Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-04-11)

subscribe 0330 333 1113I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI 11 April 2020 55

TheHuldaflex

35,anunusual

twinlensreflex

from Japan

JohnWadediscoversastrangelydesignedtwinlensreflexfromJapan

Huldaf lex 35

SAYTHEwords‘twinlensreflex’

(TLR)tophotographersof a

certaingenerationanda particular

kindof cameracomestomind.It’s

box-shaped,runs 120 rollfilm

verticallythroughitsbodyand

usestwolenses,oneabovethe

other.Thelowerlensshootsthe

pictures,theupperlensreflectsits

imagetoa largeviewfinderontop

of thebody.TheHuldaflexis a

TLRbutit’snothinglikethat.It

lookslikea 35mmcamera,takes

35mmfilmandplacesitstwin

lensessidebyside.

Thecamerawasmadebythe

TougodoOpticalCompanyin

Japanandis a namevariant,

probablyusedforexport

purposes,of theToyocaflex35.

Theshootinglensis anOwla

4.5cm f/3.5. Apertures down to

BLAST FROM THE PAST

LAUNCHED 1955

PRICEATLAUNCH£90-120(guesstimate)

GUIDE PRICE NOW £500-750

Tech Talk

f/16andshutterspeedsof

1-1/200secaresetonrings

aroundthelens,whilea radial

levertotherearturnstomoveit

backandforthforfocusing.Atthe

sametime,a secondsimilarly

specifiedlensbesidethefirstone

alsomovesbackandforthto

focusitsimageona small

ground-glassscreenundera hood

ontopof thebody.A flip-up

magnifierhelpswithfinefocuson

whatis actuallya verysmall

screen.Thisis usedat waist-level,

but the cameraalsohasa

direct-visionviewfinderbesidethe

focusinghoodforuseat eyelevel.

Filmwindis bya knob,

interlinkedtotheshutterrelease

topreventdoubleexposures,but

theshutterneedstobetensioned

bya separateleverontherimof

thelens.Twoflashsyncsockets

arehiddenbelowthelensforuse

withflashbulbsorelectronicflash.

Someclassiccamerasare

boughtbecausetheyarefunand

interestingtouse.Othersare

acquiredsimplytomakethe

heartsof collectorsbeata little

faster.TheHuldafl ex works on all

those levels.

What’sgoodR e fle x

viewing,twinviewfinders,

solidworkmanship,

goodoptics.

What’sbadFocusing

screensmallanddim,

heavier than expected.

Viewfromthetop,

withthefocusing

hood open

Inside,thefilmplaneis

offsettoallowspacefor

the reflex mirror

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