Cosina Reporter M42

[Attila]

Today I bought this camera for a lens, I never heard about this camera. Is anybody have/had it ?


Doesn't look serious cam

[luisalegria]

It looks like an early Ricoh; very similar cameras were sold under US store brands like Sears.

If so, its probably not so bad.

[Farside]

I got a Cosina Hi-Lite attached to a lens also. Looking it up, it doesn't seem all that bad, but nothing all that special. Just another consumer M42 cam of the 60s.

[Attila]

It's heavy like a brick ... good weapon LOL

[montecarlo]

Farside has right. Its a Cosina http://www.butkus.org/chinon/cosina/cosina_hi-lite/cosina_hi-lite.htm and I think it has the same chassis as many other Cosinas and Cosina made cameras like my Porst Reflex TL soo, though mine has the speed selector on top, but this design on your Hi-Lite Reporter/Cosina looks more ergonomical to me (you can more easily turn the speed dial while keeping you eye on the viewfinder ). Another think that many Cosinas have is the ON/OFF light meter and in the same time DOF preview swich , on the left hand side which was maintained until the last M42 Cosina made body, the Bessaflex.
Yes its heavy but its reliable and you can use 1/8 shutter speed times (at least with 50mm lens) without any problem.
The Ricoh (Sears) camera this Cosina resemblances like is this one http://www.butkus.org/chinon/ricoh/ricoh_singlex_tls/ricoh_singlex_tls.htm (& Sears http://www.butkus.org/chinon/sears/sears_sl_ii/sears_sl_ii.htm )

[montecarlo]

I think it worth give it a try if not at least for its very big viewfinder relatively to APS-C sensor size digital dSLRs and its "ability" to take advantage of the 20mm Zeiss Flektogons .

[Laurence]

Yes, it is worth a try! After all, it's just another box that provides a dark place to expose the film. The fact that you can use such a lens as the Flek 20/4 with its full wide angle capability is great.

[montecarlo]

Forgot about the picture:
(the one on the left )
and another one with self-timer http://www.kamera-geschichte.de/images/c0044.jpg . If you look at its shape its pretty similar (if not identical) with your camera.