The Revue 400 SE is a compact rangefinder camera with a fixed lens. It was sold under Foto-Quelle’s house brand “Revue” in Germany. It is not entirely clear who the “real” manufacturer was; there are various conjectures. Chinon and Cosina are floating in the air. But also Minolta and Konica, who produced similar cameras at that time, like the Konica Auto S3.
A special feature of the camera from the 70s is its lens. Namely, the model has a 40 mm fixed focal length with a maximum aperture of f/1.7. Nevertheless, the black full-frame camera and the Revuenon 1:1.7 40 mm lens is quite compact and handy.
The exposure meter supports 35 mm film with a sensitivity of ISO 25 to ISO 800. It works on the principle of shutter priority, which means that the photographer selects an exposure time (1/500 s, 1/250 s, 1/125 s, 1/60 s, 1/30 s, 1/15 s, 1/8 s) and the camera selects the appropriate aperture.
When the shutter button is pressed halfway, the selected exposure is locked (AF lock). The Revue 400 SE does not have a completely manual mode, but there are four settings for a hot shoe flash (guide number 7, 14, 28, 56).
The flash can be used with all exposure times thanks to the Copal central shutter. There is a Bulb mode for long exposures. A tripod and cable release thread and a self-timer complete the picture.
The Revue 400 SE or exposure meter requires a PX 675 1.35V mercury battery. This type of battery is no longer allowed to be manufactured in the EU. A possible alternative for the 35mm camera is a 1.4V hearing aid battery, but this will not last as long as the original battery.
The Vivitar 35ES is very similar to the Revue 400 SE. There was also a rarer version of the 400 SE with a body in chrome.
Technical datasheet
Attribute | Specification |
---|---|
Type of Camera | Rangefinder camera |
Film format | 35mm |
Film transport | Manual |
Picture format | 24 mm x 36 mm |
Focal length | 40 mm |
Biggest aperture | f/1.7 |
Focus | Manual |
Rangefinder | Yes |
Exposure times | 1/500 second to 1/8 second, Bulb |
Bulb mode | Yes |
Light meter | Yes |
Supported film speeds | ISO 25 to 800 |
Exposure modes | Shutter priority |
Manual exposure settings | No |
Date imprinting | No |
Built-in flash | No |
Flash Connection | Hot Shoe |
Flash sync speed | 1/500 s |
Tripod mount | Yes |
Cable release thread | Yes |
Self-timer | Yes |
Power supply | 1x PX675 1.35V mercury battery |
Company name of the brand | Foto Quelle |
Estimated value / Used price | 110,00 Euro 179,29162,30107,48854,7894,7318438,811286,43118,63 Estimate based on used prices of 26 offers (possibly with different scope of delivery and/or condition). As of 13.5.2024 |
Average used price in the year 2023 | 126,06 Euro (136.38 US-Dollar) |