Mecaflex

The Mecaflex is a 35mm SLR camera for 50 exposures of 24 × 24 mm. It was presented at the photokina in Cologne in 1951, and launched at the market some two years later. The design is by Heinz Kilfitt, also known for the design of the original Robot camera and the Kowa Six.

The camera is equipped with the newly developed Prontor-Compur (PC) reflex shutter, which would pave the way for reputable camera designs like the 1953 Contaflex, the 1956 Retina Reflex, the 1957 Hasselblad 500, and the 1959 Voigtländer Bessamatic. However, it does not have the built-in eyelevel pentaprism finder, first seen on 35mm SLR cameras in 1949. In stead, it has a waist-level finder with a central split-image rangefinder complemented by large full frame magnifier incorporating a central loupe that exactly covers the rangefinder central area.

The complete camera top, hinged at the front, is a flush cover with no protruding controls. When flipped open, it reveals the waist-level finder. On the right-hand side is the single-stroke wind-on lever with the manual reset frame counter on top, and next to it the remote-release-threaded shutter button. On the left-hand side is the rewind knob with a film reminder on top. When the top lid is fully opened, the large square magnifier swings up over the focusing screen. An action finder is also incorporated into the top cover. At the base are the ¼ inch tripod socket, the A/R (advance/rewind) switch, and a release button for the removable back.

The Mecaflex is equipped with a unique breech-lock lens mount operated by a lever at five-o-clock at the front. Sliding the lever toward six-o-clock releases the lens. The shutter speed dial surrounds the lens mount. The semi-automatic preset lens diaphragm is automatically closed by a small protrusion at seven-o-clock at the lens mount, but activated manually by an anti-clockwise turn of the aperture ring while depressing a small release button on it and then returned to the required preset aperture value. In this way, the lens is wide open for bright finder image and ready to instantly close down upon shutter release. A focusing lever is situated on the left-hand lens control. A PC sync. contact is situated at the edge of the lens panel. The Metz manufactured cameras also has an M/X synchronisation selector on the opposite side on the lens panel, and the fastest shutter speed is 1/300 sec.

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