FOCA Universel RC Kodak ProImage 100
A first color film with my newly-arrived FOCA Universel "RC », ultimate and last evolution 1962 of the French range-finder 35mm FOCA Universel camera's (1948-1963) .
The camera was loaded with a Kodak ProImage 100 36-exposure film. It was exposed for 100 ISO ISO using an Autometer III Minolta light meter fitted with a 10° finder. The OPLAR lens lens was equipped with a a generic cylindrical shade hood and a FOCA AUV 42mm push-on filter.
Jardin Botanique de Lyon September 20, 2023
Parc e la Tête d'Or
69006 Lyon
France
After exposure, the film was processed by a local lab service using the C41 process. I digitized then the film using a Sony A7 body fitted to a Minolta Slide Duplicator installed on a Minolta Auto Bellows III with a lens Minolta Bellow Macro Rokkor 50mm f/3.5. The RAW files obtained were processed without intermediate files in LR and edited to the final jpeg pictures.
All views of the film are presented in the dedicated album either in the printed framed versions and unframed full-size jpeg accompanied by some documentary smartphone Vivo Y76 color pictures.
About the camera and the lens :
Only a bit more than 2000 FOCA URC were produced in the O.P.L. (« Optique et Précision de Levallois » S.A.) in Châteaudun, Eure, France, in 1962 and 1963 before stopping definitively the manufacturing of the curtain-shutter camera’s. O.P.L. company produced overall 30.000 FOCA Universel in different versions starting from 1948. The FOCA Universel RC is considered as the most beautiful FOCA ever produced in France. A series of 102 FOCA Universel RC were provided to the French Navy "Marine Nationale" taken straight from the production line.
The evolution of the FOCA Universel to the « RC » version included a complete new system of wide viewfinder at 1:1 ratio with collimation in orange color and coupled full parallax compensation. I got the camera on September 9, 2023 at the photo fair of the Photography Museum of Saint-Bonnet-de-Mure, France. It took about 3 months of reflexion and discussion with a retailer to take the decision. The camera was provided with the normal 5-lens OPLAR optics 1:2.8 f=5cm of the same period (model-6 version-10, 1961) with front cap and FOCA AUV 42mm push-on filter, the specific URC ever-ready leather bag in perfect condition, and the original edition of the user manual.
FOCA Universel RC Kodak ProImage 100
A first color film with my newly-arrived FOCA Universel "RC », ultimate and last evolution 1962 of the French range-finder 35mm FOCA Universel camera's (1948-1963) .
The camera was loaded with a Kodak ProImage 100 36-exposure film. It was exposed for 100 ISO ISO using an Autometer III Minolta light meter fitted with a 10° finder. The OPLAR lens lens was equipped with a a generic cylindrical shade hood and a FOCA AUV 42mm push-on filter.
Jardin Botanique de Lyon September 20, 2023
Parc e la Tête d'Or
69006 Lyon
France
After exposure, the film was processed by a local lab service using the C41 process. I digitized then the film using a Sony A7 body fitted to a Minolta Slide Duplicator installed on a Minolta Auto Bellows III with a lens Minolta Bellow Macro Rokkor 50mm f/3.5. The RAW files obtained were processed without intermediate files in LR and edited to the final jpeg pictures.
All views of the film are presented in the dedicated album either in the printed framed versions and unframed full-size jpeg accompanied by some documentary smartphone Vivo Y76 color pictures.
About the camera and the lens :
Only a bit more than 2000 FOCA URC were produced in the O.P.L. (« Optique et Précision de Levallois » S.A.) in Châteaudun, Eure, France, in 1962 and 1963 before stopping definitively the manufacturing of the curtain-shutter camera’s. O.P.L. company produced overall 30.000 FOCA Universel in different versions starting from 1948. The FOCA Universel RC is considered as the most beautiful FOCA ever produced in France. A series of 102 FOCA Universel RC were provided to the French Navy "Marine Nationale" taken straight from the production line.
The evolution of the FOCA Universel to the « RC » version included a complete new system of wide viewfinder at 1:1 ratio with collimation in orange color and coupled full parallax compensation. I got the camera on September 9, 2023 at the photo fair of the Photography Museum of Saint-Bonnet-de-Mure, France. It took about 3 months of reflexion and discussion with a retailer to take the decision. The camera was provided with the normal 5-lens OPLAR optics 1:2.8 f=5cm of the same period (model-6 version-10, 1961) with front cap and FOCA AUV 42mm push-on filter, the specific URC ever-ready leather bag in perfect condition, and the original edition of the user manual.