Manual for Panon AIII

[Fragomeni]

Does anyone have a manual for the Panon AIII? I’m looking for clarity around proper loading procedures and exposure info since it only has three shutter speeds. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Contact mike@butkus.org or go to ==> https://www.butkus.org/chinon/send_mail_2.jpg to see if he has a copy of the manual that he has not posted.

 

[Fragomeni]

Contact mike@butkus.org or go to ==> https://www.butkus.org/chinon/send_mail_2.jpg to see if he has a copy of the manual that he has not posted.

I ended up figuring it all out based on related info. I may still reach out. The one thing I can’t confirm is whether or not the film advance affects any internal mechanism. On some of the 35mm versions, the cameras came with a leaflet saying to always advance the film before changing shutter speed or risk damaging the camera. I’m not sure if the same holds for the AIII. I don’t think it does and can see no mechanical coupling to the shutter in this camera.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I would not risk trying.

 

[Fragomeni]

I would not risk trying.

I figured it out. It’s not the same for the Aiii. The film wind is disconnected from the shutter. In the 35mm versions and I think the 1500, they’re connected. The Aiii, doesn’t connect the two. The rotation of the lens is set by physically turning the turret which is independent from the film advance.

 

[hired goon]

I know this is an old thread, but as a fellow Panon AIII owner, I can confirm. There seems to be some confusion on this issue based on other models by the same maker. The shutter speeds can absolutely be changed at any time on this model. In fact, I find it far easier to wind the shutter at a faster speed, so that the turret turns faster, and then reset the speed slower if needed. I personally use the 1/2 second setting a lot, and resetting the shutter at that speed takes a long time. I will switch it to 1/50 or 1/200, wind it, and then reset it at 1/2 if I’m using that slower speed. I believe I have a scan of the actual manual somewhere, but it really isn’t that informative. Film path is indicated on the removable film gate assembly. New users be aware that the spools go under the spring clips, and that you don’t miswind it so that the spring clips touch the film itself. They only contact the back of the backing paper. Pay attention when loading, as this was confusing to me at first, as I didn’t properly visualize it. Depth of field chart can be important. I posted one from a slightly newer PANOX model years ago on flickr for reference. It’s accurate based on my experience, but doesn’t include f22.

Hope this helps someone.
Tony