Miranda Sensorex 2

Miranda Sensorex II

The ninth camera in my 12 months of film project is the rather marvelous Miranda Sensorex II. I had wanted one of these for a little while since buying the Miranda MS-3. Not that the MS-3 is made by the same company, the name is all they have in common. The MS-3 was a Dixon's branded camera, the company buying the Miranda name when the original Japanese manufacturer stopped producing SLRs in the mid Nineteen Seventies. It was while I was researching the history of the MS-3 that I read about the older Japanese brand and realised that I had to try and get hold of one for this project. The only problem I discovered was that they hold their value quite well so I had to be prepared to part with a bit more cash if I was to secure one. I had also read that the light meters in the cameras were quite fragile and most being sold online came with a non working meter. I started bidding for one on E-Bay which looked in good nick, although the seller hadn't tested it so was unsure if it worked. Quite risky I know, and I have ended up with a few unusable bodies in the past by taking a chance, but this camera looked good. Bearing in mind that these models fetch anywhere between £80-£120 online at present, most without working light meters, I was delighted to win it for £20. When it arrived I was over the moon with its condition, almost mint, and a lovely looking thing... and the weight, proper heavy, a lot of thought and love had definitely gone into its design, and overall feel was very positive. It really is a beautiful thing and looks great displayed in my room. I duly ordered a battery for it, ( Zinc Air 1.4V ) from E-Bay and when it arrived popped it into the camera, not holding out much hope. What a pleasant surprise I had when the exposure needle jumped into life.    

From the back

The lens on this particular camera is a Auto Miranda 50mm F1.8 and it comes with the rather fantastic aperture coupling arm. This arm makes it very easy to select the appropriate aperture without actually having to turn an aperture ring on the lens body itself.

The Sensorex II was introduced in 1972 and is a manually metered camera with a top shutter speed of 1/1000 sec.

The camera is amazingly well built, in a way cameras just aren't today. Everything is metal and I imagine feels just as it would when new. If anything it's too heavy and it certainly weighed my camera bag down quite a bit when I was out. The dials are beautifully finished and require a very positive action to move them, nothing loose or rattling about. 

Viewed from above

The shutter speed dial and film advance lever

Removable prism

The removal prism enables the user to get into the top of the camera and allows for easy cleaning, as well as hassle free replacement of broken parts.

Front view

Shooting with the Miranda was a real joy. It was very easy to meter. I love needle meters preferring them to LED displays and the viewfinder was nice and clear, offering a good view of the subject. The shutter button which is on the front of the camera made a very positive sound and was nicely damped.  I didn't really know how I would get on with the shutter release on the front of the camera, but I came to realise this is a really good place to have it. I think it can actually make for a steadier shot as when you trigger the shutter you tend to push the camera onto your face which can help brace it, rather than push down on it like a traditional shutter configuration, which can sometimes result in soft images.    

2CV on the Quay

Resulting images had great contrast and where nice and sharp, this shooting with a cheap Agfa Vista 200 film. Not particularly stealthy however, as although the shutter seemed well damped it was quite loud.  

Looking along the harbour at Wells-Next-The-Sea

I had been asked to do a film project for a magazine which will be out in August I believe, and although this camera isn't the one to be used for the article, it was taken along as a backup. So although a few of the images posted here may seem a bit random, it should all make sense soon enough. ( Post to follow )

Emma

Discarded sandal

Colourful houses

Me trying to strike a pose

Flowers

Nice day for an ice cream 

The Quay belongs to the Black Headed Gulls

I'm not interested in crab fishing, I'd rather drink from a puddle

Looking out to sea

I have loved using this camera during the month of May and it's one I will certainly use again in the future. For the time being though and until I run another film through it, it sits on the shelf in my room looking pretty damn fine.