Topic: what the heck?

[astrobeck]

Ordered this cutie and it is just like the old Gakkenflex or Recesky.
I had a Gakkenflex that I assembled, then sold. Always wanted another one, then found this already assembled.
The big quirk is....the shutter release works on the return stroke upwards and not the normal downward push.
What the heck? How am I ever going to remember this quirk.
anyway, going to load it up with some of that expired Vista from Irv and take it on a little road trip soon

[Francois]

Don't worry about it, mine does that too.
It's a bit weird, I know. But that's how it's designed.
On mine I put a sheet of diffusion material in the viewfinder so that I can get a better view and have more chances of nailing the focus.

[astrobeck]

okay, no worries.
Does yours leak light, did you tape it up in any way?

[Indofunk]

Solution: operate the camera upside down 🤣

But seriously, does the downstroke cock the shutter or something?

[John Robison]

I see they are still available from Amazon for $30. Got one years ago for $15 and after putting it together never used it. Wound up selling it for $5 at a photo show. Now I tend to make my own toy cameras, 4x5 with found lenses, although sometimes they need to be masked to smaller size when the lenses won’t cover.

[Francois]

okay, no worries.
Does yours leak light, did you tape it up in any way?

I sadly never ran a roll through mine either.
But I did put some tape on the interior lid bend (the corner of the L) because there was an obvious gap there.

I really should put a short roll through it though...

[astrobeck]

Solution: operate the camera upside down 🤣

But seriously, does the downstroke cock the shutter or something?

as far as I can tell, the downstroke does cock the shutter. It's really weird, because if you push the lever down, it seems nothing happens, but then if you release it very slowly (upstroke) the shutter will slowly open and stay open for a bit, until some undetermined (by me) place in the stroke occurs and the shutter snaps shut again.
It's like it has a pseudo bulb function. 
If you push the shutter lever down, and then release it as normal, the shutter seems to operate as it should, with a quick, maybe 125th second time.
Very funky!

[Indofunk]

Oooh, hidden bulb setting!! Love it!! 😂

[Francois]

This thing's got so many features you don't find in other cameras.
It's also got fully variable independent differential focusing, removable optics, ghost image focusing screen, soft disassembly viewing hood, and probably more features that I can't remember.