Falcon Model F Camera
During the 1930's and 1940's, the Utility Manufacturing Company of New York, NY USA, produced a number of inexpensive bakelite and plastic roll film cameras. This model F, introduced in 1938, is one of their better grade models. Unlike its simpler siblings, the model F has a heavy cast-metal helical lens mount and higher quality lens and shutter. The body is made of molded plastic.
A quirky design feature of the model F is that the focus locks at every distance mark engraved in the focusing ring. Some cameras, such as the Leica, lock at the infinity setting. But the model F carries this feature to the extreme. To turn the focusing ring to a different distance it is necessary to push down on a small chrome button protruding from the side of the lens mount. The button appears on the left of the mount in the image above.
A nice touch that can be seen in the photograph of the Falcon, is a retractable foot located below the lens mount. Because of its massive lens mount, the camera is front heavy, and would tip over when set down without the aid of this foot. The foot can be retracted to prevent it from snagging on things when the camera is in use.
The lens and shutter were made by Wollensak Optical Company. The shutter is a self-cocking Deltax with time, bulb, 1/25, 1/50 and 1/100 second settings. The lens is a Velostigmat 2 inch f 3.5 with stops to f 22. The camera has a simple eye-level optical viewfinder, and does not have a rangefinder.
This camera takes sixteen 1 5/8 x 1 1/4 inch (3 x 4 cm) exposures on size 127 roll film. Two red windows are used to count-off exposures. Like other sixteen exposure 127 film cameras, the model F uses an A, B red window system. This is how it works. Load film in the camera and turn the wind knob until the number 1 appears behind window A. Take a photo; then wind the film until number 1 appears behind window B. Take another photo and wind until the number 2 appears behind window A. Continue winding and shooting in this manner until the number 8 appears behind window B. This results in 16 exposures.
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This page was updated July 15, 2001