Halina 35X. One of the All-Time Worst?

[Johngwill]

Wow, I didn't expect Hernia Bay to get a look in on here! I had student digs there 1991-93, literally half way down the West Cliff below the Hotel St George at the end of Ridgeway Cliff.

Canterbury must have been a strange place in the late 1950s, if the plaques reading "The historic X stood here until 1958" are anything to go by. I've always read that as the post-Blitz rebuild didn't start until then. Ironically, while I was there most of that redevelopment was being pulled down and replaced itself - I was last there circa 1999, and didn't recognise sizeable chunks of the centre from only a few years before.

I lived in Herne Bay in the late 60's, had a flat on Beacon Hill overlooking the Kings Hall.

I was born in Canterbury living in Sturry Road where my parents ran a café called The Singing Kettle !! Certainty the 50's were different, still many bomb craters from the war and lots of temporary buildings, by the 60's the city centre was completely rebuilt. I left for the land downunder in '68 and have never been back. Looking at the area now (on Google Maps) a lot of what I remember no longer exists, that's progress for you !

 

[seany65]

Only the Brits could build a ballistic missile out of corrugated iron!

You're right. Mind you, it never did fly as we couldn't find a key big enough to wind it up.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

You're right. Mind you, it never did fly as we couldn't find a key big enough to wind it up.

Lacking the key, you could always twirl the propeller until the rubber band was tensioned. It was determined that hamsters turning a flywheel wouldn't work, as they weren't motivated enough.

 

[Muggins]

Boy, have we* derailed this one!

*It wasn't just me, I had help!

 

[WoodallP]

Still derailed but back to Canterbury. The Powell and Pressburger film “A Canterbury Tale” was filmed during WWII not long after the bombing. In places it captures quite well how the city was at the time.

 

[Muggins]

I had forgotten that, I've never yet seen it.

 

[boilerman]

Noticed that my camera is missing one of the three small (presumably) brass bolts/screws holding the lens to the lens plate, visible when the back is off and empty of film.

Rather than replace the camera, does anybody here know what size a replacement screw/bolt would be and what screwdriver would be needed to fir it?

 

[Muggins]

I can't picture what you mean (this may be beer-related, mind), but if you can annotate a picture of the screws I can measure up for you.

 

[boilerman]

I can't picture what you mean (this may be beer-related, mind), but if you can annotate a picture of the screws I can measure up for you.

Thanks, much quicker response than I imagined!

Don't have access to my camera at the moment, have "borrowed" and annotated an image of the same type.

The positions of all the screw holes are shown, obscuring parts rearwards of the front plate mean that only one is visible in this image. Should stress that the I am not confusing the screw holding down the shutter release lever for something else!

 

[Muggins]

Thanks, much quicker response than I imagined!

Don't have access to my camera at the moment, have "borrowed" and annotated an image of the same type.
View attachment 4855588
The positions of all the screw holes are shown, obscuring parts rearwards of the front plate mean that only one is visible in this image. Should stress that the I am not confusing the screw holding down the shutter release lever for something else!

Great - I know exactly where you mean now. I'll take a look later and measure up. I wonder what thread pitch an "Empire Made" camera from Hong Kong would have used?

 

[Dralowid]

Maybe Whitworth or more likely BA?

 

[Muggins]

I'll take a pic with a rule alongside, see if that gives any clues.

 

[Dralowid]

Apologies, my suggestion was meant to be a humorous reference to 'Empire Made'. I would imagine that anything the right diameter in a softish metal will pick up the existing threads.

 

[Muggins]

No need to apologise, that's pretty much what I was wondering myself!

 

[Muggins]

I would imagine that anything the right diameter in a softish metal will pick up the existing threads.

Looking at the state of my screws, I think that's exactly how they were made - they are all brass, for starters.

@boilerman - pics below, are these good enough? The slot width appears to be 0.5mm, but I can't get the calipers to stay in it for a photo. If you want better pics I'll take more time setting them up and repeat.

I've realised why I was a bit confused by your original request - my camera has an extra moulding between the shutter and the film gate, so the back of the shutter plate isn't visible from the back. Is yours one with a manual cocking lever?

 

[boilerman]

Looking at the state of my screws, I think that's exactly how they were made - they are all brass, for starters.

@boilerman - pics below, are these good enough? The slot width appears to be 0.5mm, but I can't get the calipers to stay in it for a photo. If you want better pics I'll take more time setting them up and repeat.

I've realised why I was a bit confused by your original request - my camera has an extra moulding between the shutter and the film gate, so the back of the shutter plate isn't visible from the back. Is yours one with a manual cocking lever?

Those pictures look great, thank you for making the time and effort! Would you imagine that an M2 size would be appropriate? The next smallest I can find on a quick look is M1.6.

Have attached a photo of the back of my camera, if by manual cocking lever you mean the shutter arm on the left side of the lens (actuated by the left hand) that forgetting to use results in a blank frame, then yes.

Many thanks again!

 

[Muggins]

You might have to buy a couple of sizes and try, I think.

Mine is (presumably) the later version that cocks when you wind the film, I can find photos of the shutter internals of your version but not mine. Ho hum!

 

[Dralowid]

I didn't realise that there was a Halina Super 35x with a bigger more central viewfinder and then one with a 'more modern' boxy shaped body all made by Haking. See also the Microconta 35X.

Plenty on Ebay

Time for a scholarly in depth research document. I wonder if AI will help me with this one?

 

[raybob]

Recently I've been working my way through a backlog of undeveloped film. I had a whole box of rolls that piled up over the years. Generally if I thought I had a good photo I would develop the roll right away, and if I thought I didn't have a good photo the roll would sometimes disappear into a box of other uninteresting rolls, saved I guess for a rainy day. At the bottom of this box was a roll of Lucky SHD 100, so I knew it was old. Upon development, I was a little stumped. I couldn't remember what camera I used at first, but as I was inspecting the negatives I finally saw a couple frames that ignited long dormant memories.

I had shot two or three rolls through a Halina 35X c. 2010. It was in all respects a terrible camera. It looks kind of cool, I'll admit, but everything about it felt kind of off. It is basically the ripoff of the Nescon camera (see my thread on the Soligor rebrand of this camera here). It has a spring regulated shutter (setting the shutter to higher speeds increases the spring tension... there is no clockwork, and thus no accuracy, in the timing mechanism) and a triplet lens (which in a hilarious fit of penny pinching, only the outer elements got coated!). The advance mechanism feels like stirring a pot of gravel, and the rewind requires you to pull and lift the advance knob up, and press down a rewind "button" against significant spring pressure while using a comically tiny rewind knob to get the film back into its cassette - this ends up being literally painful. And even then I always managed to rip at least a few sprocket holes during the rewind process.

step by Berang Berang, on Flickr

valve by Berang Berang, on Flickr

Above: The recently developed roll. I'm honestly impressed that the Lucky film held the latent image for over a decade without losing much, if any contrast. There was no base fog to speak of either. Prints were made quickly, I may go back and do a proper job of the one of the stairs, I think it has some promise of being a good photo with a little more effort.

And a color image from the same camera:
stone faced by Berang Berang, on Flickr

The 35X was relatively popular in England, where it was just about the cheapest "real" 35mm camera one could get, and there are plenty in the UK who have some nostalgia for these tiny, chintzy cameras. I did not hold on to mine, it left my collection after only a handful of rolls had gone through it.

I propose to rectify various faults on my 35X. It is a rotten camera but I am nostalgic as it was my first 35mm camera in 1961. Is there anyone who can introduce me to that procedure? Many thanks and best wishes from the UK.

 

[johnf04]

It's years since I did this - but this is how I got into a Halina. The leatherette fell off, and under it there are 4 screws, holding the lens.