Cinescopie
La Cinescopie was a camera maker in Brussels. The company produced two early 35 mm cameras in the 1920s.
Photoscopic
The Photoscopic, from 1924, is metal-bodied. It has a curious shape; the back, top and bottom of the body are flat. The front is curved, and formed in one piece with the two sides, with round corners. The body is finished in black paint, with a 'crackle' texture in some examples. The camera makes pictures 24x24 mm on 35 mm film on special spools, and holds enough film for 50 exposures. Its lens is a 45 mm f/3.5 Labor by OIP of Ghent ('Gand'), and the shutter is an Ibsor with speeds 1 - 1/150 second, plus 'B' and 'T', or a Pronto with speeds 1/25 - 1/100, plus 'B' and 'T' (both are dial-set everset shutters).
McKeown states that three types were made. These differ in the focusing and film advance:[1]
- The first cameras have a metal tab on the right hand side, which is pulled to advance the film.[2]
- The second type was improved with a film advance knob; it still has the helical focusing disc as above.[3][4][5]
- The third type, according to McKeown, has fixed focus.[1] No examples of this have been seen.
The camera has a frame counter, and a reverse-Galilean viewfinder mounted on the top.
Cinescopic
The Cinescopic,[6] from 1929 to the mid-30s, is a similar design to the Photoscopic. The body is again metal, now with leather covering, and with fully rounded ends instead of the plane flat back of the earlier camera. It has a 50 mm f/3.5 Labor lens, with front-element focusing, and an Ibsor shutter. The lens and shutter unit is removable, supposedly to allow it to be used in an enlarger.[1]. It has a film advance knob, but no frame counter. McKeown suggests that there is a wire feeler in the film chamber, which might make an audible click as each perforation passes; the user could advance the film while counting the clicks.[1] A reverse-Galilean viewfinder mounts in a special shoe on the shutter.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). p206.
- ↑ Photoscopic, first type, with pull-tab for film advance, and Pronto shutter. Helical unit focusing by scaled disc behind the shutter. Show in the highlights of an auction in March 2009 by Auction Team Breker in Cologne.
- ↑ Photoscopic, second type, with film advance knob and Ibsor shutter; shown in the highlights of an auction in September 2008 by Auction Team Breker.
- ↑ Photoscopic, second type, serial no. 5555, with Ibsor shutter; sold at the May 2011 Westlicht Photographica Auction in Vienna.
- ↑ Photoscopic, second type, serial no. 5124, sold in December 2010 by Leonard Joel in Melbourne.
- ↑ Cinescopic in Sylvain Halgand's Collection d'Appareils.
