Cheap[er] But Not Shoddy

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Here's another of my rescued cameras, this time the one that belonged to Jane's uncle Mac [blog posts passim]. As can be seen, this one is a Chinon CE4 from the early 1980's, a brand that when I was a photographic salesman for Photomarkets in the late seventies, we were particularly scathing about, as our rival stores stocked them either by name or rebranded, as Dixons did [as Prinzflex]. We of course, had our our cheaper range of cameras, which we were also - privately - equally scathing about, the name of which escapes at the distance of time.

I found this camera when were clearing Mac & Louie's house in Chester, after Louie died, a couple of years ago, and put it away with all my other 'to-do' camera projects. I was rooting about in a case of such stuff [for something else entirely] when I came across this one again. Looking at it with fresh eyes and less prejudice, I realised that it was a perfectly decent Japanese 35mm camera from that era, with the same level of quality of construction as the Pentax's, Minolta's and Olympus' of the time. It falls short of contemporary pro cameras of the time, such as Nikon and Canon, but is every bit the equal of their 'prosumer' kit: it even has a Seiko-built shutter of the vertical metal-bladed variety.

The Chinon lenses were not particularly well regarded at the time, and the standard lens on this one was modified by Mac for some reason known only to himself, by glueing(!) what appears to be the glass from a UV filter directly to the lens front. Hmmm... However, these things have standard Pentax K-mount lenses, and I just happen to have a Cinderella K-mount zoom knocking about the place: a Vivitar 80-200mm f4 zoom. Not my or indeed many people's favourite choice of focal length, and hence cheap to pick up secondhand. However, Vivitars of the era were pretty good optics in their own right and widely used at the time.

We're due to head down to Shropshire for a short break in the not-too-distant, so I think I might whack a roll of film in it and take it with me. I also want to try and find the little Rollei digital point-&-shoot out as a street camera, although I've no idea where I've stored it. Anyhow, whatever transpires, I'll keep you posted...


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