Fujicarex II

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The Fujica Fujicarex II was introduced to Europe in about 1963. There was also a 1962 Fujicarex sold only to the Japanese market and a 1964 Fujicarex SLR 35 for the US. There appears to be no difference between the three cameras. The Fujicarex seems to have been produced for just a few years.

The Fujicarex is a 35mm SLR with an automatic diaphragm and instant return mirror. Focusing is via a ground glass screen with a split image rangefinder, which is operated by a thumb wheel on the back of the camera top-plate housing. The rangefinder provides a three-way split, so a central section within the circle is the bit that moves.

The camera also features a selenium powered shutter priority, match-needle, auto-exposure system. The meter needle is visible through the camera viewfinder, and also operated by a second thumbwheel on the back of the camera top-plate housing. Aperture selection is coupled to the meter, so the thumbwheel sets the lens opening size, but the diaphragm remains fully open until the moment of exposure. A preferred aperture can be set manually for non-automatic operation.

The aim of the control cluster was to make a camera that was operated with just the right hand; focus, exposure, shooting, and wind-on. The left hand role was reduced to the single task of steady support.

The lens (an f/1.9 50mm Fujinon-S) is not removable, but the front element is, and alternative 35mm and 80mm lenses were available, plus a close-up attachment.

The camera has a leaf-shutter (a Citizen QR), a depth-of-field preview button, and separate meter scales for 160, and 64/32 ASA films. The ASA selector ring is not graduated for these film speeds (just for 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600).


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