Aires Viscount

The Aires Viscount is a leaf-shutter rangefinder camera made by Aires.

The Viscount is a camera from the Aires Camera company. It's been produced in 1959.

General informations

The Aires Viscount is a rangefinder camera that uses classical 35mm film. It's entirely mechanical and does not have any light measurement device.

It is operated by a very quiet Seikosha-SLV leaf shutter.

The camera's dimensions are 13 cm (L) x 7.5 cm (l) x 8.5 cm (h).

Optic informations

The camera comes with a 45mm H Coral optic device that opens at 1:1.9. The diaphargm is composed of five blades, takes place before the shutter and is not automatic.

An optic component can be mounted on that camera. It transform its objective from 45 to a 80mm.

Using the camera

All the set-up operations are made by using rings on the objective. Starting from the closest of the front lens :

• Diaphragm ring :

Available values are : 1.9, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11 and 16.

• Speed selection ring :

Available values are : B, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250 and 500.

• Shooting mode selector :

Available modes are :

• • V : Self timer
  • X : Normal, Flash synchronisation
  • M : Slow flash synchronisation

• focus ring

Current exposure value is notified on the speed ring, in function of the diaphragm and speed selected. The focus ring comes with a depthfield indicator.

The camera seems meant to be used in some kind of pre-speed priority mode. Indeed, the speed ring is stuck to the diaphragm ring, that makes impossible to set a speed independantly from the diaphragm in less than two moves. The contrary is however possible. Also, when the speed ring is moved, the diaphragm ring follows it, so the camera keeps the actual EV setting.

Links

• Aires Viscount from Puppy's Island (text in Japanese, pictures, sample photos)
• Aires Viscount with attachment lens is shown in the 15 March 2003 entry in this blog
• Aires Viscount text in Japanese, pictures