CRYSTAR “Spy” Camera

[Ambro51]

As a kid this camera enticed us from comic book ads. I finally took the plunge and got a mint condition “HIT” type camera to work with ($17.50) . This one is branded CRYSTAR, and though there was a Japanese camera company of that name that produced TLRs years before, it’s not known if this micro camera was built by them. It dates from perhaps the early to mid 1950s. Incredibly small, but, rather well engineered for what it is. The camera is the size of a 35mm film cassette! The film it’s designed for is 17.5 mm wide, paper backed roll film giving ten 14x14mm negatives. Back in the day, you’d send your exposed film to ‘Tiny Film Lab” and for a dollar bill you’d get ten 3x3 1/2 enlargements. Better image quality is provided by a curved film plane and a very proper spring loaded curved pressure plate. The lens, I’m not sure but appears to be a glass positive meniscus working with a 25mm fl at f11. The viewfinder is a square plastic window in front and an open hole on the back. The wind knob has a sprocket which only allows correct rotation. The shutter is a near silent self-capping 1/25 second. Instructions suggest the camera be firmly held or placed on a flat solid surface (there is no tripod mount 🙂 ....no wonder as it is the heaviest to push shutter I’ve ever felt, like 3 lbs or so. This no doubt prevents accidental exposures.. I keep wondering if I could remount a 6 element Leitz 24 mm Mikro Summar in it! •••••Film CAN be found, old stock in foil wrapped packs. I’ve got some on the way, also, instead of 17.5 (slit 35mm imperf) 16 mm film is perfectly suited as the image falls within the sprockets. I’ve got Lots of 16 mm Plus X which can easily be swapped into the vintage rolls should the old pan film prove spoiled. Anyhow, that’s my current play toy, hopefully I’ll make some pictures and post soon! BTW if you’re reading this on an iPhone, expanding the image so it nearly fills the screen, that’s Actual size of the camera. There is a possibility this could be a collecting obsession as there are over 400 varieties! The “best” of the bunch is the MYCRO III which has a good lens and a range of adjustments of aperture and shutter speed.

 

[JeffS7444]

As a kid this camera enticed us from comic book ads.

Although the products usually wound up being 75% BS, I loved the Johnson Smith catalog with it's tiny line drawings and fanciful descriptions!

As a kid in the early 1970s, I recall seeing Hit cameras and film being sold from a vending machine, but the prices were beyond my reach.

 

[raydm6]

Cool endeavor.

 

[Ambro51]

Well I have it loaded with 8 inches of 16mm plus X movie film. Taking it to work tomorrow and will shoot some portraits....I think the focus is best at that distance. Should be Fun! ......Three loose rolls arrived today I was surprised one was exposed! Exposed! So there exists a possibility of some image recovery. The film is very tightly coiled, I’ve been toying with the idea of using a pipe or tube just the right inner diameter to let the coiled film be fed it, and held straight. Capping both ends with developer inside might work. Worth testing ...

 

[zuiko85]

Are you just reusing the paper backing or are you cutting it from 120 backing paper?

 

[Ambro51]

I’m reusing the old backing paper now. Here’s a Great video on HIT cameras. https://video.search.yahoo.com/vide...IrD&age=1403625652&fr2=p:s,v:v&fr=iphone&tt=b

 

[Ambro51]

HA! Images! The little thing Works! What I learned is that ISO 125 film is too slow. The shots in shade were no shows. But, the very good thing is that the camera shows no light leaks, the red window is not fogging through, the film advances, the shutter fires, focus is reasonable (the pictures I’ve posted are quick iPhone shot color inverted and “tweaked” since like I said, the 125 is too slow. •••. Now, to make a slitter, cutter ,,, to slice the Agfa APS 400 imperf in half. I’ve got 150 feet of that, some math says 4,000 images worth! Once the film speed is increased I think the Crystar can work reall good. Imagine it as 1/2 scale 828!

. The curved film plane and proper pressure plate seem to do their jobs remarkably well with the definition across the field in this shot of the clubhouse at Galloway National Golf Club, (where I am a Greenskeeper. ). The Camera (and now Yes it Has earned the name “Camera”) is already loaded with more plus X so I’ll shoot it bright sun and give more time in development

 

[ewunder99]

Hey! I just acquired one of these little guys and it came with all of the parts of the shutter apparatus not assembled. Was wondering if any of you could post photos of the inside so I can try to piece it back together? Thanks so much.