compur
Been spending a lot of time on here!
I found this Vero Four last weekend at a flea market for $20.
It is a viewfinder camera that uses 127 film made in Japan in the 1930s-40s. The button on top looks like a shutter release but it isn't. It's a film advance release linked up with the frame counter. The actual shutter release is one of the levers on the shutter itself. Film loading is done through the bottom like a screw mount Leica.
These are pretty rare in the USA. More info on the camera can be found in the Camerapedia here:
Vero Four - Camerapedia
I have a soft spot for 127 cameras, especially ones with decent optics and I wish 127 was taken more seriously by the camera manufacturers back in the day because it's really a much more efficient format than 35mm, IMO.
Here is a size comparison with a Canonet QL17:
You can see that it is smaller than the Canon yet the negative size is 4x4cm, substantially larger then the dinky 24x36mm negative of most 35mm cameras.
Though the cosmetic condition is very good, the Vero has the usual problems of cameras of this vintage related to dried up lubricants causing sticky shutter and stiff focusing helicoid. I haven't decided if I'm going to restore it or sell it on but I'm leaning toward keeping it since I probably won't see another anytime soon.
It is a viewfinder camera that uses 127 film made in Japan in the 1930s-40s. The button on top looks like a shutter release but it isn't. It's a film advance release linked up with the frame counter. The actual shutter release is one of the levers on the shutter itself. Film loading is done through the bottom like a screw mount Leica.
These are pretty rare in the USA. More info on the camera can be found in the Camerapedia here:
Vero Four - Camerapedia
I have a soft spot for 127 cameras, especially ones with decent optics and I wish 127 was taken more seriously by the camera manufacturers back in the day because it's really a much more efficient format than 35mm, IMO.
Here is a size comparison with a Canonet QL17:
You can see that it is smaller than the Canon yet the negative size is 4x4cm, substantially larger then the dinky 24x36mm negative of most 35mm cameras.
Though the cosmetic condition is very good, the Vero has the usual problems of cameras of this vintage related to dried up lubricants causing sticky shutter and stiff focusing helicoid. I haven't decided if I'm going to restore it or sell it on but I'm leaning toward keeping it since I probably won't see another anytime soon.