Porst compact-reflex

The Porst compact-reflex is a 35mm camera. It belongs to the group of SLR cameras and was built by the Japanese company Cosina for the German photo dealer. The 35mm camera was called at Cosina “Cosina CSM“.

The lenses of the Porst compact-reflex can be exchanged. For this purpose the camera is equipped with a M42 lens mount. M42 lenses are attached to the camera by means of a screw thread. There is no autofocus with the 35mm camera. You have to focus on the subject by hand.

The lens mount is very common. The first M42 optics was developed by Zeiss. Zeiss, KMZ, Voigtländer, Pentacon and Pentax were among others manufacturers of M42 interchangeable lenses.

The Porst compact-reflex has an integrated light meter. It is designed for an ISO range of 25 to 3200. The exposure measurement is performed through the lens. The aperture and exposure time can be freely adjusted according to the photographers wishes.

The Bulb mode can be used for long exposures. In this mode, the film is exposed as long as the shutter release button is pressed. An external flash can be connected to the Hot Shoe. There is also a PC flash socket.

Films for the Porst compact-reflex

The Porst compact-reflex exposes cartridges with 35mm film. 35mm films are still produced today and are quite easy to get. For black-and-white 35mm shots, the AgfaPhoto APX 400* a good choice. For color images you can use the Fujifilm Superia 400*.

For example, a normal 35mm film can hold at this size a least 36 pictures. For the next frame, the photographer has manually wind the camera.

The Porst compact-reflex has a thread for a tripod and a connection for a cable release. In addition, there is a self-timer. The camera has a weight of 540 g. The dimensions are 13,65 x 8,32 x 5,1 cm. The needed energy for the camera is provided by two 1,5V S-76 batteries.

The 35mm camera can nowadays only be bought in used condition. The price for a used copy of the depends on the condition and functionality.