Hamaphot Moni

Specification

Art Deco Credentials

Noteworthy: Worth giving special attention

• Designed after the main Art Deco period.
• Curvilinear body design in Streamline Moderne style
• Leather pattern in Bakelite
• Horizontal ribbing to plastic body
• Trapesium shaped viewfinder moulding
• Chrome lens plate
• Black lettering

Description

Manufactured under licence from Pouva. Very similar to the Pouva Start.

The camera is fairly simple. It takes 12 6cm x 6cm pictures on 120 roll film. On the top is the shutter release button. There is also a cable release socket. Also on the top is an reverse galilean viewfinder optical viewfinder and the film advance wheel. There is a lever on the top for prizing the back off the camera. On the bottom is the tripod mount. On the back is the red exposure counting window.

On the lens barrel's front plate there is a switch for choosing Instant[M](1/50s) or Bulb[T] function. The aperture is changed by a switch which is annotated with (f/8) and (f/16). The lens is a Duplar having two lenses, one in front and one behind the aperture and shutter.

The camera's most characteristic feature is that the lens is deployed by turning the barrel counter-clockwise by 360 degrees. The helical screw moves the lens outward into the working position. It is not possible to fire the shutter until the lens is completely deployed. When the lens is deployed, a PC sync socket for flash is revealed on the helicoid, close to the lens plate. There is a recessed accessory shoe on the top.

How to Use

This camera takes 120 film which easily available from most photographic outlets. Don't forget to cover the red window with black electrical tape except when advancing the film in low light. Modern film is sensitive to red light.