Orion EE

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500.000 of the Orion EE viewfinder camera for 35mm film were made by BelOMO from 1978 to 1982. The camera has a f4 40mm Triplet lens and a flash synchronized shutter with speeds from 1/30 to 1/250 sec. plus В.

The camera is yet another autoexposure derivative of the popular Vilia — after the Vilia-Auto with selenium-cell autoexposure and the Siluet Elektro with CdS-based aperture priority — this time offering shutter priority mode as well as fully manual exposure with a built-in light meter. Thus, it is the most versatile camera of the whole family.

Typically for the family a two-leaf shutter and a four leaf diaphragm are placed just behind the lens. The Orion EE is equipped with a CdS photocell located in the lens housing, just above the lens. The film speed is set with a narrow ring on the lens, the scale ranges from 13 to 25 DIN and 15 to 250 GOST/ASA. Suggestive symbols on the distance scale help to assess correct distance for given subjects (portrait, group portrait, group, landscape).

Shutter speed is set with an another ring on the lens, close to the camera body, while the aperture from 4 to 16 with a tiny lever under the lens housing, in the same way as in the original Vilia. The lever, however, has an additional A setting, in which the camera works in the shutter priority mode - i.e. the user chooses the shutter speed and the appropriate aperture is set automatically. The aperture set by the camera is shown by a tiny pointer at a scale visible at the right hand side inside the viewfinder, thus both exposure parameters are always known for the user.

In the manual mode the aperture scale works as a light meter, pointing the aperture appropriate for the current shutter speed. Orion EE is powered by a single RC53 battery. A modern PX625 (or equivalent) battery can be used instead, although exposure correction of -1 EV may be necessary for correct light metering in this case (i.e. film speed should be set 2 times lower than actually used, e.g. 65 GOST/ASA instead of 130 GOST/ASA).

Specifications

  • Film type: 135
  • Frame size: 24x36 mm
  • Lens: Triplet 69-3, 40 mm f/4
  • Angle of view: 57 deg.
  • Shutter: leaf, mechanical
  • Shutter speed range: 1/30 s – 1/250 s, B
  • Apertures: 4 – 16
  • Exposure range: 9 – 16 EV
  • Minimal focusing distance: 0.8 m
  • Flash sync: full
  • Film advance: manual
  • Filter thread: M46x0.75 mm
  • Tripod thread: 1/4"
  • Dimensions: 128x85x72 mm
  • Weight: ? g

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