Canon Bell & Howell Dial 35 |
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Manufactured or assembled in Japan from 1963 to (After) 1963.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 14238
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Canon
For more than two decades, digital cameras have somewhat blurred the lines. The absence of mechanics and physical support has allowed for great freedom in design, and cameras look like video cameras or phones (or maybe it's the other way around), but over 60 years ago, a camera like the Dial was quite atypical. What seems very commonplace today appeared then to be straight out of the fantasies of Dick, Clarke, and Asimov combined.
Like the Demi cameras, it is a half-frame camera, which allows for 72 shots on a 36-exposure film in 24 x 36 format.
The Dial is unique in that it operates thanks to a powerful spring located in a cylinder beneath the camera, which also serves as a handle. This mechanical motor allows for the rewinding of the film and the ability to take 2 images per second. Another characteristic of the Dial is the arrangement of the CdS cell surrounding the lens. This setup resembles a telephone dial, hence its name, Dial.
The exposure of the Dial 35(1963) is automatic with a speed priority ranging from 1/30 to 1/250 second. The cell is powered by a mercury battery.
The lens is a 2.8/28 mm with 5 elements in three groups.
The selling price was 502 francs in 1965 at Grenier-Natkin.
Indeed, in April 1968, Barbarella was floating in zero gravity and the cobblestones were about to be thrown, but Canon was merely repurposing the old. The Dial 35-2was just a slight evolution of the Dial 35, released five years earlier. The performance of the spring motor was improved (25 consecutive images at a rate of 2 images per second), and the sensitivity increased from 500 to 1000 ISO.
Externally, the two generations can be distinguished by the black plate above the lens.
The Bell & Howell Dial 35 is therefore strictly identical to the Canon Dial 35. On this model, the name Canon is only found on the small plastic cover used to protect the accessory shoe. The inscription "Made in Japan" is located on the backplate "Check List for Easy Picture Taking".
![Canon Bell & Howell Dial 35](../../bell_howell/images/Bell_Howell_Dial_35.jpg)
In August 1950, Mr. Mitarai, President of Canon, made a trip to the USA to seek partnerships for distributing their cameras. At that time, Japanese products were poorly regarded in the USA, and Canon sought to gain some recognition. The initial visit to Bell & Howell ended in failure, as Bell & Howell claimed that Canon cameras were constructed of wood and therefore risked catching fire. Canon then turned to the C.R. Skinner Company of San Francisco to import their cameras. They were then labeled "Made in Occupied Japan / Services and Guaranteed in San Francisco California".
In 1955, Canon opened offices in New York but still needed a major partner to penetrate the American market. They reestablished contact with Bell & Howell, and an agreement was signed in 1961, which lasted until 1976.
The first Canon 7 and Canonflex RM cameras appeared under the Bell & Howell / Canon brand in April 1962, and subsequently, cameras like the FD 35 were exclusively labeled Bell & Howell (equivalent to the Canon TX).
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