Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/06/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]With all the chat about the virtues of the Rollei 35S and SE, I thought that I might add a couple more off-topic lines about the Petri Color 35, which is in many ways an improved version of the Rollei 35 design. The Petri comes with a 4 element lens that, while not of Sonnar quality, is more or less equivalent to the Tessar, but is a bit faster at f2.8 max aperture. Unlike the Rollei, you can operate the Petri without taking the camera away from your eye. Focus is done via a little wheel at the top back of the camera, and the viewfinder shows a distance scale, as well as crosshairs and the matchneedle for metering. Adjustment of the matchneedle is done via aperture and shutter speed dials that are located on the top right of the camera. These jut slightly over the edge of the camera so that they can be easily turned by rubbing your finger or thumb along the edge. A hot shoe is at the extreme left of the camera. I use a tiny Rollei flash that already leans to the left and this keeps the flash so far away from the lens that redeye is eliminated. This is a much cheaper and in many ways ergonomically superior alternative to the Rollei. There is a nice description of this camera on Steven Gandy's CameraQuest site. For situations where you don't want to lug a Leica along, this is a nice alternative. Generally, I'm a big fan of Japanese leaf-shuttered rangefinders or compact cameras of the 60s and 70s for their combination of low cost and high quality. My Konica Auto S3 has a much more convenient flash arrangement than you'd get with any Leica, and the wide angle lens on this camera is an incredible performer. There are a lot of low-budget delights among cameras of this sort that make it worth-while seeking them out. When white-water rafting, or as a camera to leave in your car for those unexpected photo ops, these make a great substitute for your more valuable equipment. Mark - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Langer Email address: mlanger@ccs.carleton.ca - ----------------------------------------------------------------------