The idea to collect "innovative" 135 reflex cameras came me after collecting, for many years, specific cameras of specific firms. Really this way to intend collectionism began to be reductive: I bought expensive cameras to complete the variants of a determinate firm, rather than buy more important cameras, often less expensive too. I begane to doubt if will be most important have that particular variant with a little more screw on the top or with red matricule rather than buy a wonderful Topcon Re-Super, for example, mile-stone in reflex 135 development. Besides monothematic collectionism give the greatest satisfactions at the beginning of the way, when it is simple to found models at low prices ang in mint conditions, but time after time, camera after camera, the research begin always more difficult and less interesting. From these and other considerations, born an external interest to the usual themes. I discovered that some of innovative cameras already I had, and that was easy and not expensive to buy important cameras, surely less quoted respect the real historical value. The pleasure to use each other different cameras, the discovery of the numerous technical solutions adopted, some of these really astonishing for simplicity or inventiveness, the possibility to use varied lenses, relighted my soothed enthusiasm. So I compiled my list, supported by always wrong books or reviews, discovering that this theme was quite indefinite. Though by some years I'm doing this research, my work is uncompleted: often some technical solutions adopted (of clever aspect) disappeared in nothing, solar-cells powered cameras for example, but others, banal in the apparence, like self-timer led, that became universal.
My list of INNOVATIVE 135 SRL cameras is Here
My list of INNOVATIVE 135 NON SRL cameras is Here
My list of Curious cameras is Here
from 26 Oct 1998
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Some interesting links:
Exakta's cameras click here
Rebora's hand made cameras click here
Russian cameras by Claudio Asquini click here
Alpa's cameras click here