Re-Doing the Dacora Digna

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>I recently posted some images from the rather unusual Dacora Digna rollfilm camera. At that juncture I was about to send it away for repairs to the shutter release, and several members asked to see some further images when the camera was functioning properly. To refresh your memories, here's a pic of the camera.</p><div></div>

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>The shutter release and shutter, which were semi-working at the time of my original post, (http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00eDQa), are now working correctly. The release is actually very good considering the linkages involved, with some sensitivity and acceptable smoothness of action, and the shutter has been CLA'd and clicks sweetly. I won't go into any technical detail, having covered the bases fairly fully in the original post, other than to say I haven't been able to unearth much more detail regarding the 80mm Enna Werk Munchen Correlar f/2.9 lens. This lens continues to impress me with it's sharp and contrasty images, and it seems odd that it seems to be so obscure. Anyway, I ran two films, the first one demonstrating the inadequacy of the wretched viewfinder, which points slightly off to one side and has the bottom third of it's outlook obscured by the lens and shutter assembly on it's long tube. I compensated for these quirks to the best of my ability while shooting the second film, and achieved some reasonable results.<br /><br />The Digna is certainly not a camera I'd want to use very frequently, but I approached it as a challenge and I'm reasonably pleased with the images I achieved. I'll post (probably too many) images and I hope you find some to like; the film was Arista EDU Ultra 200 developed in PMK Pyro and scanned on an Epson V700 using Silverfast SE software.<br /><br /></p><div></div>

[rick_drawbridge]

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[rick_drawbridge]

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[JDMvW]

<p>d'accord!<br>

(sorry, couldn't he'p mself)</p>

 

[Tony Evans]

<p>Bravo! Rick.</p>

[Alan Johnson]

<p>Nice work, <strong>Rick</strong>, the landscape "Plains" is about as good as could be got of that scene.<br>

Some mention of the Correlar lens: http://www.photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/004N5m<br>

For some reason f2.9 rather than f2.8 was popular at that time, I have a Braun Paxina with f2.9 lens and since use it occasionally I bought a Voigtlander Kontur 6x6 finder that fits in the hotshoe, at least can see what am taking now.<br>

Ilford may have looked at the Dacora Digna as they got Dacora to make the 6x6 Ilford Sporti I believe.</p>

[chuck_foreman1]

<p>Very Nice .. Really like Plains too!! Where does a questionable consumer cmera get such a fine lens?!?!</p>

 

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>Thanks for the responses; that link you provided, <strong>Alan</strong>, contains the most comprehensive information on the Correlar lens that I've come across. It would be interesting to know what other cameras, if any, used this lens. Yes, <strong>Chuck</strong>, the lens really was about the only reason I bought the camera, and I was certainly surprised by the quality of the images. And thanks for your input, <strong>Tony</strong> and <strong>JDM</strong>.</p>

[User_1577653]

<p>Rick, <a href="http://www.camarassinfronteras.com/dacora_digna/dacora_digna.html">here </a>is a Spanish language site I found while researching Dacora Dignas. It may have a little more about the Correlar than the link above, although it's hard to say as one may just be referencing the other. <a href="https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.camarassinfronteras.com/dacora_digna/dacora_digna.html&prev=search">Here </a>is the Google English translation. </p>

[rick_drawbridge]

<p><br /> Thanks <strong>Jeff,</strong> I hadn't found that article and it's really informative and useful, though I think the writer was left in the dark pretty much as I was. His note on the Correlar is interesting:<em> <br /></em><br /> <em>"According to the serial number (70.398), I believe that this copy is one of the first produced, since I have already seen on the Internet other Dignas with Correlar and serial number well beyond 90,000. </em><br /><em> Was the Correlar used in other cameras or was it only exclusive to this Digna? I can not say for sure, and Lens Vademecum not even pick it up, but I've never seen mentioned anywhere else, so I will assume that it was."</em><br /> <br /> Perhaps he's right... I notice that the serial # on the lens on my copy is 8415, which seems peculiar in light of his comment above.<em><br /></em></p>