My Favorite UniveX Camera

[dmk955]

Hi, all! Since I'm new here, and by way of showing off (as much as that's possible on my budget), here's one of my favorites. It's the UniveX Mercury Model CC-1500 Superspeed, with 1/20 - 1/1500 sec plus T & B, the non-premium 35mm Tricor f/2.7 lens and the hard-to-find UniveX extinction meter.
This camera was made in 1939, and is one of only 3000. The cool part is, the shutter still works! The Superspeed were made by overtensioning the shutter spring on their standard rotary shutter, then re-marking the shutter speeds. Most of the springs eventually broke or yielded, so a good working model is hard to find.
All I need now is the accessory rangefinder, the f/2.0 Hexar lens, and the Rapid Wind Lever, and she'll be fully outfitted!
I'm planning on putting some film through her sometime soon, but I have to modify a 35mm cartrige to make it fit first. I know they made daylight loading cartridges for this thing, but they're scarcer than hens teeth!

Best to all,
Dana Kennedy

[herron]

I've got a UniveX Mercury, too!
Will have to dig out a picture of it when I get back from visiting the grandkids!
;D

[dmk955]

Well, my efforts to modify a standard 35mm cartridge to fit the Mercury Model CC were unsuccessful. There's a gear in the way that would have to be removed to insert the cartridge, even after trimming it as I had planned. If I could get the gear off the shaft, I'd probably make a temporary mod (it's only for the film transport indicator, and doesn't drive anything else), but it looks like it's permanently affixed. Meanwhile, I have just finished repairing my Mercury II, so I think I'll try it using both the post-war coated lens and the uncoated lens from the Mercury Model CC for comparison's sake. I'll be shooting Kodak BW400CN so I can get it developed quickly, then scanning the negs for publication. More to come..

Dana

[dmk955]

In the meantime, I jotted down a few thoughts on the history of the Mercury CC-1500 - they're posted on my blog at oldcameras.wordpress.com

Dana