Difference between revisions of "Certo KB 24"
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| − | The '''KB 24''' [[compact camera]], a very simple camera | + | The '''KB 24''' [[compact camera]], a very simple camera intended for beginners or children, was produced by the German maker [[Certo|Certo-Kamera-Werk]] of Dresden in the 1960s.{{br}} |
The camera was practically a twin version of the popular [[Certo SL 100]], with nearly the same external appearance. It also used 35 mm film, had 24x24 mm square frame size and was equipped with a 1:11 fixed focus lens, allowing taking pictures from 1.3 m to infinity. The shutter offered just two speeds - 1/30 s (marked with a lightning symbol) and 1/90 s (sun symbol). No other settings were possible.{{br}} | The camera was practically a twin version of the popular [[Certo SL 100]], with nearly the same external appearance. It also used 35 mm film, had 24x24 mm square frame size and was equipped with a 1:11 fixed focus lens, allowing taking pictures from 1.3 m to infinity. The shutter offered just two speeds - 1/30 s (marked with a lightning symbol) and 1/90 s (sun symbol). No other settings were possible.{{br}} | ||
Revision as of 13:18, 15 February 2013
The KB 24 compact camera, a very simple camera intended for beginners or children, was produced by the German maker Certo-Kamera-Werk of Dresden in the 1960s.
The camera was practically a twin version of the popular Certo SL 100, with nearly the same external appearance. It also used 35 mm film, had 24x24 mm square frame size and was equipped with a 1:11 fixed focus lens, allowing taking pictures from 1.3 m to infinity. The shutter offered just two speeds - 1/30 s (marked with a lightning symbol) and 1/90 s (sun symbol). No other settings were possible.
Black and white or colour films from 16 DIN to 20 DIN were recommended for the camera; the 1/90 s setting was appropriate for 20 DIN films in sunny conditions, while 1/30 s for flash photography, 20 DIN films in cloudy conditions or 16 DIN films in sunny conditions.
The KB 24 was designed for a film loaded in the standard 135 type cassette[1], allowing taking 27 square pictures on a film for 20 standard 24x36 mm frames or 50 pictures on a 36-frame film. The frame counter was of the "countdown" type and blocked the film advance after reaching 0, to prevent the film being torn off from the cassette - thus it had to be appropriately set after loading the film, to 50 in case of the 36-frame film or to 30 with the 20-frame film (both positions were marked with triangles on the frame counter).
An X type flash could be synchronized via a hot shoe.
A pronounced external difference between the KB 24 and SL 100 was presence of a rewind knob on the underside of the KB 24. The camera was loaded from the bottom, after removing the lower body cover. As the rewind knob was coupled with the cassette reel by a friction clutch only, care had to be taken during loading to rotate the rewind knob clockwise before closing the camera, in such a way, that a dot on the knob was placed against a dot on the cover; this ensured the clutch was wide open and could accommodate the reel.
The camera had no take-up reel, the film was just pushed from a cassette into the take-up chamber, where it rolled freely inside a metal stripe guide. There was no need to unlock the film advance to rewind a finished film, only the rewind knob had to be operated. Turning the knob counterclockwise closed the clutch, engaging the cassette reel.
The KB 24 could use put-on filters and close up lenses of the 32 mm size.
Notes
- ↑ The advertisement linked below strangely suggests, the camera could use both the 135 type film as well as the Orwo Schnellade spool-less cassettes, while in reality the KB 24 used 135 type cassettes only and the SL 100 - SL cassettes.
Sources
- Certo KB 24 camera manual, 1968.
- Wurst W.: Fotobuch für alle; VEB Fotokinoverlag Leipzig, Leipzig, 1969.
