Chris's camera pages

A simple, but well made 35mm camera from Braun. This is a model I, probably made around 1955.

Braun made a whole raft of similar cameras, and it can be difficult to tell which one you are looking at. This camera has a fixed lens, so it is a model I, the model II had an interchangeable lens. It also has an extinction meter in the second window in the top cover, where you might expect a rangefinder.

It is fitted with a Prontor SVS shutter, with speeds running from 1 to 1/300 seconds plus B. The shutter has X and M flash synchronisation, and a built-in self-timer.

The shutter release is a knurled button on a lever, at the right-hand side of the shutter body.

The film advance is by the rapid-wind lever on the top-right of the top cover. Two full strokes of the film advance lever are required to cock the shutter and advance the film to the next frame.

Earlier Paxette I cameras are very much the same, except they have a knob for the film advance instead of the rapid-wind lever, and the earliest have an accessory shoe which is integral to the top casting. Later Paxette I cameras than this one had a top cover with a raised central section.

There is a knob to rewind the film at the left-hand end of the top cover. The rewind button, which must be held depressed throughout the entire rewinding process, is the very small button on the top of the top cover, on the right, towards the rear.