Fujica 35 Auto-M

Yes, I'm hooked on Fujicas, but if you've used them perhaps you could understand why. All of the examples I've

acquired have really sharp lenses, impressively so, and their quirky ergonomics somehow seem to work quite well.

This one is the 35 Auto-M, a fairly hefty camera although not too big. It has a unique auto-setting that will

allow you to set the speed while it sets the proper aperture, but if the speed you choose isn't appropriate,

it'll automatically adjust both speed and aperture--a program-shift mode! The camera is fun to use, although I

wish it had the same f/1.9 lens of the 35-SE and 35-EE instead of 'just' a 2.8 lens. It sports the usual Fujica

features, side-mounted rewind lever, bottom plate film advance, but on this one the focus is done the traditional

way, by turning the lens rather than the thumbwheel on the rear deck. I was very fortunate to find one in

excellent condition with everything in working order, although there are some specks of dust inside the meter

housing that I can't get to. Here are a couple of shots from the camera...<div></div>

Shot number two...<div></div>

Here's the camera...<div></div>

Almost forgot this one...<div></div>

That last shot is very impressive, great exposure!

when pictured so beautifully they do look rather lovely. i once saw one of these in a charity shop going for 5 uk pounds. i was tempted but only had a ten pound note on me and after picking up a few old jazz records, there wasn't enough for the fujica.

Hi Andy, good to see some more Fujica photos, awesome cloud!

 

Tony

Andy,

 

She is a nice camera and remembers me some Retina-s with the film winding in the bottom (Not worse than the left one on the top of the Rollei-s). Nevertheless, Fujinon is an excellent glass as much as other well known.

 

The pictures are handsome. I like most the first one (Green grass needs pink clouds. You knew it!)

 

Regards.

Finally there is one user of an outstanding camera. This camera was built around the Copal Magic shutter and was (almost, see below) the only camera featuring an auto-exposure system with some kind of early program shift. All this was done inside the shutter and the Copal Magic probably is the most complicated mechanical leaf shutter ever built (and probably impossible to repair).

 

There was another camera with similar features, the soviet Sokol. When I got one and opened the shutter I thought that this could not be a soviet shutter, it was nicely made and very well designed. Actually, it's a (probably licensed) copy of the Copal Magic. The first prototypes of the Sokol still had a selenium meter but the production model had a CdS meter (with 5 or 3 "eyes" around the lens barrel - for design reasons only, only one of the "eyes" has a meter cell behind). They also added a rangefinder (which is very accurate due to its large base) and a viewfinder indicator of the shutter speed/aperture combo. Could have been a great success if it hadn't had some serious flaws. The Sokol was marketed in Germany by Foto-Quelle for some time.

 

BTW, the lens power is limited by the shutter aperture and it was probably difficult enough to accomodate all the gears and levers necessary for the speed/aperture setting and coupling in a housing allowing for a f/2.8 lens.

That's a neat looking little camera, and it (and you) takes great pics. Fuji does make good glass.

Hi, Andy You're starting to make me feel even more embarrassed, mate, on top of the recent Fuji Compact 35 post discussions. I've got one of these 35 Auto-M Fujicas too, and it's just sitting there along with the other Fujicas, Samocas and Yamatos on my collection shelf for Japanese weird stuff. I've never used it, because although the shutter fires appropriately and the CRF focusses fine, I'd always assumed it had a long-dead selenium meter hiding somewhere in that central VF area. Certainly the metering needle doesn't move. However, your nice pics tempted me to check with my McK's about its heritage - and they reckon it's got a CDS metering system!

 

So, put me straight here - I can't find anywhere that a CDS battery could be hiding. So, are McK's wrong, and it is a selenium meter job? Conversely, if they're right - just where the hell is that CDS battery compartment? (Perplexed Pete In Perth)

The Fujicas are sweet cameras. Enjoy!

Thanks everyone for the nice comments!

 

Winfried--I happen to agree that it's an outstanding camera. You've given me more information on it than I've been able to find anywhere. The shutter assembly sounds amazing, to say the least.

 

(Perplexed) Peter--It's a selenium meter, so no battery. Get your Auto-M off the shelf and take it for a spin--it's very nice to use. Even if the meter is dead, meter manually and fire away. One thing to remember; in order to change the settings, the film has to be advanced. Have fun with it!

I tried to fix my first Sokol without any knowledge about the metering system. Behind the shutter I found a so-called "differential gear" driving shafts which set the shutter speed and the aperture. The differential gear was some kind of carriage which was moved by a needle-trap mechanism. Differential gears are sometimes used on cameras with coupled aperture and speed setting, now it was more or less clear to me that this camera would make some kind of overriding of the pre-set shutter speed. On mine the aperture mechanism was jammed, it finally turned out that the lower end of a stop pin screwed into the back shutter cover had some corrosion.

 

But finally I needed another Sokol (with working shutter and aperture) to get a working one. It's a very nifty mechanism and I am amazed to see that this heap of gears and levers is able to work for several decades in your case.

Andy - sorry I am late on this one. You've become a Fujica-holic :-). The photos are fantastic. I really like the last one. It was really a good choice to expose for the sky as it is otherworldly. Does this unit have full manuall override?

Ralf, yes it does have full manual override. And yes, I've become somewhat of a Fujicaholic, but with the results

I've been getting it's hard not to. This is really a very cool camera, but there are certain things one has to

learn about before using it, such as having to advance the film before you can change the settings. The Auto mode

works quite well--it's amazing to me that a camera from this period in time was as advanced as it was, and still

works today. As with the Fujica 35-EE though, I wish it went up to ISO 400 or higher instead of just 200. I used

Fuji Superia 400 and had to meter manually, but that wasn't much of a problem to do. By the way, I took your

advice and scored a Minolta AL on the bay. It came yesterday, and you were right about the similarity to the Lynx

1000. It's an absolutely beautiful camera that may jump to the top of my most frequently-used camera list.

Aha, nice score. Take it out for a spin, you won't regret it.

 

Wait till you hear about my Minoltina-S. It's slightly smaller than AL and lighter, a truly beautiful machine with a working selenium meter. I put a roll of Superia 200 through it last weekend and the results were so so as the lighting was horrible/hazy, but may post some acceptable results shortly.

I'm looking forward to hearing about the Minoltina-S. I looked at one of those but passed on it, so I'm eager to see what you have to say about it. My Minolta AL is in beautiful working condition and very clean cosmetic condition. The meter responds to light, but it seems just a bit erratic, so I don't know that I can trust it. I've got film in the camera though, so hopefully I'll have some shots to post soon. Thanks for the nice comments regarding my photos, by the way.

The first landscape shot is super. I'm also a Fujica connoiseur - but of their SLR cameras.

Thank you, David. I'd love to hear more about the Fujica SLRs.

I haven't had the pleasure of using the Auto-M or ML, but of late, I have come to realize that these were highly

capable, but alas, underrated cameras in their day hence not very popular today. I own some of the later Fujicas

from the 70's and early 80's i.e the Auto-7, the DL300, which has a fabulous 35mm f2.8 lens and finally a simple

Flash Fujica S circa 1977. I picked up the Flash Fujica on Ebay in Feb 2008 for $10. It was NOS (new old stock)

complete with a brand new leatherette case and strap. After spending $30 to put new light seals in it, the original

seals by now were just soggy glue, I shot some Fuji Superia 400 thru it. I was very impressed with the prints I got

from this camera. It has a single shutter speed: 1/125 and 2 f-stops: f8 for 100 speed and f16 for 400 speed. And

lastly, a simple 3 element, 3 group lens. But...it does a very acceptbale job as a snapshot camera. Fujica was a

company whose products never got their due which is a shame because I have always thought highly of their

lenses... If you find a Fuji worth repairing, do it and you will be rewarded with a camera far better than you realize

<p>Great camera. I have one just like it and would like to sell it. Any buyers?<br>

Saeid<br>

PS: Also, if someone could help me find a buyer (buyers) for 20+ film cameras and 30+ lenses, I would be grateful. I have a list. Thanks</p>

<p>Great camera. I have one just like it and would like to sell it. Any buyers?<br>

Saeid<br>

PS: Also, if someone could help me find a buyer (buyers) for 20+ film cameras and 30+ lenses, I would be grateful. I have a list. Thanks</p>

<p>Is the Fujica 35 Auto-M camera a real rangefinder camera?</p>

Do you know how to adjust the rangefinder? Mine not exact.