135compact.com 8x11mm film ultra compact cameras Revue Cam Watch M1
The Revue Cam Watch M1 was released in 1991/92. It's a rebranded Chadt M1, made by
Walter Chadt GmbH in Siegen, Germany. The Chadt company made various
tiny cameras for Minox film*. There were about 11.000 made.
* Minox subminiature film is a special film format for 8x11mm negatives on 9.25mm film.
It is often referred to as 8mm film, which is wrong, as 8mm is a movie
format. It comes in cartidges or cassettes, ready to load like the much
later 110 film.
Minox film is still made by other companies, but
it's a bit hard to find. If you have some cartridges, you can reload
them. You will need a matching film slitter, a dark room or a good
changing bag and some patience.
14.3mm F4 3-element lens, fixed focus, 3 apertures F4, F5.6, F11, min. focus ~1m Shutter
fixed speed: 1/200 8x11mm picture format Size 51x31.8x21, Weight 22 gr. (!!), with strap and watch 44gr.
Some pictures of the camera:
The box.
The
box. It contains the camera and its frame for the strap, a strap a
small LCD watch and an instructions booklet. It was delivered with a 36 exp. Minox colour film.
Camera, wrist strap and watch.
The camera in its strap frame.
The camera and the frame apart. There are 2 sliders to move at the side
and the camera comes upwards out of the frame. It's a bit tight on
mine.
Camera back, shutter button in the middle. Viewing frame up.
Seen
from the top. Film counter and counter setting.
Seen
from Front. Aperture setting, sunny, mixed and cloudy. The company
recommends ISO 100 film. The lens is always covered and only opens very
shortly when the shutter is released. you have to pay attention to see
it open, it's hardly visible due to 1/200 speed.
Film advance at the side. You need 4 and a half strokes to advance, it
stops in the middle of the 5th stroke. It's a bit quirky on mine. Do
not force. There is a double exposure prevention, so the shutter does
not work if the film isn't advanced. Film compartment lid off. You have to peel it off the bottom, there is no lock, but it sticks well. Takes Minox double cartridges.
Minox cartridges with their cases.
Strap and watch.
To change the battery, you have to slide the bottom off. You have to push hard and it only comes off one way.
Watch open. Obviously it's a standard lady's LCD watch in a housing
matching the camera design. Next step is to lift the sprig/clamp which
holds the 2 push buttons on either side. There is some corrosion under
the battery, I will see later if it will work again.
When the spring/clamp is off, you can lift the watch "movement". The
battery holder has to be screwed off. Takes a tiny V364/SR60 battery.
This
camera is very easy to use, there is nothing to set except aperture before pressing the shutter release.
After taking
a picture, advance the film. It takes 4 and a half strokes of the
lever, it stops in the middle of the fith stroke. Do not force. Putting
a film is easy, peel off the lid of the film compartment, there is no lock,
drop the cartridge into the film chamber, close, set counter to "A" and advance to the first frame.
This
is certainly a nice gadget, very 80s style. But it is a very small
point and shoot camera
with a good lens and good picture quality in a very small and very
light body. As there is only one speed and it has no flash, it's for
outdoor use only. A very nice find.
