New Taiwan: Photoflex MX-35 (Optical Color Lens)

Notes related to specific cameras
bill339
Posts: 656
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2014 8:18 pm
Location: Southern New Jersey

New Taiwan: Photoflex MX-35 (Optical Color Lens)

Postby bill339 » Tue Jan 14, 2020 5:44 pm

A 1980s 35mm film, fake-rangefinder camera. This is a list of some of the other cameras faking it like the Licom MXF-700, Lavec LT-002, Bentley WX-3, Promax PX-600, Elite MF-2X, Konex MX-V, Ocean OX-2, Gmtex GT-304, Meikai-4351, Yamasheta 35mm, Akira TC-002, Akira 2000, Minotex 2000, Ceptre YN-500, Windsor WX-3, Capital MX-II, Charman 2000, Nicca L-3, Orion SRZ 500, Maxim MF-101X, Yoshi Pro Shot, Photoflex MX-35, 35MM AUTO, Fotex 35mm, Condor CF-1, Nishiki Super II, Sceptre YN-500, Meikai 4351R, Sunstone MM500, Windsor WX-3, Weston WX-7, Sitacon ST-3, Optiflex NF-1, Quicksho 35mm, Caesars Atlantic City, Kinetic 35mm, Yamasheta 35mm, Seville Super SW-500, Cortland CX-7, Sitacon ST-3, Maxim MF-IX, Barrington B-1, Akira 7000, Alto camera, Lavec LT-006, Lavec T28, Barclaycard Visa, Canomatic 2000, Canomatic OX-5, Canomatic SE-AS, Comax GT-306, Damff X-700, ESC camera, F-1000, Franka JM-77, Franka NX-40, Ginette M68F, GM Tex GT-304, Hachi KX-66, Kalimar MX-1, Kinon SC-1, Kinusa Deluxe-1, Kinusa LX-9, Konex MX-V, Life (Magazine), Limp camera, Luminox 356 SL, Lynx PPL 500XL, Maximatie 888, Meikai AR-4367, Naikei 1000-X, Nikai camera, Ninoka NK-700, Novai 7000, Oppex 2 7090, Oppex 7090, Pearl P-1, Penmax YN-3, Pierre Cardin, Quartz Deluxe-1, Remac camera, Renoult Coches Ilenos De Vida, and so many more.
This style of camera is pretty similar to the Time magazine style camera. The same plastic lenses, one shutter speed with f stop combinations, made in China as inexpensive often free give away cameras. On the bottom is R.O.C. standing for Republic of China and also in raised print is “Made in Taiwan”. Along with the Time Magazine camera there is the Sports Illustrated camera, the Lynx camera, the PhotoFlex MX35, the Ultronic 35, the Franka NX-40, the Romor R-Z camera and so many more as you can see above. All these cameras use the same auto fixed focus 50mm 1:6 lens and the same general layout. In the companies mentioned above only PhotoFlex is a legitimate company having anything to do with cameras. The Franka camera is defiantly not made by the Franka Camera Company and probably named after Frank Sinatra. The camera was produced around 1985 as is most of the cameras listed. The camera pictured here is in Fine condition and is worth $15.00 in 2020.

Howard Patterson
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2019 4:04 pm

Re: New Taiwan: Photoflex MX-35 (Optical Color Lens)

Postby Howard Patterson » Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:34 pm

In fact they are not all the same some have three apertures , some have four and some have only one. Some have an "Optical Glass Lens" and some scrupulously avoid using the word "glass" meaning that the lens is probably plastic. (The TIME cameras have both) In addition whilst most of them have only one shutter speed, some of them have two, with or without adjustable apertures as well.

Most of the models referred too were made by Formosa Plastics Corporation (FPC) and the "Quality Passed" sticker is still displayed on many of them. Several well known Taiwanese camera brands sold them as their own in the early 1980's including Mikona, Premier, Skina, NTPC (Ouyama) and they were also sold by a number of distributors in the USA including Yunon, A.V. Lavec, Kinon, Kinusa and others.

Many were also branded with the names of corporate sponsors like TIME, Life, Sports Illustrated, and Ultronic, (All TIME/LIFE brands), Caesars (Atlantic City) and Photoflex. There are even some branded Cartier ! There is a short explanation of some of them on Appareils Anciens by Sylvain Halgand (with translation in English)

Howard Patterson
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2019 4:04 pm

Re: New Taiwan: Photoflex MX-35 (Optical Color Lens)

Postby Howard Patterson » Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:41 pm

Footnote: some of the cameras identified in the original comment were made by New Taiwan Photographic Corporation whose best known brand was "Ouyama". The Orion SRZ-500 is one of those. Of course Kalimar was also a US distributor of cameras too !


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