica Auto S3.</p>

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<p lang="en-US">It’s pleasant and easy to use with a reasonable finder and bright rangefinder patch.</p><div></div>

<p lang="en-US">The results made me wonder if it is actually a Minolta lens. The colours were vivid, and sharpness excellent. You couldn’t tell them apart from another series I did with a Canon T90 and 50mm F1.4 lens. If anything the Prinz has the edge.</p>

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<p lang="en-US">These are straight from the commercial scans with no processing except a light unsharp mask after resizing.</p><div></div>

<p>Its a Fujicolour C200 print film, bought from and developed and scanned at a local Boots store.</p><div></div>

<p>It was raining on the day I took it to the Botanical Garden.</p><div></div>

<p>I've photographed this sculpture loads of times.</p><div></div>

<p>Now some graffiti, well its better than that, wall art really, at a local adventure playground. The colours are brought out vividly, again there's no post processing.</p><div></div>

<p>Another art work. I've shot these with my Canon Powershot G10 but I think the Prinz did a better job.</p><div></div>

<p>And another</p><div></div>

<p>There's two more</p><div></div>

<p>The last one for now. Thanks for looking.</p><div></div>

<p>Well done.</p>

<p>Maybe it's time to just have a "Film Cameras Forum" so's we don't have to anguish over Classic Manual vs Modern Film?</p>

<p>An Asian import to Britain with a German title. I like that. The camera looks to be a clean survivor of a genre of compact 35mm RF cameras that began in the Fifties and whose swan song was the during the late-Seventies. </p>

<p>My guess is that the Prinz still uses a mechanical, spring driven, Copal leaf-shutter. Focusing is a straight forward beam splitter and rotating mirror for the RF patch. Just curious - is there a shutter preferred AE mode?</p>

<p>All in all - a simple to operate, compact 35mm with a very capable 40mm lens. </p>

<p>We are in a stage 2 drought where I live, but I do have to make note to do some more rainy day shooting.</p>

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<p>JDM, yes there are so many cameras in the zone between "Classic Manual" and "Modern Film". For example a Minolta XE1 has auto exposure but otherwise it is pure classic simplicity. At the opposite pole is the Konica Aiborg, an example of which I just acquired. It makes my head hurt just looking at the LCD display, it's so complicated. But the last thing I want to do is start another war about what qualifies as a CMC.</p>

<p>Andrew, it's a shutter priority camera. the manual mode is just for flash seemingly. Unlike say the Minolta version which I read has a full manual mode. The shutter is actually marked Copal. It takes a single standard 1.5V button cell.</p>

<p>Ah yes, it's the vaunted Minolta Hi-Matic 7SII in disguise, along with the legendary 40mm Rokkor f1.7 lens. An exceptional performer, as you have ably shown, <strong>John</strong>; in the Minolta form they're sought-after and expensive. That lens really is one of the best ever fitted to the little rangefinders of the era that your Prinz typifies. The quality of your images demonstrates this, along with your good eye for a picture! Amazing wall-art, too good to be called "graffiti", as you observed. As to who made the camera, I have seen it attributed to Cosina, but it seems to be generally accepted as a Minolta, along with the lens. Lovely little camera, and thanks for an excellent (and appropriate) post.</p>

<p>Off topic - but I had to look up the Konica Aiborg. Whoah! Definitely a camera from the Delta Quadrant. I'll stick to my rangefinder cameras. I'm afraid to ask about the racket an Aiborg makes when shooting in quiet room.</p>

<p>I did a rather over-extended survey of 'bridge' cameras a while back (e.g., the <a href="/modern-film-cameras-forum/00YvJm">Samurai</a>). Badly wanted to get an Aiborg, but even though my conscience is conveniently flexible, enough was clearly enough.</p>

<p>Still tempted though. ;)</p>

<p>John, fertile ground for photography in that sculpture park, and certainly great for testing CMC's. When I saw this I immediately thought Konica S2, but yes, it's the Minolta as well!<br>

Good old Cosina, and I didn't link them to these cameras until now. Prinz was a trade name that we saw plenty of here in Australia, but usually attached to cine cameras and projectors. Thanks for the post.</p>

<p>I think in the states Prinz was sold by Ritz Camera, IIRC. Yeah, specs seem to agree with the Minolta Hi-Matic 7SII. Great shots. And yes, the 7SII is pricey on the used market. Wish I'd bought a couple from stock when we had them in the family camera shop. I'd have kept one and sold the other.;) Thanks for posting.</p>

<p>To me it looks like a product possibly made under contract by Cosina, for Prinz. There is something about the body that also resembles a Ricoh 500G, except for the fast lens of course.</p>

<p>I could be all wet in that. I've been well mistaken before on camera lineage.</p>

<p>Thanks for the comments. A few more shots with the Prinz.</p><div></div>

<p>Leicester Market. The brick building at the back of this shot is the old Indoor Market, soon to be demolished.</p><div></div>

<p>The Town Hall Square fountain</p><div></div>

<p>Last one. detail of the fountain. I'll put the results from the T90 in the Modern Film Cameras forum when I get a minute.</p><div></div>

<p>Back in the late Seventies - I made the discovery that it is nearly impossible to tell whether a photo like the fountain above was made using a compact 35mm rangefinder with a decent lens or a SLR with its kit 50mm - when both are loaded with the same film.</p>

<p>In some cases, I believe the little 35mm rangefinder produced sharper images - as was the case when Nikons were sold the then new E-series 50mm lens. The compact Konica S3 and Minolta 7S II definitely had the edge over the Nikkor E-series. So, I'm not surprised how well the diminutive Prinz rendered the above photos. </p>

<p>This comparison was evident even before the rush to zoom lenses with slower apertures - which by 1990 became the new normal.</p>

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