Walz Comet

The Walz brand had existed before the war, selling photographic accessories since the mid-1940s. See more on Walz models‘ offering. Early models were Rollei-inspired TLR cameras, peppered with a few Klapp models, until they settled on compact 35mm rangefinders, as did all post-war camera makers in Japan. The first in this line was the Walz 35, a modest camera intended for local sales, followed by the 35S, the Walz Wide, and the Comet. All three were variants of the same humble camera, and I assume that the Comet was intended for either a specific distributor or a different (export) market. There is no cut-and-dry information found.

The camera is basic, even for its generation. The unit on my desk was badly abused, yet it functions mechanically, which suggests a proper quality. The other Walz models I have, the Envoy and Electric, click and buzz as they should.

• The camera is from the pre-battery era, a fully manual shooter, although it is heavy and not easily carryable.
• The body is all metal, which is reflected in its weight; yet, it remains easy to handle. The metal, once the layers of grime were cleared, is well-finished, as is the skin.
• The lever winder has an era-typical long travel, and in its youth, it was probably loaded against a strong spring, judging by the shock suppressing rubber band on the retainer pin.
• The viewfinder is small, with a dim patch. My camera came with no glass panes on either of the front windows. It can be remedied, but it is not worth the time.
• The closest to the body is the focusing ring, marked feet, so this model was meant for the US market. Where most cameras use a knurled ring to turn, here there is none; only a finger rest for the left hand. The focusing travel is long enough to allow easy focusing.
• The next ring is the aperture setting, where a red dot is set against the f-value. F8 is marked red, where the rest are in black. I did not find a manual for this model; the closest available is for the Walz Wide, but it does refer to this.
• The next ring is the shutter speed, which is puzzling. The ring has an outer serrated lip with a red dot. Then there is a step, marked by the shutter speed. However, the red dot points to the aperture scale, with shutter speeds listed on the lower level, but there is no mark for it to set against. The 100 is marked red, so I assume that 100/f8 is suggested for a bright day. There is an online question about this, for which the answer is unclear. As with the missing glass panes, it is not worth dissecting and further investigating until time is in hand.
• The lens is marked ‘Walzer’ rather than the more common ‘Koninar’, which is used on most Walz cameras. It sounds much like Wetzlar, Leitz’s birthplace, perhaps not a coincidence.
• Inside the film chamber are two guide rollers, one by the feeding cartridge and the other on the back. A well-machined film track with double sprockets to keep the film well behaved, and a thin taking spool. A back-mounted pressure plate. The chamber is painted in a rough Hammerton finish, unlike the other Walz cameras.

For the collector, this is an insignificant camera, worth picking up if the condition and price are right.