Petri 7s lens swap project

Wow, I see old thread is resurrected :) Nice to see people go for this not very popular camera and like results. I also still have my 7S.

I've got clamp-on Petri lens hood which fits Petri 7S, Computor and even Yashica Lynx 5000 and Electro 35 FC.

P.S. If anyone needs f/2.8 lens assembly it's your for shipping expenses. After swapping it sits in a box.

P.P.S. I think Wikipedia's "This was followed by the very successful Petri 7S 11 in 1966" refers to model 7S II, Mk2 that is.
 
btgc said:
If anyone needs f/2.8 lens assembly it's your for shipping expenses. After swapping it sits in a box.
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We have a word for what you did in CA and Mexico, and it starts with a 'C.' Nice work, I hope you've inspired someone, but I don't have the 'Cs.'
 
Thanks for head-up, charjohncharter; my brother's wife is American Mexican, so I think I know "C" word. If I have inspired someone to grow C's, that's a good day. I have got a lots of inspiration from folks here on RFF and kyphoto.com
 
Yeah, I definitely don't have the C's to replace the lens in this baby, but then again I don't have any reason to either. :eek:

I just finished off the first test roll of film from this Petri 7s Circle Eye Color Corrected Super with a 45/1.8 lens and the verdict is...

WOW! This camera shoots smooth. Every shot was exposed correctly. No light leaks. The rangefinder is clear, bright and perfectly calibrated. The lens is sharp and did I say the camera is smooth?

I really did not expect much from a $10 Petri., but it's now my new favorite fixed lens RF camera.

I took off the top just to see what it looked liked under the hood and found it easy to open, easy to clean and work on and seems quite well made.

I like the general ergonomics and feel much better than my Yashica GSN. Especially the shutter button.

Anyway, here's a not particularly inspired shot of me taking off my shoes after a long day. Kind of lame and a little funny but it gives a pretty good idea what the 1.8 wide open at 1/15 on a tripod using Kodak 400 HD in a dimly lit room looks like. It seems to render colors faithfully and the bokehs nice too.

There's nothing shabby about this Petri 7s. Fully manual with a very accurate selenium light meter and it's completely battery independent.

Oh, and since the 7s came out in 1962 it doesn't have foam light seals to go bad. Too early. It has black yarn that still looks like new. Sweet.
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Jack Conrad said:
I really did not expect much from a $10 Petri., but it's now my new favorite fixed lens RF camera.
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I like the general ergonomics and feel much better than my Yashica GSN. Especially the shutter button.
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yes, it's interesting phenomena - people bid some FL RF's into heaven, while very decent cameras can be had for minimal bid. Like Petri 7S. Hm.

Results of your comparison isn't surprise - GSN has AE under hood, while 7S is old good fully mechanical camera; no need to move additional springs and lever which dampen shutter release to level when it's not informative anymore. Yeah, release here is on par with Konica III and Ricoh 519.
 
Yeah, release here is on par with Konica III and Ricoh 519.
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I suspect you're right btgc,... and it makes me want to search for the Konica III and the Ricoh 519 as well. Jeesh, is there no end? lol

I also especially like the onboard selenium meter that gave me an accurate reading even inside at night with nothing but typical florescent lights. Without batteries.

I'm just saying, for a 50 year old camera, the 7s is a very capable one.

Now, the question I have is what manufacturer really made the Petri lenses?
I think it's widely assumed that there was a different independent lens manufacturer on nearly every street corner in Tokyo back in the 50's, but somehow that logic evades me.
Popping out optical quality lens glass alone on such a consistent and massive worldwide scale suggests to me huge conglomerated production from which many of these companies such as Petri or Kuribayachi and others must have been dipping from.

Komine, Cosina, Kiron, Tamioka, Nikon, Minolta?

There is a fascinating conspiracy story in here somewhere, I just know it. lol
 
Jack Conrad said:
I suspect you're right btgc,... and it makes me want to search for the Konica III and the Ricoh 519 as well. Jeesh, is there no end? lol

Now, the question I have is what manufacturer really made the Petri lenses?
....
Komine, Cosina, Kiron, Tamioka, Nikon, Minolta?
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Jack, if I could start from scratch with my current experience, I'd have only one FL RF, be it Petri 7S or Konica III. Probably it's better to start with more expensive camera to keep GAS down. Each new camera of same type has broadened my knowledge of gear, not photography. Sure, those high-end Konica or Ricoh are better built, have smoothness and gestalt cheaper cameras just don't, but do this helps me take better photos? I do not think so. But to each his own, if you like gear, go for KIII or 519, they are beautiful machines. This days I rather use them than Petri, just mind my costs per image are extraorbital compared to what I'd get staying with Petri!

As for lenses, Petri made lenses for SLRs, too. I don't know anything whether they had own manufacturing or involved third party to build lenses with Petri name on them.
 
btgc said:
As for lenses, Petri made lenses for SLRs, too. I don't know anything whether they had own manufacturing or involved third party to build lenses with Petri name on them.
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At least some of the Petri M42 lenses were made by a company called Kyoei Optical. Kyoei Optical also sold these lenses under their own "Acall" brand. Also sold under the Taika brand, and, interestingly, some Yashica Yashinon lenses (pre Tomioka, for Penta series) were also made by Kyoei.
 
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