135compact.com 16mm film ultra compact cameras Edixa 16 MB
The
Edixa 16 was first released 1962, the model presented, an Edixa
16 MB, was launched in 1967, an upper range camera for unperforated 16mm
film* (see below). It has a very good Schneider lens and a coupled matched needle selenium meter can be attached. It
was designed was by Heinz Waaske, who later created the Rollei 35, the
Rollei A110, the Voigtländer Vitoret 110 and others, all very small and
elegant.
*
16mm film is a movie film format, as was 35mm film. In the early
days it was cut from 35mm film and thus had perforations on one
side (single perforation). Please note, that the perfs and their area
of 35mm are bigger than those of modern 16mm film. As soon as 1923
Kodak introduced a set with camera, projector, tripod,
screen and splicer (or was it a slitter?) aiming at amateurs. The new format was rapidly
adopted by still camera producers to build smaller devices. The film
usualy sits
in a cartridge, but no standard has been established, many have 2
cassettes, one feeding and one taking. So every maker made his own
system. Some, like Minolta, even sold a choice of readily available
film cassettes. If you want to use your camera, you should at least
have one (pair of) cassette(s).
16mm
film is still made. There is double perf, single perf and unperforated
film. Check, which one suits your camera. Some need perfs to advance.
Smaller picture formats can use double perf film, bigger ones would
have the perfs (or sprockets) visible in the picture area. There is
10mm of usable space between the perfs of double perf film, 12.5mm to
the side of single perf film. Film can also be s(p)lit from other
formats like 120.
The camera's main features are:
25mm F2.8 Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar lens, F2.8-F16, min. focus 0.4m(!) Shutter speeds: B, 1/30, 1/60 and 1/150 at F2.8, 1/150 at all othe F-stops 12x17mm picture format, can use only single perf or unferfed 16mm film Size 84x38x25, Weight 185 gr. 6 - 100
ISO, viewfinder, only parallax compensation marks, PC flash socket
Camera and leather case.
Camera with lightmeter attached and strap.
Camera front. Big and bright viewfinder with bright framelines. Standard PC flash socket. Back view. Big Finder. Film compartment opening mechanism. A=Auf=open, Z=Zu=closed.
Seen
from the top. Coupled matched needle Selenium meter. Aperture and
shutter setting with LV indications. F2.8 at B, LV8 (1/30s), LV9
(1/60s) and LV10 (1/150s). F4-F16 (1/150s). ISO setting in the center.
Shutter release and cable release socket, can be blocked by turning the
little ring to the red mark. Distance setting with meters and feet
scale.
Seen
from below. Film advance, single stroke, rewind release knob, film counter and rewind handle.No tripod socket, but strap socket can be used as tripod socket.
Camera set to flash use. This sets speed to 1/30, uncouples the meter and lets you choose the F-stop.
Camera film compartment open. Edixa
sold its own film in cartridges, which were technically like 35mm
canisters, film taped to to a core so that is could be re-wound into
the canister. The camera has a removable winding spool which you need
if you want to use this camera. The camera uses unperfed film. You
can use single perf film if the perfs are towards the top of the
camera, the camera opens from the bottom and lies on its top in the
picture above. I have not seen an Edixa cartridge yet.
Nevertheless
you can load and unload the camera in the dark or a changing bag. Please consult this page.
Winding spool taken out.
The winding spool has a clip to safely engage the film start..
This
camera is very easy to use, it's always ready. You only have to match the needle with the pointer,
focus and frame, which is easy via the big and bright viewfinder. After taking
a picture, you have to action the advance lever for film advance and shutter
cocking. Putting a film is a bit longer,
you have to engage the film into the winding spool, advance to the first frame and that's it.
It's
a very good point and shoot camera
with very good lens, superb picture quality, good quality
finish in a small pocketable body. When it came out, it was the
smallest 16mm camera in Europe. This camera feels solid. It has a very
luminous lens. Picture results
were good. It has 2 rare features: focussing down to 40cm without extra
lenses and a B shutter. It has the bigger 12x17 format, which means +
50% of picture area.
