Beauty Lightomatic II

[petronius]

I found this Beauty Lightomatic II with Biokor 1,9/45mm today at a camera fair. The camera is in working condition (the meter is dead). Does anyone of you have experiences with this model?
Pictures will follow as soon as possible.

 

[Steve Karr]

Hi,
I was given (and later that week destroyed) the CL version of that camera. Pretty nice build quality & the lens was a 1.4 and Sharp. The shutter was accurate too.

I wanted mine for a good in-the-car beater.

Have fun with it. Don't take it's top off... I did ... sad ...

Steve

 

[petronius]

Thank you for thr advice Steve. I´m great in killing camers while fixing them. On the Beauty I only removed the glass in front of the finder and cleaned it.

A picture from the first film, as usual Polypan F @100 ASA, Rodinal 1+50, Canoscan 8400F.

More pictures here:
http://classicameras.blogspot.com/2009/10/beauty-lightomatic-ii.html

 

[Ezzie]

Good name for a camera that good looking. Useful lens too. Good luck to you.

 

[Pompiere]

That is a really good looking camera. It has the right blend of 1960's styling before everything went to the square and smooth look. If I owned one, I would overlook any functional shortcomings just because it looks so good.

 

[JasonH]

I have a couple of the earlier Beauty Lightomatic I or LM, along with a nice Super-L (you can see mine on Camerapedia along with some write-ups). The thing about these (at least for the first LM version) is that you have to leave the advance lever out a bit to unlock the camera's actions.

And do agree that these are a little delicate (also wrecked my second LM too, Steve...) in that Taiyo-Do tried some progressive technology to get these meter-coupled and and some of the wiring/connections are fragile.

 

[petronius]

The most important problem with my model is the hardening of the grease in the distance setting helicoid. The camera is only useable in warm environment. I´m afraid to disassemble the camera, so I´ll wait for summer to take more shots!

 

[JasonH]

The helicoid on these has a tendency to 'cinch' back into the body. Congealed grease seems to help this cinching along. Eventually the helicoid backs into the frame, and the external levered ring freezes in place.

This problem triggered me disassembling my second LM.

 

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

attracted by its RF-Nikon/Contax look, Yesterday I've bought a Lightomatic LM at a local flea market: it looks very well built and the selenium exposure meter is still both working and accurate. With the camera, survive the remains of the everready case, whose leather is dissolving in small pieces.

I see that when it appears on the market, it goes for relatively cheap prices, although I think that this camera (and possibly other models from this manufacturer) are actually rare to see (in Italy, I've never seen another one).

I will try it and the qualities of its lens, a Beauty-S 45mm/1,9.

E.L.

 

[petronius]

Have fun with your Beauty; I use mine way too seldom!

 

[Elmar Lang]

Have fun with your Beauty; I use mine way too seldom!

I hope your message wouldn't be misunderstood by my wife...

 

[petronius]

^That made my day;-))

 

[JAO]

My father bought a Beauty II new in the 1960's, almost all of our family pictures were taken with it until the 1980's when he bought an SLR. I then used it for 5-6 years until the wind on mechanism stopped working. The lens on the camera as very good and in my view was better than the lens on my Yashica GT. A year of so ago my sister and I went through my father many boxes of photos, mostly of our childhood. There were some great sharp images amongst them, almost all taken with the Beauty II. The camera sits on a shelf now in my lounge. Thanks for posting the images, the thread transported me back to happy days gone by!

 

[Murray Kelly]

My avatar was taken with a Beauty. The half silvering of the RF was peeling off and I can't seem to locate something to replace it with. Pity. Is well built otherwise. Mine has a 2.8 lens.

 

[Elmar Lang]

I see that my Lightomatic-LM would need some little adjustment to the rangefinder's infinity, otherwise it works perfectly, exposure meter included.

Perhaps thanks to its fine lens and the unadjusted rangefinder, I could take some great slightly out of focus pictures...

 

[Elmar Lang]

A new Beauty (camera)

A new Beauty (camera)

Hello,

with great surprise, today, I've found another Beauty camera.

It's a Super L.

The good thing, is that it's a complete set: camera, ever-ready case, lightmeter booster (also in its leather case), instruction booklet in english and an old, typed french translation; the whole, in the original, cardboard box.

The camera's outer surface is dirt from dust and time, but the shutter works properly; the RF is ok and the exposure meter, including the booster, gives accurate values. Tomorrow I will clean it and soon I'll try it with a film in.

I find it curious that selenium cells fitted in rather "poor" cameras from the early japanese industry, still work, while many of them in "noble" RF Contaxes or Rolleiflex are dead...

Best wishes,

Enzo (E.L.)

 

[petronius]

Have fun and share some pictures!

 

[Elmar Lang]

Yes, I will.

The camera is now clean and with a fine outer look.

Only, while the rangefinder looks well-calibrated, the wiewfinder's inside is very dirty (I can't understand how so much dust went in).

I would like to lift the camera's top and clean the windows' inner surfaces, but I don't know how to proceed.

Best wishes,

Enzo (E.L.)