This camera has definitely got a fightin’ chance as a contender for the title of coolest plastic camera. Manufactured in the U.S. by Cardinal Corporation, it’s got the same bloodlines as the Buckeye Camera. The Photo Champ gives 16 exposures on 127 film. Keep in mind, the shutter actuates on both the down and up movement of the lever.
It probably could’ve performed better if it had a more skilled manager. The Photo Champ floats like a butterfly and stings like a … like a … like something that doesn’t sting very hard. Still, it’s sporty and ready to execute the hell out of some moves.
Update: I just got back from Paris. Just before I left, I packed an Argus C3, as I always do. The C3 is used as a gift (or trade) in an effort to promote world peace. I also packed some Pintoid cameras . I decided I wanted to bring something else. Something funky. I had in mind the Sunscope 35x or maybe one of those 127 half framers. Back and forth it went for quite some time. I set the cameras out on the work bench, figuring I’d make the decision just before I left for the airport. So, just before I started the car … I looked at the Sunscope, then the half framers. The Sunscope. The half framers. The Sunscope. The half framers. I grabbed the Photo Champ and two rolls of 127 film from the freezer. Mind you, I haven’t touched this camera in years. I ended up putting a roll of ReraPan through the camera while in Paris.
I didn’t end up shooting that roll in Paris. After going through numerous airport x-rays, the camera with film ended up back home. I glanced over at it on the car seat the other day. I laughed and apologized to it as it lay in the hot sun. Any photos produced should be “interesting”. I will report back.
4-16-2023: Well, well, well. I held out absolutely no hope for this film. Development times on the ‘net, using D76, suggested everything from 5 1/2 minutes to 18 minutes. I paged through my old info film sheets, leaning toward the longer development. Not remembering what I have done [many times] in the past, I eventually eeny-meeny-miny-moed it to D76, stock, at 12-ish? I got this nifty old Yankee tank at the recent camera show in Kent, WA. It was like new in the box. It came with two ball bearing incorporated spools. What piqued my interest was the variety of film sizes that could be loaded onto the spools. I have other tanks that accept the same film sizes, but none are the ball bearing type plastic reels. Anyway, the reels loaded like a dream. A dream that was at first a nightmare – the film stuck a bit on the ball bearings – then … smooth as silk they loaded.
I am a Yankee Master!
Here they are, after ruining them in my scanner as is my way:
This roll did better than the ReraPan, which was WAY fresher.
