The Revue 400 SE is a nice 35mm range-
finder camera from the late 70's / early 80's. It was sold by "Foto-Quelle" in Germany but its technically a Minolta Hi-Matic 7sII. Its super compact and comes with a great lens:
It works in shutter priority mode only. That means you cannot adjust the apperture manually. A battery is needed for the light meter wich is coupled to the apperture.To focus, you have to allign the two pictures within the split screen image within the viewfinder. This works very well for static objects but becomes a challenge with moving objects. If you stop down (by decreasing shutter speed), you can correct focusing errors but eventually will run into motion blured images if overdone.
Pros:
- highly compact and silent, ideal for non-intrusive shooting
- fits in every pocket
- good picture quality
- very cheap compared to the Minolta Hi-Matic 7sII
Cons:
- only works with a battery ( replacement for the banned mercury cells: 1,35V zink-air cells)
- no "manual" mode
- small viewfinder
Common Problems:
- light sealings become porous
- aged viewfinder can be very dim; you can clean them from the inside by removing the top of the camera
- aged cds cells (for light metering) can produce over exposures; compensate with iso-settings or higher voltage batteries (1,5V)!
- stucked shutter blades; you have to open the lens to clean, unstock and lube them (thats hard: get a new one!)
Rating:
picture quality: 4/6
weight & size: 6/6
features & handling: 4/6
charme: 4/6
Overall Rating: 4.5 / 6
finder camera from the late 70's / early 80's. It was sold by "Foto-Quelle" in Germany but its technically a Minolta Hi-Matic 7sII. Its super compact and comes with a great lens:
Revuenon 40mm,f1.7.
It works in shutter priority mode only. That means you cannot adjust the apperture manually. A battery is needed for the light meter wich is coupled to the apperture.To focus, you have to allign the two pictures within the split screen image within the viewfinder. This works very well for static objects but becomes a challenge with moving objects. If you stop down (by decreasing shutter speed), you can correct focusing errors but eventually will run into motion blured images if overdone.
"The 400SE has a fast (f/1.7) 40mm, six-element lens that has garnered a reputation for extremely sharp and detailed images." [camerapedia]
Pros:
- highly compact and silent, ideal for non-intrusive shooting
- fits in every pocket
- good picture quality
- very cheap compared to the Minolta Hi-Matic 7sII
Cons:
- only works with a battery ( replacement for the banned mercury cells: 1,35V zink-air cells)
- no "manual" mode
- small viewfinder
Common Problems:
- light sealings become porous
- aged viewfinder can be very dim; you can clean them from the inside by removing the top of the camera
- aged cds cells (for light metering) can produce over exposures; compensate with iso-settings or higher voltage batteries (1,5V)!
- stucked shutter blades; you have to open the lens to clean, unstock and lube them (thats hard: get a new one!)
Rating:
picture quality: 4/6
weight & size: 6/6
features & handling: 4/6
charme: 4/6
Overall Rating: 4.5 / 6
sample pictures
