135compact.com 35mm half format cameras Canon Dial 35
The Canon Dial 35 was first released in 1963. It already has a CDS meter and film is advanced via a spring motor.
It's vertically orientated, so that the format appears in usual landscape
mode whereas most half formats use portrait mode. It's a semi automatic
camera, you choose the
speed and it sets the aperture. In 1968 a second version was released,
the 35-2, which has major improvements: a much better spring motor,
extended ISO to 800/1000, a more recent battery and it has a hot shoe.
Both versions were also sold branded as Bell & Howell.
The camera's main features are:
35mm film half-frame camera, picture size 24 x 18 mm Canon SE lens, 28mm f/2.8 (3-group 5 element), focus 0.8m-∞, focus indicator in the viewer Shutter speeds 1/30 to 1/250, aperture 2.8 to 22, aperture indicator in the viewer Size 140 (95) x 75 x 43 mm, Weight : 455 g ISO 8-400
Front.
Viewer. Under the viewer: manal aperture setting, a needle in the
viewer indicates the setting (knob has to be pulled out and then
turned). Above the lens: distance scale. Around the lens: ISO setting.
Under the lens (not visible): speed indicator. Next to the lens: Film
counter and shutter release button. Under the camera: spring wind.
Back
view. Finder. ISO/DIN conversion table.
Left side.
Rewind release, push-in and turn a quarter of a turn. The spring motor
is now coupled to the rewind mechanism. Keep winding the spring until
the film is completely rewound.
Right side. Accessory shoe. Flash socket. Film compartment opening tab.
Camera open
open. Access to battery.
Battery removed. As there is no switch, remove the battery when the camera is not used for a longer period.
Camera case.
The Canon Dial 35 is a very
big and heavy camera, not so easy to handle, as the settings are in
unusual places. Once you get used, it's fine. The indicators for
aperture and distance in the bright viewer are very handy.
It
takes
sharp pictures. Spacing is tight, so you get at least 75 photos from a
roll. It's for outdoor photos and well lit interiors not far from the
window. There is no hot shoe for flash, but a flash socket and an
accessory shoe. No night photos, as 1/30 is the
longest exposure time. It's big and very, very heavy. The massive
spring motor sticks far out of the body. So this is a beautiful vintage
camera of limited
use, but
it's fun.
The
CDS meter window is at 2 o'clock above the lens. The setting is done by
aperture disks which are slid in front of this window according to the
film speed and the shutter speed. They are visible on the front photo.
If you don't use the slowest speeds, you can turn beyond 400 ISO and
still get correct exposure.
