Balda CA 35

view through finder

The Balda CA 35 is one of the very compact (sometimes called ultra-compact) 35mm viewfinder cameras which were popular in the 1980ies. It was made by the West German camera maker Balda (Bünde). Body, front door and lens tube are made of black plastic. It has to be opened like an old folding camera: The lens tube comes out of the camera frontside when the front door will be opened. The viewfinder's bright frame shows parallax marks near its top line. The distance selection ring around the lens tube is coupled to a red transparent marker in the finder that changes the colour of one of the distance symbols of the bright frame bottom line to red. The symbols are 1 man (=1 metre), 2 men (=1.5 metres), 3 men (=3 metres) and mountain (far distance). The film speed selection ring is placed around the front lens element. Above this ring are two little lenses of the the camera's light meter. This meter controls the shutter speed and aperture. The optional flash Balda CF 18 can be coupled to the camera's left side.

camera on sightseeing tour

The ultimate feature of this camera is its shutter's exposure "click" sound which distinguishes the CA 35 from all cheap plastic cameras. Balda had produced this camera also for Voigtländer as Vito C, the flash as Voigtländer VCS 18.

specifications

• Type: compact viewfinder camera
• Manufacturer: Balda
• Year of launch: 1980ies
• Film: 35mm with speeds 25 to 800 ASA
• Lens: Baldanon 1:2.8/38mm (4 elements in 3 groups)
• Viewfinder: optical finder with a bright frame that includes distance symbols, LED indicators show need of flash and exposure success
• Focusing: manually
• Exposure: meter-controlled aperture and shutter speed
• Film advance: Lever with exposure counter, and rewind crank
• Flash: With ASA preselection, and electronic control supported by a photo resistor (sensor window with two selectable apertures)
• Weight: 170g with film and batteries
• Size: ca. 102×63×32 mm

camera, door closed, flash coupled

sight seen by CA 35