Stephen
Lifetime Member
Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
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Post by Stephen on Feb 5, 2015 15:25:12 GMT -5
On it's way from Ebay, a Japanese Samoca II from the early 1950's, rare in UK, never imported. Very compact 35, modest lens F 3.5 and simple shutter from 25th to 100th. Quite well made camera, coming with case and hood.  Stephen |
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Post by philbirch on Feb 6, 2015 17:41:36 GMT -5
Made for yankee dipsos according to the branding at 2 o'clock
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Stephen
Lifetime Member
Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
|
Post by Stephen on Feb 6, 2015 19:08:01 GMT -5
Made for yankee dipsos according to the branding at 2 o'clock According to camerapedia......The logo of the company consisted of AAA inside a triangle; the three "A" are certainly inspired by the company name "Sanei", which can be phonetically understood as "three A" in Japanese. I also understood that it stood for High Places as in mountains in Japanese. Stephen |
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Stephen
Lifetime Member
Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
|
Post by Stephen on Feb 20, 2015 13:56:43 GMT -5
First film back from a test session with the Samoca, I will post shots later. It needed a bit of attention, the lens was not correctly set at the marked infinity, indicating somebody in the past took it off the camera, and failed in correctly re-threading on to the helical focusing screw.
It was all right though, after taking apart, and testing the lens as it was put back correctly.
The front element was very hazy, but it turned out to be a coating of crud on the surface, all cleaned away with alcohol, leaving a very clean lens.
The flash socket needs a rebuild, it is a bayonet type, with a PC adator on the top of it. The brass base was cracked, and needs a new base turned on the lathe.
No other problems, apart from the 100th top speed with 200ASA film.....ND filters are needed to use in bright light.
Generally the camera is well built, simple construction, but not plain basic like some other cheap Japanese cameras from the Post War period. The centre chassis is made of very good quality Baklite, covered with metal parts.
The only odd feature is the polished chrome film pressure plate, which did cause trouble with older film types in the past. Modern film with a thicker anti halation layer works all right. The older films gave a slight "glow" efffect around highlights due to the reflection by the plate.
The lens is quite good, sharp and contrasty by the standards of the 1950's. It is coated, but the lens hood seems to help a lot with quaity shots. Curiously the minimum aperture is F25.......F3.5 when fully open.
The film transport is the "film dragging the spocket" type, the sprocket does the spacing and then cocking the shutter activates the double exposure prevention, and moves the counter. Of course repeating the cocking gives double exposure but does not noth the counter. Only three speeds, 25th, 50th, 100th plus B.
Stephen.
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