Throwback whatever-day

I love this camera. And why do I love it exactly? Because when I was little I saw this advert and even then I wanted to take photos. I thought, if I only had this camera I could be a proper photographer.

Even though I already have a fully working one in my collection I couldn’t leave this in a junk bin, it just felt wrong, a betrayal.

This camera was made between 1967-1984. After 1978 the shutter button was changed from a silver metal button to a black plastic one. That meant this one was pre-1978. The best thing about this camera is that it is fully automatic and needs no batteries. The camera is solar-powered by a selenium cell that sits around the lens. If there is too much or too little light a red flag appears in the viewfinder. If you find one in a junk bin then check this feature by cocking the shutter and covering the cell. If you can take a photo then there is a fault. This is a common issue and it could be caused by a mechanical issue or the selenium cell might be exhausted. Usually, it is mechanical and there are fixes on the net. So it depends on how handy you are with a screwdriver as to whether you want to buy it. This one seemed to work perfectly, so why was it in the junk bin? Take a look…

Can you see it?

There should be a hot shoe on the top of the camera. I didn’t think it missing would be a major issue, plus I rarely attached a flash to this type of camera anyway. I preferred using them as point-and-shoots. I covered the screw holes with a piece of light seal foam. I didn’t think the holes would cause a light leak, I just thought the foam looked better and felt nicer to touch. The light seals inside the camera were okay. Without a flash attached, the camera works in the ‘A’ for automatic, no thinking required…oh apart from the zoned focusing. You have to estimate which one of 4 to choose from 1 meter, 1.5 meters, 3 meters, or infinity. The first two can be a little tricky as you can see from the test shots below. Only the closer shots are out of focus.

As you can see, the camera worked great so I gave it to a friend along with a roll of film. I have one already and it is a great camera. Maybe now my friend will give my Spiderman camera back??

Update: I didn’t get my Spiderman camera back and I no longer own a trip…though a few more have passed through my fingers. I am sure I will own another at some point.