Irregular Regulas by Helen Smith

If you investigate a little on the internet, it seems like the King family are still at it, allthough not in the camera industry. I'm tempted to say "Thank God !".

The first King camera I had my hands on were a low cost consumer level Pica-something that were so cheaply and poorly made that I simply got so annoyed that I threw in the trashbin. The second one were a Hapo 36, also known as the King Regula Cita. It turned out to be unreliable, and although I do well know that it was a great seller both as Hapo 36 and as King Cita I just didn't feel at all facinated by neither the quality, the design or the performance. So I threw that one in the trashbin too...

Then I stumbled across this Regula III d outfit with 2 extra lenses, and being the naive nincompoop that I am, I gave Miss Regula a third chance.  Well here she is. Allow me to reluctantly present: Miss Regula !!

Let me try to introduce Miss Regula. She's like a chorus girl, like a danseuse -a dancer from the Moulin Rouge or a Berlin cabaret ... She's got the looks, but when the lights are down, after curtainfall and after hours she's really a very very ordinary girl when she reveils herself without the glitter and glamour, the make-up, the costumes and appareils. It's all an illusion......It's only looks...

Of course I got tempted, but I am also willing to admit it and stand by my weaknesses. If you look at the picture above, you will immediately notice the severe brassing around the strap lugs, where the strap metal ring has been. This is in itself no strange thing, but in this case it reveals the very poor chrome anodized finish. It shines and glimmers, but are really aheeem shit. There; I've said it. Allthough it was meant to look REALLY good, the top cover of the III d just seems cheap. Considering this was one of King's top line models, it's really disappointing. Okay, a Prontor SVS are a Prontor SVS, and personally I have always liked the Isco lenses in their own subtle simplicity, but the entire camerabody, the "rock", the foundation, looks much much better than it really is. A common chorus girl with too much make-up....

If You're looking for a classic rangefinder with lightmeter and interchangeable lenses I would rather recommend the Kodak Retina IIIS or even the Agfa Ambi Silette allthough the latter has no ligthmeter.

Miss Regula doesn't fascinate me one bit anymore.

PS.: Just forget the hatemail ! ;-)