GeneW
Veteran
On DP Review of all places:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1018&message=10012315
He sounds like he'd fit in here!
Gene
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1018&message=10012315
He sounds like he'd fit in here!
Gene
back alley
IMAGES
david has a way with words, women and cameras i thinks.
very nice story.
joe
very nice story.
joe
T
Todd.Hanz
Guest
Great story,that site was one of my favorite haunts when I first bought my DSLR.
Todd
Todd
Neat story! I too bought now-long-lost Petris at the military exchange while serving overseas about that same time, so I can relate to his feelings of nostalgia!
Mine were a Petriflex V single-lens-reflex, and a half-frame Petri Half-7. Haven't had either for many years. But I did inherit my Dad's Petri 7S (and aux lens set) that he bought in the Navy Exchange.
Mine were a Petriflex V single-lens-reflex, and a half-frame Petri Half-7. Haven't had either for many years. But I did inherit my Dad's Petri 7S (and aux lens set) that he bought in the Navy Exchange.
O
Oldprof
Guest
I hate to be a party pooper, but I once had the opportunity to use a Petri 7S and I was not favorably impressed. My wife owned the camera when we got married in 1973 (it was a gift from a friend who had served in Vietnam and had purchased the Petri from an Air Force exchange).
We took the Petri 7S as a backup camera when we went to South America in September, 1973 to conduct field research in an Amazonian Indian community (we stayed until March, 1975). My other cameras were a Canon FT-QL SLR and a late 1950s Beauty Super II rangefinder (made by Taiyodo Koki of Japan).
The Canon and Beauty cameras performed magnificently in the jungle. The Petri 7S tended to underexpose most of its shots. I think its meter (encircling the lens) was collecting more light than the lens itself, and giving erroneous readings. As a consequence, I have never liked cameras whose meters encircle their lenses.
The Petri lens itself was capable of making sharp images, but its color rendition was excessively warm ... much warmer than the lenses of the Canon and Beauty. Color slides made with the Petri appear almost reddish.
Finally, the film transport mechanism on the Petri 7S started skipping, leading to uneven frame spacing and overlapping exposures.
For me, the Petri 7S was one of the least robust and most disappointing cameras I ever worked with. It seemed flimsy compared to the Canon FT-QL (no surprise there), but it also seemed flimsy compared to my much older Beauty Super II rangefinder.
We took the Petri 7S as a backup camera when we went to South America in September, 1973 to conduct field research in an Amazonian Indian community (we stayed until March, 1975). My other cameras were a Canon FT-QL SLR and a late 1950s Beauty Super II rangefinder (made by Taiyodo Koki of Japan).
The Canon and Beauty cameras performed magnificently in the jungle. The Petri 7S tended to underexpose most of its shots. I think its meter (encircling the lens) was collecting more light than the lens itself, and giving erroneous readings. As a consequence, I have never liked cameras whose meters encircle their lenses.
The Petri lens itself was capable of making sharp images, but its color rendition was excessively warm ... much warmer than the lenses of the Canon and Beauty. Color slides made with the Petri appear almost reddish.
Finally, the film transport mechanism on the Petri 7S started skipping, leading to uneven frame spacing and overlapping exposures.
For me, the Petri 7S was one of the least robust and most disappointing cameras I ever worked with. It seemed flimsy compared to the Canon FT-QL (no surprise there), but it also seemed flimsy compared to my much older Beauty Super II rangefinder.
Very true, Oldprof, the Petri is not up to the quality of a Canon or Olympus, for instance. The meter on mine seems to respond poorly, so I've just ignored it and gone with "sunny 16" as a basis for settings.
If you go to the Gallery and use the Search feature to look for "Petri" you'll find some shots that Bill M and I uploaded.
I had mine CLA'd, and it works pretty well except for the meter.
If you go to the Gallery and use the Search feature to look for "Petri" you'll find some shots that Bill M and I uploaded.
I had mine CLA'd, and it works pretty well except for the meter.
JohnM
Well-known
I have at least three or four Petris in the junk drawer; they weren't built to the standard of some of the other compact rangefinders and time hasn't been kind to most of them.
The selenium meters are mostly long gone, focusing rings stiffen to the point of annoyance and the body covering dries out and generally takes on an unpleasant feel. Inside, they were very poorly sealed against the elements. I've always loved the look of the camera, but have long since given up trying to get one back into good condition.
The selenium meters are mostly long gone, focusing rings stiffen to the point of annoyance and the body covering dries out and generally takes on an unpleasant feel. Inside, they were very poorly sealed against the elements. I've always loved the look of the camera, but have long since given up trying to get one back into good condition.
btgc
Veteran
I'm one from those who own Petri 7s, though I must admit that Petri Pro 7 has even better look than regular 7. Unfortunately, I haven't found good pictures of it, only ones are on ebay. I haven't used cameras with release on front - so can't say how practical it is, though Pro version 
of Petri 7 by no means catches eye quicker than Yashica Electro Professional
of Petri 7 by no means catches eye quicker than Yashica Electro Professional 
charjohncarter
Veteran
Good story, I have a 7S, and I like and use it. My first true rangefinder was the Petri 7, I bought new in 1963, but it was probably a discontinued new one.
JoeFriday
Agent Provacateur
good one! I briefly had a 7s (from that Big Box of Cameras, if anyone remembers that). It had a stellar lens and I really liked the simplicity. As I recall, it found a new home in the Netherlands after I decided I had too many cameras.
dmr
Registered Abuser
Very familiar story. I know I'm not the only one to sell a vintage RF only to covet it in years to come.
The Petri 7s was probably the cheapest of the nice modern 35mm cameras around 1970. I considered getting one. I knew some other kids who had them and liked them. One younger guy had an older Petri hand-me-down (forget the model) and liked it too.
I ended up getting the Mamiya SD from a friend of my brother, and this one had a faster lens, plus I just liked the feel of it.
I do know how the guy feels being reunited with his old friend.
The Petri 7s was probably the cheapest of the nice modern 35mm cameras around 1970. I considered getting one. I knew some other kids who had them and liked them. One younger guy had an older Petri hand-me-down (forget the model) and liked it too.
I ended up getting the Mamiya SD from a friend of my brother, and this one had a faster lens, plus I just liked the feel of it.
I do know how the guy feels being reunited with his old friend.