Halina Prefect
Votar Flex name variant image by Graustark (Image rights) |
Chinese TLRs and "pseudo TLRs" |
Cangle | Dalian | Eastar | Emei | Five-Goats | Hongmei-5 | Hua Ying | Hua Zhong | Mudan | Pearl River | Qingdao SF-2 | Rainbow | Seagull 4 | Seagull 4A | Seagull 4B | Seagull 4C | Seagull 4D | Shanghai | Splendidflex | Temple of Heaven | Wuhan Youyi | YC-75X100 |
Hong Kong |
Bedfordflex | Binaflex | Halina A1 | Halina Prefect | Halina Viceroy | Haking Mirroflex II | Traveller |
The Prefect was a Pseudo TLR-format roll film box camera produced by Haking in Hong Kong from around 1957[1]. Takes 12 frames on 120 film. The lens is labeled "Haking's Double Meniscus F:8," with f/8, f/11 and f/16 stops. B & I shutter settings, with flash synch.
The Prefect has a spring-loaded cover on the red window, labelled "Empire Made" (at the time, a euphemism for Hong Kong - British territory until handed back to the P.R.C. in 1997) and an unusual catch holding the back shut. The catch has a rotating plate, centred on the tripod bush; turning this plate uncovers a sprung steel finger, which lifts, releasing a pin attached to the bottom edge of the back, allowing it to open.
Most Prefects are finished in black leathercloth, but some examples exist in grey (such as Sylvain Halgand's).
Virtually the same camera was sold as the Halina Prefect Senior, the Votar Flex or the Wales Reflex, simply adding an accessory shoe on the side. The Wales proclaimed "A CAMERA for GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY" on its box[2].
Around 1960, Haking offered a similar camera with the same body and lens, but shutter and aperture controls emulating the dials of a Rolleiflex. This went under the name Halina Viceroy, among several others.
Notes
Rear view, viewfinder hood open note sprung red-window cover by AWCam (Image rights) |
Base, showing catch by AWCam (Image rights) |
Front view, hood closed. by AWCam (Image rights) |
Wales Reflex variant by John Bosko |
Links
- Article on Halinas on F & S Marriot's site
- Halina Prefect (in grey) on Sylvain Halgand's Collection d'appareils photo anciens
Halina-Prefect Senior, demonstrating accessory shoe & flash sync image by Andrew Kua (Image rights) |