Auto diaphragm
Instant return mirror
Self-timer
Special provision for double exposure.
Shutter speeds and battery check visible in viewfinder
Auto diaphragm
Instant return mirror
Self-timer
Special provision for double exposure.
AE Hold, AE compensation
(AE Exposure similar to Cosina EX-Lite)
Auto diaphragm
Instant return mirror
Self-timer
Depth of field preview
Viewfinder image 95%
Has provison for auto winder PW15
Shutter lock, eye piece blind
Shutter speef visible
Battery test
Mechanical shutter speed 1/100
Auto diaphragm
Instant return mirror
Self-timer
Depth of field preview
From Franck Maubuisson :
I have a Revueflex AC1 which was the Chinon CE as distributed in Europe by
Foto Quelle. I was presented with it in...'81 I believe (+ or - 1 year) Very
reliable, I just have the foams replaced. Silicon cell, automatic or manual
speeds, standard LR44 batteries. Good screen. Always gave better exposure than
my Canon A1 or any other camera I tried. I have the winder and it works well
too. The main problem is that the release button needs a strong pressure and the
mirror slap shake the whole thing (the winder helps a lot for weight and
ergonomy) better use it at 1/125 or more.
I use it with telephoto lenses needing high shutter speeds. Great with the russian 1,5/85: the weight of the lens stabilize the camera, the focusing screen allow a easy focusing.
The original 1,7/50 lens wasn't too good, i use an old Soligor 1,8/50 which came with a Soligor TM (the Soligor was well finished but not strongly built).
From Andrew Fildes: Power Winder PW-510 for Chinon CM-3 - powered by 4xAA. 2fps. Includes intervalometer with intervals of 1,2,4,8,15 and 30 seconds and preset number of frames for interval and continuous shooting - 4,8,12,16,20 or 24 frames (i.e. 24 frames over 12 minutes). Heavy mirror slap noise but it does not seem to translate to vibration much, possibly due to heavy camera weight with winder. I agree that the standard lens is poor - it looked so nasty that I immediately replaced it with a Pentax 1.4. This is new so no results yet but I do like the build quality and winder. Finish isn't as good as contemporaries like Fujica but it is solid and attractive.
I had some problems fitting Pentax lenses on my Chinon CM3 body because they didn't screw down far enough - the depth-of-field indicator was off centre. Not a serious problem until I picked up a 200mm Super Takumar for $20 the other day (YES!) and it was so short of screwing down fully that the automatic diaphragm pin didn't engage. My bellows unit was a full 45 degrees off too. So I decided to fix the problem and made 'gaskets' (ring shims) from hard, flexible black sheet plastic for all my lenses - the plastic was originally part of an old camera case divider. This allowed me to get the correct orientation one full turn up from the normal screw down position, adjusting the plastic by sanding it down until the lense fitted right. Crude, but it seems to work, especially as the Chinon has split image focussing so I know I'm in good focus. The only problems I can think of with this approach are that I may push out my close focus range (i.e. 1m minimum distance instead of 0.9m) and the scale focus markings will be slightly off. I rarely shoot wide open anyway so depth of field should compensate.
From Frank Moreau: I have owned my GAF L-17 (aka Chinon M1) for about 27 years now. It has survived a house fire some mishandling but it still functions well. The mirror slap is loud in comparison to other cameras, as is the metal shutter. The camera takes one 1.35v PX625 mercury battery which is no longer available in US. I use a PX625A which is a 1.5v replacement battery. The light meter seems to be about 1 f-stop off because of the different voltage, but I can easily compensate by centering the match needle on the high side. Some of the light seals are wearing out, probably due in part to age and the high heat in the house fire. I have had no problems with the camera at all, it has always functioned without a hitch. Sometimes the needle sticks at the bottom and I have to tap the camera, but it still takes great pictures.
From Franck Maubuisson:
- Revue 5005. (Chinon CE2 ?). very good camera. Compared to the Revue AC1
(Chinon CE3), it's heavier, has no split-field rangefinder, the viewfinder gives
a little more vignetting with long lenses - still the ground glass is good. It
has no exposure memory button. BUT it is much smoother than the AC1, can be used
at slow speeds. Speeds are 1s to 1/2000 wich is essential with a mirror lens. I
got good pics using the 1000 mm russian mirror lens on a monopod or even by
hand. Meter gives under-exposed pics with the 20 mm (and only with this lens), I
never understood why...