Wednesday, August 4, 2010

My father's camera


Halina 35X Super, originally uploaded by RaúlM..
This is an Halina 35X Super.
It's a very simple viewfinder camera, made in Hong-Kong, c.1960.
The lens is an Anastigmat 45mm, 1:3,5
The shutter is of the leaf type with speeds ranging from 1/25-1/200 and B.
Everything manual, my father had a Gossen light meter, to establish the exposure and used to guestimate the distance.
He made great shots with this camera and taught me how to take pictures with it, how to use a light meter and the shutter speed/diaphragm play to get the correct exposure.
This was also the first 35mm camera I used.

I cherish this camera for all the great moments it recorded.

8 comments:

  1. Isn't it amazing which amazing photos our fathers took just with one cam (and one lens)? And we constantly feel the urge for more and more gear.
    This Halina is a beauty!
    (LucisPictor)

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  2. That was my photography classroom, being my father the teacher.

    You are so right, they took amazing pictures with the barest equipment. As we do today, when using the cameras they handed to us (o;

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  3. Nice to see your father passed on both his camera and his passion for photography. I have a Halina 35X myself but not a Super.

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  4. So very true. He continues to photograph, using film, with the same passion.
    I have a soft spot for Halinas, I have a few.

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  5. The condition of this camera is in is superb, looks like you just took it out of the box!

    Your camera portraits are truly elegantes!

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  6. Gracias, Alvaro.

    Las hacían bien. La pobre no tuve una vida muy fácil.

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  7. I have the same camera but i can't open it to get a new film in. Can you tell me how to open it please so i can get some use out of it?

    Thank yoU!

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  8. On the bottom of the camera there's a lever. you have to turn it to the "o", as in open, and pull down on the back, that must come off.
    Then all you have to do is load a fresh roll of film and start shooting.

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