Regula I Models
The Regula I series of models (includes I, I-A to I-P etc.) was a series of 35mm cameras made by King KG between 1949 and 1953, the first camera King ever made was the Regula I. The following models share the same basic body design but each one varies with different lenses, shutters and other parts like the winding knobs and frame counter.
Things the models have in common are: -
- A small but chubby body made from aluminium, usually covered with a hard wearing nylon leatherette
- A manually cocked Prontor, Vario or Synchro-Compur shutter
- A triplet lens usually made by Steinheil and Enna, though some are marked as King Regulon, probably an Anastigmat design.
- Basic viewfinder with no frame lines
- King logo (except on III) and accessory shoe on top of the viewfinder hump
- Frame counter (two different designs) and shutter release on the top between the viewfinder and film advance
- Film rewind switch just under the film advance (lets you rewind the film when done)
- 1/4" Tripod socket on the bottom of the camera
- Two metal plates around the film gate that show the model name and serial number
- Two small loops of metal either side of the camera's top plate for use with split rings for a neck strap
- The size is around 130mm * 80mm * 70mm (width*depth*height) and they weigh around 350-400g
The film counter will only count when there is film in the camera, this is via a toothed wheel that sits in the film perforations; it is also connected to the shutter and will prevent the shutter from firing until the counter has increased by one (double exposure prevention).
Regula I Models
Regula I
The camera looks basically identical to the other knob advance/rewind models like the I-P. [1] |
Regula I-A
This camera is basically the same as the Regula I-C. It has the chunkier knob style of a lever wind model but with no lever wind. |
Regula I-B
Regula I-C
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| Regula I-C image by Morinaka. (Image rights) |
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| Regula I-C Top with lever wind image by Morinaka. (Image rights) |
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| Regula I-C Rear image by Morinaka. (Image rights) |
Regula I-Ca
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Regula I-D
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| Regula I-D with lever wind image by Cees-Jan De Hoog (Image rights) |
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| Regula I-D Inside image by Cees-Jan De Hoog (Image rights) |
Regula I-E
Regula I-F
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| Regula I-F image by Joel Santiago (Image rights) |
Regula IP
The differences in this model throughout production seem to be mainly cosmetic, whether an accessory shoe is present seems to be random on earlier models. The only difference between the later version Regula IP and the Regula I-P seems to be the lack of a engraved King logo on the viewfinder hump. |
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| Regula IP - Earlier model, SN: 004396 images by Cees-Jan De Hoog (Image rights) | |||||
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| Regula IP, later model image by OZBOX (Image rights) |
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| Regula IP, SN: 004445 images by Morinaka. (Image rights) | ||||||||
Regula I-P
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| Regula I-P image by Morinaka. (Image rights) |
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| Regula I-P Top with knob wind image by Morinaka. (Image rights) |
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| Regula I-P model plates image by Morinaka. (Image rights) |
Regula I-Pa
Regula I-Po
Regula II
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There are two versions of this camera marked Regula II, a later version that looks nearly identical to a lever-wind Regula I-P and an earlier one with more simple design; this is based on serial numbers from photos.
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| Regula II (early version) image by Morinaka. (Image rights) |
Regula II ST
This is basically identical to a I-P but has a f/3.5 lens instead of a f/2.8 lens. |
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| Regula II ST image by Leo Roos (Image rights) |
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| Regula II ST - Top image by Leo Roos (Image rights) |
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| Regula II ST - Rear Open image by Leo Roos (Image rights) |
Regula III
Even though there is a PC socket on top of the lens for flash synch the camera lacks an accessory shoe in which to put a flash. The top plate also lacks the engraved King logo and instead has Regula engraved on the viewfinder hump. |
Reference
Links
- Regula user manuals at Butkus.org
- Irregular Regulas (archived) by Helen Smith
- King Regula Cameras at CJ's Classic Camera Collection
