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35mm TLRs
The Conta ex was the rst TLR
to use 35mm lm, but it wasn’t
the last. Here are four others
1953 Bolsey C
An American compact camera derived from
the Bolsey B with an extra lens and viewing
hood added. The C-22 model added
Set-O-Matic, which automatically changed
apertures as the lens was focused to
adjust exposure with a ashgun.1955 Hulda ex 35
Japanese name variant of the Toyoca ex- It was unusual for placing the two
lenses side by side. Operation of a lever to
the side of the taking lens racked both
back and forth to focus.
1955 Samoca ex
A Japanese camera similar to the Asahi ex
(precursor of the Pentax) but with a
view nder lens above the taking lens. To
focus, both were moved by a radial lever
beside the lower lens.1960 Agfa Flexilette
German camera similar to the same
company’s Silette, with the addition of an
extra lens to re ect its image to a small
waist-level view nder.Testbench FILM STARS
Other 35mm TLRs. Clockwise from top
left: Agfa Flexilette, Samocaflex,
Bolsey C-22 and Huldaflex 35lenses. Also available were a 35mm
f/2.8 Biogon wideangle, plus 8.5cm f/4
Triotar, 8.5cm f/4 Sonnar and 13.5cm f/4
Sonnar telephotos. Because the Conta ex
was made by Zeiss Ikon, it is sometimes
assumed that Contax lenses will t the
camera. In fact, the bayonet tting is unique
to the Conta ex, so Conta ex and Contax
lenses are not interchangeable.
Now we come to perhaps the camera’s
most innovative feature. The Conta ex was
the rst camera with a built-in photo-electric
exposure meter, with its selenium cell found
under a ap above the top viewing lens. The
cell powers a match needle metering read-out
in a small window to the side of the focusing
hood. Above the viewing lens there are three
scales. The rst sets the lm speed. Above
this is a scale showing all the camera’s
apertures. Above that is a third scale on a
moving ring which lists the shutter speeds.
The settings on these last two scales appear
upside down when viewed from the
front, enabling them to be read by the
photographer from above whilst
operating the camera.
Turning a lever attached to
the top ring moves the shutter
speed scale in relation to the
aperture scale, and also
shifts the needle in the meter
window. When the needle is
lined up against a central
point, the shutter speeds on
the top scale line up with the
suggested apertures on the
middle scale to indicate correct
exposure. Although the
camera’s speeds go only
to 1/2 second, the
metering scale goes down
to 16 seconds, which can
be attained by manually
counting off the time with
the shutter open in its ‘B’
setting. The suggested
exposure needs to be set
manually on the camera.
One more unusual accessory comes in the
form of a special back that accepts glassplates. Once tted in place of the normal
camera back, a hinged door swings up and a
plate holder, containing a small glass plate, is
slid onto rails on the back of the door, which
is then closed. The plate holder’s dark slide
is removed, the exposure made, and the dark
slide replaced, before opening the back’s
door and going through the process again for
the next exposure. A tiny ground-glass screen
ts into the plate back for focusing and
previewing the subject.
Few cameras can be termed unique in the
true sense of the word, in that their
speci cations are unlike those of any other
cameras. But when all the various aspects of
the Conta ex are put together, it’s one
camera that deserves that title.What to pay
When new, depending on the standard lens,
the Conta ex was priced from £64 12s 6d
(£64.62½). Today, according to the
lens, expect to pay £800-1,200.Interchangeable
lenses for the
Contaflex, left to
right: 8.5cm Sonnar,
3.5cm Biogon, andLENS PICTURES 13.5cm SonnarCOURTESY OF WWW.PETERLOY.COM46-48 FilmStars Mar6 AW.indd 48 19/02/2021 17:08