Fujipet 35 EE

Fujipet EE user manual

Current value:
Fujipet
Fujipet 35
Fujipet EE

As (I think) other collectors, I buy cameras in two avenues. If something captivating comes my way, I will pick it up and also hunt for models I wish to explore.

The Fujipet was unknown to me, and I grabbed it just for its intriguing name; who could pass on a pet?

Fuji has gone a long way from the early days. Compared to today’s cutting-edge models, this camera looks like a tinker toy, which it is.

In the late 1950s, Fuji shifted from folders and klapp models to a line of up-and-coming formats, 35mm and Rapid monocoque cameras, which saw moderate success. Aiming to capture a larger market, they introduced a cheaper and simpler model under the Pet name. The first, a 1959 crop, was the futuristic-looking Fujipet, using the #120 format. With it, a Fujiped 35, a classic-looking camera using 135 format, came to answer round up the market.

In 1961 some wise marketing executive looked to capture a broader market and conceived the Fujipet EE, a step back in technology, as a dead simple camera, essentially a box camera in a compact design with a light meter to dress it up. While the earlier models had some stings to fiddle with, this model was bare. It was sold in Japan only as a simple camera for quick shots, with no experience necessary. As a token to the export market, a similar model, sometimes mentioned as Fujipet EE II or Fujipet SZ, was offered with a film speed selector. Overall, over the seven years model lifespan, Fuji sold about one million Fujipets of the three models.

The camera is surprisingly light as if made of paper origami. It looks like a real camera with its imposing light meter cell, but it feels like a toy. It clicks like the very early Kodak Instamatic models.

The two moving parts are the shutter lever, activating a spring-loaded shutter; no cocking needed. Else there is the winder,  no other complexities. The viewer is tiny, with an under-exposure marking in red at the right. A meter needle swings in front of the viewer from left, correct exposure, to the right, underexposure, resting at a red mark denoting underexposure.

Further, the Manual specifies two stepless aperture settings, 11 and 22, controlled by the meter. At 11, a mask in front of the lens presents a full opening. With increased light, the mask sways sideways, where a narrowing slot is positioned in front of the lens. See the images below.

There is little information in English about the Fujipet triplet online or elsewhere, though the Japanese seem to adore it. There were quite a few changing hands on Yahoo Auctions Japan, and there are many online articles in Japanese, and Google Translate kind of assists, could do with a better choice of words.

For the collector, it is safe to pass on any of these models.

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