Bencini: Comet S

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The original Bencini Comet cameras are viewfinder cameras for either 3x4 or 4x4 cm pictures on 127 films, made in Italy by CMF Bencini from 1948 into the 1950s. They are smaller versions of the 120 film Bencini Koroll range, solidly built from metal castings with a sheet metal back. Their controls are limited to instantaneous (1/50 second) or 'B' shutter and (in most models) a focusing lens. The focus range of the Comet S is 3.3 feet (1M) to infinity and it has a simple leaf shutter. The camera also has PC flash connector with M synch. The Bencini Comet S is a small and light camera. It is made from an aluminum alloy which was polished. It is a half frame camera using 127 films. The negative size is 3 x 4 cm which is approximately twice the size of 35mm. You get 16 negatives on a roll of 127 films. The viewfinder is very small and the eyepiece only measures three millimeters across. You need to look at the two round red windows on the back when winding to the next frame. As this is a half-frame camera, each number is used twice - first in the left-hand window and then in the right hand one. The Bencini Comet S was introduced in 1950 and made in Milano.