Thoughts and Photos: Ciro 35

[2strokebloke]

Okay, so I have a thing for vintage American cameras... here's one that has a most unusual and complicated history - and takes exceptional pictures to boot!
The Candid Camera Corporation (makers of the infamous "Perfex" cameras) introduced the Cee-ay 35 in 1948 - eight months later they were bought out by Ciro, more famous for their Ciroflex TLR line. The camera was rebadged as the Ciro 35. However, only a couple years later Ciro sold out to Graflex, now the camera bore the names of Graflex and Ciro. Eventually Graflex revised the camera as the Graphic 35 - by the 1960s, production was shipped to Japan and the camera became the "JET" which had an automatic film transport system powered by Co2 cartridges...
Anyway, the one I have is a Graflex/Ciro made circa 1952. It is an especially rare variation, because it is fitted with a Rapax shutter (most had alphax shutters) in combination with an f 2.8 lens. Like alot of older rangefinders, you have a seperate viewfinder for focussing, however unlike other rangefinders of the era like the Argus C-3, or the Perfex range, the ciro focusses with a quick movement of a lever protruding from the side of the lens mount - an arrow pointing out of the opposite side of the lens, inidicates distance.

The lens offers a very sharp, contrasty image - however, it suffers from focus fall off in at the extreme edges of the photo, not unlike the lens used in the Argus C-3.

There is no double exposure prevention on the Ciro, and shutter speeds range from 1/2 second to 1/400 of a second - coupled with the f 2.8 lens this camera is bit more flexible than most American cameras of the time (the common Ciro 35 has a top shutter speed of 1/200, and an f 3.5 or 4.5 lens) The Ciro 35 is also one of few cameras of this era to be fitted with a hotshoe - though it be synchronized for use with flashbulbs.

I think the Rapax shutter option was an afterthought... there's added meaning to "watch for the birdie" when taking pictures of subjects with this camera. Perhaps this is the reason so few came with the Rapax shutter... actually, it's not nearly as clumsy as it would seem.
Anyway, to sum it up, the Ciro 35 is a pretty well thought out camera, and a pleasure to use. It also certainly occupies a very unique place in history, having been produced by several companies in two countries. Usually they run for about $20 to $25 - I bought mine for $24 off of ebay.