Mystery camera?

[Peter Roberts]

On a stroll round the park this morning I noticed this flyer on the notice board outside the cafe. Any ideas what the camera is?

 

[Ralph Turner]

Looks like a collapsible Oh-ell!mar lens mounted on a specialist Leitzorknikor rangfinding slr... erm, sorry, no I haven't the foggiest, Peter . A.I generated?

 

[Pete Askew]

No idea either. And my 'big book of cameras' in the other country!

 

[Stevenson Gawen]

After closer examination I'm actually inclined to say the camera was AI-generated and photoshopped into the image - it looks really weird in parts.
Look at the rewind knob, the weird slit next to the viewfinder window, and most of all the lens! Looks more like a blacksmith made it...

 

[Gary R. Smith]

After a page-by-page review of the still camera in the 1200 page McKeown's, I saw nothing that remotely looks like the front of that pentaprism (?). No text at all on the lens? Why have a pentaprism box and a viewfinder? I'm inclined to believe this may be the new prototype Fujifilm x100vii.

 

[Stevenson Gawen]

a page-by-page review of the still camera in the 1200 page McKeown's

That's dedication!

 

[Gary R. Smith]

That's dedication!

I've emailed The Priory Players and asked if the artist who created the image used a photoshopped or AI camera image.

 

[Stevenson Gawen]

I've emailed The Priory Players and asked if the artist who created the image used a photoshopped or AI camera image.

Well, if they reply that'll settle it once and for all! I'd bet a broken lens on AI being involved somewhere...

 

[Peter Roberts]

I've emailed The Priory Players and asked if the artist who created the image used a photoshopped or AI camera image.

I've got a sneaking suspicion you're on a mission with this, Gary
If I had a copy, I would have looked it up in McKeown's myself, and no doubt have been there for hours getting distracted.

 

[Beth Carter]

what's going on with the middle finger on the left hand? is it possible that there was a plate or something covering the pentaprism and those two odd circles?

 

[Ralph Turner]

what's going on with the middle finger on the left hand? Looks like there's either a custom finger-hold indent, or the camera is slowly absorbing him, digit by digit...

 

[Ralph Turner]

The index finger on his right hand looks a little suspect, too..

 

[Gary R. Smith]

I would have looked it up in McKeown's myself, and no doubt have been there for hours getting distracted.

Well, it did take quite while to turn all of those pages but I was doing a quick scan for anything that looked like the strange front of the pentaprism housing (if that's what it is)? The fingertips do seem to be sinking into whatever item that guy has grabbed. Maybe it's a cake that's been decorated to look like a camera? I think I saw one of those on the GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

My opinion: it's definitely AI. I've played it enough, so I have no doubts.

 

[Stefan Wilde]

 

[Stefan Wilde]

This is not it, but the closest thing. An Alpa 6.

 

[Stefan Wilde]

After a page-by-page review of the still camera in the 1200 page McKeown's, I saw nothing that remotely looks like the front of that pentaprism (?). No text at all on the lens? Why have a pentaprism box and a viewfinder? I'm inclined to believe this may be the new prototype Fujifilm x100vii.

Alpa had this funny idea... The first generation covers the period from 1942 to 1952. The models are named Standard, Reflex, or Prisma Reflex, and they were made of sheet metal. The Reflex and Prisma Reflex models had both a reflex viewfinder and a rangefinder viewfinder, with the reflex viewfinder mainly used for framing as it was not very precise. Its mirror had to be manually operated. The reflex viewfinder (chest viewfinder) was protected by a metal cover that also served as a sunshade when opened. The name Alpa-Reflex was engraved on this cover. The presence of three windows on the front easily identifies these models. The rangefinder viewfinder was effective for focal lengths up to 135mm. In the Prisma Reflex models, the reflex viewfinder was replaced by a black rectifying prism, and the viewfinder was at eye level. The models referred to as "Standard" did not have the reflex viewfinder.

 

[Peter Roberts]

My opinion: it's definitely AI. I've played it enough, so I have no doubts.

I'm inclined to agree with you, Gianluca.
In view of Beth's comment there's something dodgy about the 'photographer' himself. It begs the question: Why? I mean, if they'd wanted a photo of someone puzzling about an old camera I would have been happy to pose with a quizzical look on my face while trying to remember to use my EXA500 lefthandedly

 

[Peter Roberts]

Alpa had this funny idea... The first generation covers the period from 1942 to 1952. The models are named Standard, Reflex, or Prisma Reflex, and they were made of sheet metal. The Reflex and Prisma Reflex models had both a reflex viewfinder and a rangefinder viewfinder, with the reflex viewfinder mainly used for framing as it was not very precise. Its mirror had to be manually operated. The reflex viewfinder (chest viewfinder) was protected by a metal cover that also served as a sunshade when opened. The name Alpa-Reflex was engraved on this cover. The presence of three windows on the front easily identifies these models. The rangefinder viewfinder was effective for focal lengths up to 135mm. In the Prisma Reflex models, the reflex viewfinder was replaced by a black rectifying prism, and the viewfinder was at eye level. The models referred to as "Standard" did not have the reflex viewfinder.

Wow, Stefan. What a mine of information you are!

 

[Stefan Wilde]

Wow, Stefan. What a mine of information you are!

Thank you, but I´m afraid all I have contributed was remembering I´d seen this weird Alpa... the rest is contributed by the internet, more specifically https://www.collection-appareils.fr/x/html/camera-10358-Alpa.html