SEM Twin Lens Reflex Camera
Photo thanks to Victor Samoilovich
ICT Camera - [email protected]
Related Local Links:
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Medium Format Cameras List Page
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Related Links:
Sem
Flex TLR pages (French)
Atoflex French TLR
Photo notes:
This is an unusual find in the US. French made TLR camera with grey covering, SOM Berthiot lens f3.5 75mm, shutter speeds, 1 to 300, manual or automatic film advance. Accessories include original leather case.
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2000
From: LEMANDAT Michel [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: My french "semflex army"
Good morning from france.
I send you a picture of my "
I give you a link where you can find informations about rolleiflex in
french:
Michel LE MANDAT
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 1999
From: "bbb_bbb" bbb_bbb@bbb_bbb.ca
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: semflex?
>[email protected] wrote: >> >> While looking for a cheap medium format camera, I came across a SEMFLEX >> for about $125 with an angenieux lens. Do you know anything about this >> camera? Can it be compared to a rolleiflex or yashica mat? >> thanks >> >The Semflex is a French made TLR. There were various models of varying >qualities, even a telephoto lensed one. >Their quality is not in the same class as Rollei (by a long way). >They are about Yashicamat quality but with much less reliable shutters. >The chance of getting one fixed or obtaining spare parts is virtually >zero.
Well, they must be very variable, because mine has a German shutter
(Synchro-Compur) that seems in every way similar to what you would get on
a high-end Rolleiflex of the same vintage (1 sec to 1/500, X and M synch).
The construction is outstanding: cast iron (literally cast iron, no
kidding) just like an Arriflex BL. Certainly a cut above a pressed-steel
Yashicamat. Mine has a 75/3.5 SOM Berthiot lens (makers of the first
mass-produced cine zoom lens) which is great stopped-down but a little
flarey wide-open (useful for high-contrast lighting). The two issues that
I have with it are a) the frame spacing is uneven, and b) the viewfinder
is really dirty and dark. Both of these issues could be dealt with in a
CLA and are not unusual for a 40 year old camera.
If the price and condition seem right to you, I recommend that you buy
this camera. If it is anything like mine, it is every bit as good as what
Rolleiflex or Yashica were making at the same time (late 1950's early
1960's).
Bernard
From ROllei Mailing List:
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000
From: "Cousineau , Bernard" [email protected]
Subject: RE: [Rollei] Look alikes
> I know it USED TO BE an old joke; how the Japanese could copy anything > badly and sell it for less and all, but I was curious about > the copycats > for a few reasons, one is that at least some of the makers have earned > great reputations on their own and it would be interesting to see what > they brought to their interpretations. Another is that I tend to take > pictures under conditions where I would not like to take the cameras I > want to keep forever and I would still like to use a tlr. So thanks. > By the way, any favorites in the japanese group as users?
Well, I don't know much about Japanese TLR's , but I have been using a
French Semflex for the past couple of years. From my research, my camera
is unusual in that it uses a German synchro-compur shutter (1 sec to
1/500) instead of a French shutter. The taking lens is a SOM Berthiot Flor
75/3.5 which is adequately sharp for portraits. The one thing that the
Semflex has that Rolleiflexes don't is a tripod socket that is located in
such a way that you don't have to remove the camera from your tripod/flash
grip to change the film. This is made possible by the cast-iron body. The
other neat feature is a winding lever which can be operated using your
thumb. On the downside, the viewfinder uses a huge (and very dark)
condenser lens. Ironic when you consider that Fresnel was a frenchman...
Bernard
From Rollei Mailing List;
Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2001
From: "Cousineau , Bernard" [email protected]
Subject: RE: [Rollei] OFF TOPIC - Minolta Autocord
David,
I have been using a Semflex for a couple of years now. I am unsure of the
model designation or exact age, since it does not match any of the models
that I have seen described on the www. My Sem has the reinforced winding
mechanism, indicating a later model, and it is equiped with a
Synchro-Compur shutter (instead of the French Orec shutter). It also
features a tripod socket which is located at the front of the camera,
allowing film changes on a tripod/flash bracket. The taking lens is a Flor
Berthiot. Flash sync is accomplished through either a pc terminal or the
two-plug Sem setup. There is an X-M sync selector below the taking lens.
The camera is a definite user, giving very satisfying results. Every once
in a while, it does skip a frame though.
I have not tested the lens for absolute sharpness, but it is very good for
portraits. It is prone to flare. If anyone happens to have a spare Sem
lens hood lying around, please contact me.
I think that you could be able to convince yourself that you can buy this
camera and still not consider yourself a collector :)
Bernard
>I have seen a Semflex OTO 3,5B twin lens in a local shop - I had never >heard of them before. It's grey, like the Rollei T, and is very >attractive. It has an unusual lever wind on. It doesn't look as well made >as the MPP, but the Brits always say that about French engineering! I'm >thinking of buying it, but I'm a camera user trying very hard not to become >a collector. >The lens is a Flor Berthiot 3,5/75mm and the camera came out in 1955, >although the grey version was 1964. >I found out the above from a great French camera site that gives a lot of >detail about SEM and its cameras. There were some great 1960s machines >made by the company. SEM stood for La Soci�t� des Etablissements Modernes >de M�canique. >http://clicclac.free.fr/Appareils_francais.htm
From Rollei Mailing List:
Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2001
From: David Morris [email protected]
Subject: RE: [Rollei] OFF TOPIC - Minolta Autocord
>I think that you could be able to convince yourself that you can buy this >camera and still not consider yourself a collector > >Bernard
Thanks for the comfort. You know, I think I might just be a devil and go
out and get it! It looks quite something in grey. I wonder if yours is
the one at the bottom of the page:
http://clicclac.free.fr/Appareils_francais/SEM/semflex_oto_2.htm
David Morris
From Rollei Mailing List:
Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2001
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Rollei] OFF TOPIC - Semflex
There is a good summary and comparison of various SEMFLEX cameras in
the following book
"Cameras, the facts, a collector's guide (1957-1964)", Emanuel, W.D
and Matheson, D., historic edition edited by L. Gaunt,
ISBN 0-240-51062-3, FOCAL PRESS (1981)
This reference is listed in the RUG FAQ document
http://www.stutterheim.nl/rollei/faq.txt
--
Emmanuel BIGLER
[email protected]