Imperial Reflex: Behind the red glass

  The Imperial Reflex has this red glass  window on the rear of the camera. Now that's ok'  if you have good light to see the advancing numbers and dots. The Fomopan 120 film has correlating numbers and dots that you have to patiently watch for while advancing.  Turn the camera into some good light while advancing, when you get to number one, take your shot. While turning the knob watch for  the four dots, they get progressively smaller until the next number appears. When you get to that next number, get it as close to center of the red glass.
    From what I understand, is that if your off some you may shoot onto the  next frame. But hey if I am wrong please correct and when the film is developed and scanned that will  confirm.  I did find that red glass eye hole is a true bitch to see anything though it, slowed myself down and got really keen on following the 120 film moving (mystical).

Imperial Reflex Grey camera

    Watching it going in it's cycle made the thought process more clear on shooting the next frame. You get pretty excited when shooting digital, 500 clicks and 470 deletes later, you just lose the effort  on taking your next shot.. I had some preachy crap coming up next but blah blah... anyway, try to treat your digital shooting as if you have to look at that red glass. Think of shooting the next shot as next frame on 120 film  and number ten with only four frames left. Each time you hit that shutter it's  a genuine two dollar bill coming out your wallet. Wow, I clearly see though that crappy little red glass dot on the back of Imperial reflex duo lens grey lee harvey oswald model 666 camera.

Imperial Reflex tweaks and video.

      I got a roll 120 bw Famopan film for this camera. Crap nothing worked, it was all bound up, bent the top spool down, wouldn't turn, couldn't close the case and so on. I struggled with putting the film in there, at first I sat in the dark in the bathroom on the of  throne greatness.
      I discovered several issues. The loading hinges would hold the film in a way the case would not close, easily remedy , remove the metal platform and push the hinges down into the body at an angle. After this I placed the roll back in and the roll still had a very difficult time turning, easily remedy. There are two rails on each side that held the hinges in line, I took a a sharp knife and file those rails flat and put the metal platform back in place. I reinserted the film and now the film turns smoothly with out any hang ups or binding. The bad is that $6 dollars of film may have been over exposed.
   The next step is trying to figure out to properly get the film turned to the next frame. I left the exposed roll in there to practice shooting and looking thru the view finder. There is a red window to view but it's so hard to see anything. I am thinking that four turns of the advancing knob may just  do the trick.
  The video is just about the camera and the video is on flikr as well G+.

The Imperial Reflex Camera

The Imperial reflex duo lens grey model 666 has to be one of the oddest connections to things I have ever ran a crossed. First the model number 666 just speaks for itself. Then the other models have a Boy scout connection for the model but when I read the FBI report on this camera. Lee Harvey Oswald owned one these cameras, some out there in an evidence locker his camera sits. I shoot some 120 BW through it sometime soon, then post up some photos.