Photo Eaze was a series of medical close up cameras using existing 35mm SLR bodies mounted to a homemade-looking contraption. The instructions show versions based on Edixa Reflex with waist level finder and Zenit E bodies, versions with Pentax K1000 and Yashica FX-3 Super 2000 bodies have been seen. The instructions also include a line drawing that looks much like an Exa or Exakta with waist level finder. This article is based on the FX-3 version. Based on the cameras and newspaper used as packing thought to be original to the camera, these appear to have been manufactured from at least the late 1960s to the late 80's or early 90's.
The lens mount has been removed and a bellows permanently attached. Lens is a manual aperture Russian Heilos 44-2 A collar with a pointer is attached to the aperture ring of the lens, this points to an odd glossy label with numbers that do not correspond to normal F stops. The mounting screw for the collar runs into a painted over blob, this appears to be deliberately preventing setting the aperture wide open. Since this lens does not have a typical SLR auto aperture, the viewfinder ranges from slightly dim to very dark depending on the aperture setting. There is a flash tube on either side of the lens in grey painted cylinders, the lens assembly and front of the bellows appear to be coated in the same grey paint. On the example shown, the flash lenses were not well masked when built, there are spots of paint on them. There are wires soldered to the hot shoe on top that lead into the base. Several places on the camera have hand-painted spots calling out controls, and there is some plastic hacked away to allow easier access to the film rewind button.
The camera, bellows and flash tubes are mounted to a roughly cast platform connected to an aluminum hobbyist project box by a pistol grip. There's a mount for a cable release in the pistol grip. The box has a switch, a hole with a small neon tube and a rectangular light, plus an assortment of typed paper labels. On the front is a Photo Ease MFG logo that appears to have been cut from letterhead paper. The address is a storefront in New York City that currently houses a copy shop. These paper labels appear on pictures of other cameras, so they are probably original. Inside the aluminum box are various wires and components wrapped in masking tape.
The camera came with an assortment of rods, most with wire frames, one with a platform, another with a metal mirror wrapped in a 1989 newspaper with a handwritten note. Photos of other cameras show similar wrappings with similar handwriting. According to the instructions the rod is inserted in place under the camera until it locks, this will push the camera back on the bellows by the proper amount to focus at the appropriate distance for that attachment. The aperture is set to the custom scale number corresponding to either the large or small number stamped on the rod depending on the film speed used, and the wire frame is placed even with the object or part to be photographed. Versions for other medical fields were illustrated including plastic surgery and dermatology, pathology, "eye camera" and for gynecology.
