Aires Viscount

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The Aires Viscount is a leaf-shutter 35mm rangefinder camera made by Aires in 1959.

General information

The Aires Viscount is a rangefinder camera that uses 35mm film. It's entirely mechanical, with a very quiet Seikosha-SLV leaf shutter, and does not have an exposure meter.

Its dimensions are 13 cm (L) x 7.5 cm (l) x 8.5 cm (h).

Optics

The camera comes with a 45mm f1.9 H Coral lens. The diaphragm has five blades, is in front of the shutter and is not automatic.

A supplementary lens can be mounted on that camera to change the focal length from 45 to 80mm.

Using the camera

All the set-up operations are made by using rings on the lens. 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: Electronic flash synchronisation
    • M: Slow flashbulb synchronisation
  • Focusing ring

Current exposure value is shown on the speed ring, in function of the diaphragm and speed selected. The focus ring comes with a depth-of-field indicator.

The camera seems meant to be used in some kind of pre-speed priority mode. Indeed, the speed ring is attached to the diaphragm ring, making it impossible to set a speed independently 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.

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