Bell & Howell Dial 35

The Bell & Howell Dial 35 half-format camera was made by Bell & Howell and introduced in the 1960s. It was made in a Japanese factory of the Canon company. A functionally identical model was sold under the name Canon Dial 35.

Due to its unique design, the camera is considered a sought-after collector’s item. The handling in portrait format as well as the arrangement of the controls around the lens, which are reminiscent of the dialing system of an old telephone, give it a special touch.

Unlike many other camera models, this one does not have an interchangeable lens. According to technical specifications, the fixed lens offers a maximum aperture of f/2.8 at a focal length of 28 mm.

Since the camera does not have an autofocus function, manual focusing is required. The distance to the subject has to be estimated and a minimum distance of 80 cm has to be kept to avoid blurring. Focusing is performed via various focus zones, which are displayed in the viewfinder and marked with symbols.

A built-in exposure meter in the Bell & Howell Dial 35 allows the exposure parameters to be determined precisely. It allows the use of films with ISO values from 8 to 500.

Photographers set the desired shutter speed and the camera adjusts the aperture accordingly in the range of f/2.8 to f/22. The shutter provides the following values for selection: 1/30 second, 1/60 second, 1/125 second and 1/250 second. When using the flash, the combination of aperture and shutter speed can be freely selected.

An external flash can be connected via the PC flash socket and mounted on the accessory shoe. The maximum flash sync speed varies depending on the flash used, but a safe choice is 1/30 second, as all flashes can be used at this exposure speed.

The Bell & Howell Dial 35 is equipped with a tripod socket and has a connection for a cable release. A self-timer was available as an additional accessory, as the model itself does not have such a function.

Weighing 430 grams and measuring 9.9 x 7.55 x 4.35 cm, the camera is powered by a mercury battery such as the National M-P, Toshiba TH-MP or Mallory RM-1, although these are no longer in production.

Film recommendations for the Bell & Howell Dial 35

What films are suitable for the Bell & Howell Dial 35? It requires 35mm film, which can still be produced and developed at most photo labs. Two excellent film options for this camera are the Kodak Portra 400* and the Kodak T-Max 100*, which make for charming color or black and white shots. Other notable film manufacturers include Lomography, Rollei, Adox and Foma.

The negative size of the 35mm camera is 24mm x 18mm, which is half the size of a normal 35mm camera photo.

A unique feature of this camera, especially for the time, is the mechanical film transport. This must be tensioned before use. After each shot, the motor advances the film and prepares the shutter.

The motor can store enough energy for 20 shots, after which it must be rewound. So for 40 shots, the motor must be tensioned twice.