#5 Fujica AX 100 Marine-8

Em português 

This camera was bought from new by my uncle Silvino Magalhães, in the late 70's.

He was a SCUBA diver and spear-fisherman. It was him who introduce me to the underwater world.

He never gave a real underwater use to this camera except for some test sessions in a indoor swimming pool.

His idea was to document a spear-fishing expedition to the Azores, that he made with some buddies in '77 or '78. They shot a few scenes topside but the film supply ended before they went to the water, at the time in the Azores it was impossible to find more film and the documentary ended before it started.

I converted some of my uncle movies to video but the quality is very low. I'm going to give a good clean to the projector and try to improve the conversion quality, if I'm able to get a better result I'll be back to this.

 

He gave it to me when I finished my SCUBA diving training in 1994.

At the time I was working for Fujifilm and I was told that it was impossible to get film for it, what I know now that it wasn't true but, this was the times before internet and eBay.

So I never used it, underwater or topside.

 

Fujifilm sold this camera from 1973 to 1978.

The most amazing feature, to my eyes, is the 1.1 lens, amazingly fast lens, with the 1/28 shutter speed, if one used a 200 ISO film would be almost able to shoot with candle light.

I think that it lacked a faster shutter speed to avoid motion blur.

The camera is almost pocketable. With the Marine-8 enclosure it was the dream of every SCUBA diver

AX100 specifications:

from the instructions manual

• Type: High performance Single-8 cartridge loading
• Lens: FUJINON 1:1.1 f=13mm, prefocused. Composition: five component, 7 element. Filter screw 40.5mm
• Viewfinder: Reverse Galilean. Feature: Under- and overexposure warning signal (lamp)
• Film Drive: Power drive, 2 penlight batteries (AA-size) good for 10 rolls of film.
• Frame rate: 18 fps
• Footage counter: S /Start) to 15m (50 ft.), automatic reset.
• Shutter release: Push button, provided with safety lock.
• Shutter opening range: 230º
• Shutter speed 1/28 sec.
• Exposure control type: CdS EE, 2-blade aperture
• Aperture range: 1.1 - 16
• Film speed setting: Automatic for ASA 25, 50, 100 and 200 film.
• Power source: 1.3V mercury battery (PX-13 or EPX-13 or equivalent).
• Dimensions and weight: 151.5mm(H) x 48mm (body 27mm) (W) x 98.5mm (D), 315g.
• Accessories included: Soft case, hand strap. Optional: Close-up lens, close-up lens TV, light balancing LBA-12Ax4.

Marine-8 enclosure specifications:

also from the instructions manual

• Camera: FUJICA Single-8 AX100.
• Diving raange: Forty meters limit, 4 kg/cm2 pressure drag.
• Material: Polycarbonate resin, ABS resin, polyethylene, optical glass.
• Dimensions Body alone: 79 mm(W) x 165 mm(D) x 180 mm(H). With accessories: 378mm(W) x 165 mm(D) x 300 mm (H).
• Weight Body alone: 580g. With accessories: 1,020g.
• Accessories: Grip, underwater viewfinder, stabilizer fins, gasket detacher, accessory screwdriver, spare gasket. 

Stay tuned (o;