Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1933)

August 16th, 1933 hi AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER p 6 ClftEMATOGRAPHER o “ Baldax ” Bargains. The " Baldax ’’ series of cameras, which the Norse Trading Co. (Berners House, Berners Street, W.i), is putting on the market in Britain, is the outcome of a steady aim at giving cameras of many resources to photographers at prices which are competitive with any other instruments of similar range. The little “ Baldax ” in vest-pocket size — that is to say, it gives sixteen pictures on an eight-exposure spool of 2 x 3 j film — is an excellent little instrument, leathercovered, good-looking and well made ; and with a Compur shutter and f/3.5 Meyer Trioplan anastigmat it is entitled to be regarded as a serious instrument. Yet it costs no more than £6 6s. It is self-erecting at the touch of a button ; its lens has a focussing collar; and it has a good direct-vision finder, and a film winder that is smooth and con¬ venient. Its baseboard at the open position is held by firm struts ; and it is strong enough to suit the village blacksmith on his day off, and dainty enough to please the up-river girl in a punt, provided that she knows enough to manage an f/3.5 anastigmat. With an Ibsor delayed-action shutter, instead of the Compur, this little camera costs ^5 5s. The Ibsor gives a range of speeds from 1, £, i/5th and i/ioth down to i/i5oth of a second. A cheaper type of “ Baldax,” also taking sixteen V.P. negatives on an eight-exposure 2JX3J roll, costs only £3 10s. This is fitted with a Vida lens of f/4.5 aperture and a Vario three-speed shutter (with delayed action). Here again the lens has a focussing collar. One feature of these “ Baldax ” cameras that I liked is the loading system. The spool-chamber is swung out of the camera frame when the camera is opened, and the new spool goes into the chamber, which is then swung back into its place. The camera is covered with leather cloth, which has a surprisingly faithful resemblance to real leather, and looks like wearing quite as well. While the British distributors are concentrating on these two models, they are also featuring the “ Piccochic,” one of those popular little cameras giving sixteen 3X4 cm. negatives on an eight-exposure vest-pocket spool of film. This little camera with a lens panel that springs out when a button is pressed, holds the panel firm by two pairs of scissors-shaped struts. With a Pronto three-speed shutter and Meyer f/4.5 Trioplan lens, it costs £4 4s. If fitted with a Vario shutter and f/4.5 Vida anastigmat the price is as low as £3 3s. These are surprising value evenjm these days. At higher prices this camera can be obtained with well-known anastigmats, such as the Meyer f/3.5, Schneider f/3.5 Xenar, and f/2.9, the Meyer f/2.9 Trioplan and the Meyer f/2.7 Makro Plasmat. Any reader definitely interested in these cameras should be able to get one from his dealer or from one of the large photographic stores in London, or in important provincial cities, whose advertisements appear in " The A.P.” Salex Cameras. The City Sale and Exchange, who watch tendencies in photography very closely, have for this season decided on one or two leading lines which they think, with some justi¬ fication, will appeal to amateur photographers. One of these is a special model of the “ Piccochic ” fitted with a Vidonar f/2.9 anastigmat which has been adopted as a Salex model in this country. The “ Piccochic ” is a small instrument taking sixteen 3X4 cm. pictures on a vest-pocket eight-exposure spool. With an f/2.9, which will on occasions be used at full aperture, a firm lens panel is essential. Although the “ Piccochic ” is a self-erecting camera with a lens panel that springs out to the ready when you press a button, it is as rigid as a box camera, and its lens, in a Compur shutter, has a focussing collar which permits focussing, up to within three feet of the lens. When I saw this little camera at the Cheapside Branch of the City Sale and Exchange, it was stowed away in a little leather purse, which has the merit of keeping dust out when the outfit is carried in the pocket or even on the seashore. No extra charge is made for the purse. The dimensions of the camera are 4JX2JX1 in., and its qualities are such that even at f/2.9 its negatives will permit big enlargements to be made, while in half-plate size the enlargements for a customer which I saw in the showroom looked like contact prints from half-plate negatives. Another challenging line in Salex cameras is the “Supreme,” for eight negatives on a 2^x3^ film spool. Here, with a Meyer Trioplan f/4.5 anastigmat fitted in a Vario shutter we have a leather-covered self-erecting camera of remarkable quality for only £2 gs. 9d. From the Baldax range of popular-priced cameras the City Sale and Exchange have chosen certain outstanding models and have decided to feature them as Salex speci¬ alities because of the value they afford. These are listed in the Salex catalogue, which will be sent to any “ A.P.” reader who sends for it. We are asked by Messrs. Ensign, Ltd., of 88-89, High Holborn, London, W.C.i, to announce that the price of their Model D “Ensign Carbine” roll-film developing tanks was wrongly advertised in our issue of July 26th as 35s. The correct price is 25s. * * * Price Reduction. — -Messrs. Pathescope, Ltd. wish us to announce that the price of the transformer for use with the " 200-B ” projector has been reduced from £3 10s. to £2 17s. 6d. 165 31