Walz Envoy 35

Walz was a Japanese camera manufacturer or distributor, depending on which version you follow. It was one of the few Japanese pre-war camera makers that entered the industry before the war, in 1936. Most other camera makers mushroomed after the war and lasted for only a decade or so. See more about the Walz legacy. Like other camera makers, the company had previously produced Klapp and TLR models before settling on compact 35mm rangefinders. The first rangefinder was the Walz 35 and its variants, which had been sold mainly in Japan. The Walz Envoy was the model that was intended to propel Walz into the major leagues. As it turned out, the company folded in 1961, two years after this model was introduced. The Envoy was Walz’s most popular model, as evidenced by the number of cameras offered for sale on both Buyee and eBay, where many were actually purchased. There was no distribution in Europe. Unlike other no-name Japanese models, there are lengthy online discussions about repairs, indicating that users attach value to it.

The Envoy was based on the Walz 35 and had one successor, the Walz M35, where the “M” stands for meter. It had two claims to fame: the 1.9 lens, a copy of Zeiss Sonnar, a diagram of which is engraved on the camera top; and the EL/LV setting system, which was either adored or detested by users.

The camera style is similar to that of other compatible era models, featuring clean, well-balanced lines. It is heavier than its comrades, weighing 750 gr vs a class average of 640 gr, yet it is well-balanced and easy to handle. The unit on my desk is immaculate, with a clean body and skin, a clear lens, and all mechanical parts functioning properly. The self-timer is untested. Either it was well-made, or the original owner took good care of it. The camera is simple to use, with only the EV locking dials requiring a manual read. It is a pre-battery generation, so it is always ready to shoot.

• The top has a lever winder, typically with long travel, against a reasonably light spring. A thumb reset frame counter. A cold accessory shoe and pull-up folding rewind crank. A schematic of the lens is engraved by the trigger.
• The viewer is large but dim, as are the parallax frame and the patch.
• The back opens via a side-mounted, spring-loaded bolt. The interior components are beautifully crafted, machined and cast parts alike. Two rollers guide the film, and double cogs keep it well behaved. A good-sized takeoff spool and a back-mounted pressure plate complete the setup.
• The lens barrel carries the settings:
  • Closest to the body is the focusing dial, marked in feet, matching its target market. There is no knurled ring to grasp, just a finger rest that falls into a left-hand finger. A long travel helps precise focusing.
  • Next is the aperture setting dial, and thereafter the shutter speed dial. Both dials turn in unison. The aperture dial pulls the shutter dial with it, and turning the shutter speed dial on its own will change the LV. The LV is marked at the front black ring, to be set per reading on a standalone light meter. The idea behind it is that the exposure value combination remains fixed when either the shutter or aperture is changed. It was a great idea at the time, but being cumbersome, it was promptly abandoned by the camera makers.
  • The self-timer fin, marked ‘V’, and the synch selector, ‘X/M’, are located on the fixed ring between the focusing and aperture dials.
  • A fast, 1.9/48 lens is the highlight of the Envoy.

For the collector, it is the flag carrier of Walz, a company that had all the good intentions of producing quality cameras, so it may merit a position on the shelf. For the shooter, I found it in good order and can stomach the EV system; it is a go, if only for its lens.