Anyone got a more unusual shutter setup?

[David Mitchell]

Hi all,

Here is my latest camera to arrive today, its a Purma Special from around 1937, 100% bakerlite, its a 127 camera, however you can just cover the windows and load standard 35mm film in, it produces a square negative (Pete will be happy) but there is a reason why it would need to produce a square negative which I will come onto in a bit.

Sorry about some of the photos, I have set my Nikon so that it doesn't go to stupid ISOs in slightly lower light so the shutter speed is sloooow lol

Anyhow, here are some images of it:

Here it is with the cap on in the ever-ready case:

Cap removed allows the spring loaded lens to pop out, it also means you can't take a photo with the cap on which is useful!

The lens is a Beck Anastigmat F6.3, the focal distance is 2 1/4" - thats right, not in mm!

Here is a photo of it out the case, the later Purma plus (from 1951) were metal and didn't have the same classic design:

Here is the back windows for the 127 frame counter - the 127 film is paper backed like the 120 rolls, so to run 35mm through it you just need to block those up and measure the turns for each of the frames.

Here are all of the controls:

From left to right, shutter release, shutter cocking lever and the film winder....but wait....how do you set the shutter speed? Its got 3 speeds.

Whats this around the view finder?

This camera has a very very unique shutter system, it has an opening much like the set of curtains that go past the film, there is a single spring that fires.

This shutter is a GRAVITY shutter! Basically you hold it normally, the spring fires the shutter at normal speed, hold the camera portrait one way up, the shutter is weighted so one way the weight works against the spring making it fire slower, if you hold the camera the other way up it works with the spring and it goes faster.

Here are some details on it:

R.F. Hunter, Purma Special 127 roll film camera, c1937

Basically the first part of the shutter goes past at the same speed, but the 2nd part of the shutter is variable, if it moves slower there is more gap = slower speed, if there is a smaller gap then that gives a faster shutter speed.

The speeds are 1/25, 1/150 and 1/450 for slow medium and fast, and its why it shoots a square image as then it doesn't matter which way the camera is up as it will always look the same

btw, here is a Purma plus, you can see why I went for the Purma special

 

[Pete Askew]

Interesting David. Looking forward to seeing what it produces.

 

[David Mitchell]

Interesting David. Looking forward to seeing what it produces.

Same, its got quite a small aperture so I just need to work out what the best speed I should go with due to the limited shutter speeds although its not like I can get any setting wrong on it!

Here is a video about how to fit a 35mm film into a 127 camera:

Kodak Brownie 127 Camera Using 35mm Film - YouTube

It will be quite cool as it shoots through the sprocket holes, I just need to get a spool for the other side and cover the window, I would then need to work out how far I need to wind it as I can't use a film counter.

 

[Stan Hesketh]

That is a very interesting camera. I like reading about such gems, and the way that different manufacturers used their ingenuity to operate shutters, etc.. It will be great to see some results.

 

[David Mitchell]

That is a very interesting camera. I like reading about such gems, and the way that different manufacturers used their ingenuity to operate shutters, etc.. It will be great to see some results.

Thanks Stan, I like collecting the more unusual cameras, I have other odd cameras already, this is the first camera that has broken my rule though as in the film isn't current, but as I can use 35mm in the camera I felt it was ok. Its usually interesting around the 1930s, 40s and 50s before film SLRs became mainstream you get odd designs and mechanisms, im also looking at getting a universal Mercury II camera which has a massive rotary shutter which means it has a large semicircle over the top of the camera.

The cool thing about some cameras is the fact that some really odd cameras are cheap to buy as no-one has a clue what they are so its always good to see whats around.

 

[Stan Hesketh]

My son uses 35mm in a 120 Lubitel to good effect. It is very effective seeing the sprocket holes in the pics. I seem to recall him saying that he worked out the frame spacing using paper around the spools and marking with a pencil.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Now that's one cool looking camera design - I can see why you were attracted to it

The Plus version look a lot like an Ilford don't you think?