OK, Who Recognizes this Mystery Rangefinder?

[CameraQuest]

Recently I was pleasantly surprised to find a very interesting 35mm rangefinder I had never seen or heard of before.

Who recognizes it by its specs?

1) Interchangeable lens LEAF shutter RF
2) 50/1.4 standard lens, that's right, 50/1.4 not a typo! Is there another 50/1.4 leaf shutter rangefinder?
3) Parallax corrected brightlines for 50 and 85 lenses
4) Full VF shows 35mm view, no frameline
5) no built in meter
6) what may be the largest film rewind lever ever mounted on a 35mm rangefinder camera
7) shutter speeds 1 to 1/500 plus B

Hmmm. now to find the 35 and 85 lenses!

Stephen

 

[BillBingham2]

Kodak Retina but I do not remember the model without liking it up.

How close am I?

B2 (;->

 

[Carlos Cruz]

?aires 35 perhaps?

 

[wlewisiii]

I can think of cameras that will fit everything but the 50/1.4 bit. No interchangables that I've seen have anything that fast. 2.0 is the most on a Retina and that's the fastest I know of.

William

 

[Dwig]

Voigtlander Prominent/ProminentII had f/1.5 lenses as one of the 50mm options. They also had a 35mm. The longer lens was a 100mm and, for the ProminentII, a 150. Close fit to the mystery camera but not a match.

 

[antiquark]

Kowa Kallo 140?

 

[LeicaFoReVer]

Ricoh has some rangefinder with rewind lever at the bottom of the camera. It reminded me that one. But I dont think it has leaf curtain or 50/1.4 lens...

 

[Merkin]

Question: does it have a bellows?

 

[rxmd]

Kowa Kallo 140?

Would have been my guess too, as it has a colossal folding rewind crank on the bottom and came with a 50/1.4. There's 85 and 35 lenses for the system, too. I guess that's it.

 

[wlewisiii]

Hmm. Googling it gets me stuff that says the Kowa had a 45/1.4 lens as it's primary (with 35 & 85 as well). Not that different but Stephen said 50/1.4... interesting. I'm curious now...

William

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Jason Schneider's Camera Collecting says Kowa 140!

 

[Maiku]

I am going with the Kowa Kallo 140 too.

I have the camera sitting on my repair desk right now trying to figure out why I cannot get the aperture blades close when it is mount on the camera. They open and close when the lens is not on the camera.

I want it to work to show it off.

It just has to be the Kowa Kallo 140.

 

[gb hill]

This Kowa has a 50/1:4 lens & it's a rangefinder.
http://www.geocities.co.jp/HeartLand/4556/camera/kowa140.html

 

[planetjoe]

Just FYI, found this thread. Interesting.


Cheers,
--joe.

 

[CameraQuest]

Kowabunga!

Kowabunga!

Kowa Kallo 140?

Yep, I have the Kowa version. Circa 1959. Its built like a tank with a humongus rewind lever.

The Kallo/Kowa 140 was probably never officially exported out of Japan, so its relatively rare and hard to find.

The RF/VF is passable for an inexpensive camera, but it does have excellent eye relief so the entire VF is easily visible.

If anyone else made a 50/1.4 for an interchangeable lens leaf shutter RF, I would like to hear about it.

Stephen

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Stephen, how are the lenses? Did you put some film through the camera?

 

[CameraQuest]

Stephen, how are the lenses? Did you put some film through the camera?

only have the legendary, eh not so legendary
Kowa Prominar 50/1.4
just got the camera back from CLA, have not shot it.

Stephen