As the title may suggest, I sometimes buy a camera because the name is interesting. I don’t mean buying for the prestige of owning an expensive brand like Leica for example!

A lot camera manufacturers follow the boring pattern of naming their creations with just a number, or something unimaginative - like Canon with the EOS 1, EOS 5 etc, or Nikon with the F series including F4, F50, and F100.

Others have names that just evoke interest, and just sound cool! I am easily pleased, and sometimes the cameras aren’t that good but have great names!

One such example is the Ruberg Futuro…

I found my Futuro in a box of junk at a camera fair, and instantly loved the name - it gave the very simple camera such kudos.

Made from around 1933 by Ruberg & Renner in Hagen, Germany, it uses 127 roll film and has a Rodenstock Periskop f11 lens and a single speed Everest shutter plus Time mode. I did shoot a roll with it, and although it was fun, the images were not that good - it would be nice to have another go now I know how slow the Instant shutter speed is!

It is not just the camera name, but also the manufacturers name that appeals - for example this Warszawskie Zakłady Fotooptyczne Fenix-1. Conveniently abbreviated to WZFO for those moments where you are out shooting and someone asks “what camera is that?”

The Fenix-1 is a study well built thing made in Warsaw, Poland in 1958 and comes with a very good Euktar 45mm f2.8 lens and top speed of 1/250 which is fine for most of the time.

I shot some trusty Ilford HP5 through it and was pleasantly surprised by the results. It is one of the keepers in the collection - not one of the ones that will never be sold, but one that I really like.

No chat like this would not be complete with at a least a mention of the Russians!

Not only on name, but also as an absolute beauty of a camera the Государственный оптико-механический завод Ленинград or Gosularstvennyi Optiko-Mekhanicheskii Zavod (GOMZ) Leningrad to us in the West is one of my precious possessions. It just emulates everything there is to love about old Soviets cameras from the design, the smell and the overall tank-ness of it.

Built from 1958, the flagship Leningrad (named after the city it was made) was the most advanced and expensive Soviet rangefinder ever made, and having used a few others I can see why - it just has something more about it. Mine looks to be in perfect working order, but I have never used it! I don’t why - possibly because I don’t want to shatter my high opinion of it.

So that brings me on to the reason for this little delve into my collection - my latest purchase! A camera I had never heard of before stumbling across it, and with a name straight out of Science Fiction. A 1960’s camera with an interesting design - it looks purposeful, unique and is rather rare (and with any luck useable).

I will save it’s identity for a future blog when I have some photos. It will be an exciting package to open when it arrives from Japan (yes it is Japanese, and that is your only clue!).

Buying cameras for the name!

Panorama mode on the Canon EOS Kiss IIIL

A box of goodies…