Super Samoca 35

Samoca 35 RF with F3.5 Lens (Early Model) image by Steve Chatfield (Image rights)

The Super Samoca 35 was a rangefinder camera for 35mm film, made in Japan by Sanei Sangyō K.K. (三栄産業㈱). The cameras were badged "Samoca-35" on top and "Super" (or later "Super Rangefinder") on front plate, but were clearly named "Super Samoca 35" on the sales package as well as on papers delivered in it. More than many other rangefinder cameras the cameras from about 1956 openly showed having a coupled rangefinder aboard, like the American Argus "brick" rangefinder cameras did. Blackhawk Film did offer the variant with f/3.5 Ezumar lens as "Samoca 35 Camera with coupled rangefinder", for 29.95$ in 1958. A similar price is given in other ads, refering the camera also as "Samoca 35 with coupled rangefinder", "Samoca Rangefinder 35 Camera", "Samoca Rangefinder '35'", and a manual seems to exist that refers it as "Samoca Rangefinder-35". A "Samoca 28" does not exist. Samoca 28 is just a header in an ad for a camera named "Samoca 35 with coupled rangefinder" but with f/2.8 lens which did cost 39.95$.

Specifications

• Type: Rangefinder camera
• Manufacturer: Samoca Camera
• Years of production: 1956 approx
• Film: 35mm
• Lens: C.EZUMAR Anastigmat coated, F/3.5/50mm or D.EZUMAR Anastigmat coated, F/2.8/50mm depending on version. Lens versions badged just "EZUMAR" also exist.
• Shutter: 'Prontor type' shutter with speeds 1/10 to 1/200 sec and B.
• Aperture: 1:3,5 to 1:22 for F/3.5 lens and 1:2.8 to 1:16 for F/2.8 lens
• Viewfinder: optical eye-level type viewfinder with super-imposed double image rangefinder.
• Metering: None
• Note: Early model with F/3.5 lens has no flash selector switch on front plate. Later models with F/2.8 and F/3.5 both have the flash selector switch.

Samoca 35 RF with F3.5. Lens (Later Model) image by Bernt Sønvisen (Image rights)

Samoca 28 RF with F2.8. Lens image by Steve Chatfield (Image rights)

Links

• a look inside plus sample photos on connealy.blogspot [1]