Walz Envoy 35
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| Walz Envoy; lens diagram visible alongside shutter release image by Sandeha Lynch (Image rights) |
The Walz Envoy 35 is a well-made 35 mm rangefinder camera that was sold c.1959 by the Japanese company Walz. It was available with an f/1.9 or f/2.8 Kominar lens and fitted with a Copal SVL shutter. A camera offering a seven-element f/1.9 lens (a 4.8cm from Nitto Kogaku) at an affordable price was a particular selling point.[1] This is highlighted with lens trim-ring engravings reading "7-elements"[2] and even a diagram on the top deck showing a cross-section of the lens design.
In fact, this lens design is derived from the pre-WWII Zeiss Sonnar—unusual by 1959, as its cemented elements were a measure to improve transmission and contrast by having only 6 air-glass surfaces. This became less of an issue in the 50s as antireflection coatings had become commonplace (a typical 6-element double Gauss design has 8 such surfaces).
The aperture ring is coupled to the shutter speed ring in order to keep the same EV when changing shutter speed. The Walz Envoy M-35, a metered update of this camera, was marketed in the same period. Its uncoupled meter gives the EV value to be set on the aperture ring.
Notes
- ↑ It is advertised in April, 1959, at USD $69.95 (Popular Photography magazine; Vol. 44 No. 4; pg. 15).
- ↑ Examples have been seen where this is omitted.
Links
- Walz Envoy 35 repair at Kitamura (in Japanese)
- Walz Envoy 35 user manual (pdf) at Butkus.org
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| Walz Envoy 35 with "7-elements" lens image by Alf Sigaro (Image rights) |
