Petri Racer

bohica · Aug 21, 2005

Hi guys, as anyone that's read my threads and posts know, I like older cameras, In 67 I bought my 1st "modern camera" with a built in meter, the Petri Racer, I eventualy sold it and bought a Miranda Sensorex and a Nikkormat FTN that I still have. I recently saw a Racer on ebay and bought it for $2.75 + $4.90 S+H. The camera works and with the addition on a wein cell, so does the meter. The only problem is the shutter button is missing, still usable but a bit cumbersom to push the remaining plate in. I'm sure no parts are available for it so anybody have an idea of fabricating one? Thought of sanding and polishing a small piece of walnut and epoxying it to the plate.

Donald Qualls · Aug 21, 2005

You might want to be sure your fabricated release button accomodates a cable release, if there isn't a separate socket. Not too hard to do even with the walnut idea; just epoxy in a suitable brass nut and sand it and the wood together to get a smooth, "grown in" appearance.

bohica · Aug 21, 2005

The Racer has a cable connection on top and the shutter release was a little smooth chrome affair on the front so that's not a problem

Donald Qualls · Aug 22, 2005

Aaah. Then a little button of nicely polished and lacquered/varnished wood (walnut, curly maple, etc.) would be very appropriate and feel really nice.

Jon Goodman · Aug 22, 2005

A Racer with a battery? Both of the ones I owned just had selenium cells around the lenses. Neat little cameras, and great shutters. I'd try the wooden shutter release. Might be an improvement.
Jon

Paul Sorensen · Aug 23, 2005

When I first read this thread, I was imagining making a shtter release out of a nut. It seemed like it would be a bit greasy and might start smelling eventually. Glad to hear you were referring to wood!

bohica · Aug 23, 2005

Paul lol, that would be interesting, get hungry, eat your shutter release

Rafael Macia · Aug 25, 2005

Petri

Hi Bohica,
My first camera was a Beauty. A 35mm rangefinder made by Petri. The Petri company was on lower Broadway about 19th Street, and next store was a magnificent old loft type building with a great Victorian tower facade. Years later I found out it was the original "Lord&Taylor Building". I remember photographing the building against the sky. Petri is special for me.

bohica · Aug 28, 2005

i have another question for you petri guys, there's 1 flash sync terminal with a litle lightening bolt beside it, when i had my original petri, the flash bulb was king, will this work with electronic flash? and at what shutter speed, it has a leaf type shutter but 30 marked in red on the shutter speed dial.

Donald Qualls · Aug 30, 2005

The lightning bolt signifies "electronic" flash, aka X synch. It should synch at all speeds. The 30 in red is the highest shutter that will synch with a bulb on the X contact; faster speeds will have the shutter cutting off the light peak, while 1/30 will catch enough to give a good exposure.

bohica · Aug 30, 2005

Thanks Donald

bobbotron · Nov 18, 2015

I just picked one of these up to experiment doing IR portraits. I found it super difficult to get the film reel to grab the film, but I think I got it working. I tried to use the flash x-sync cable to trigger a cowboy studio radio trigger - it would work, sometimes, at 1/60 a second. I'll have to investigate some more with film not in the camera, perhaps cleaning the flash cable socket will help. I noticed there's a lever that goes between X and MX - I think for electronic flashes you always want it set to X?

rjbuzzclick · Nov 19, 2015

Yes, you want the lever set to X for electronic flashes.

Allicio · Nov 21, 2015

Can I recommend artisan obscura soft release for a wooden button
They have lots of different woods in both a stick on button and threaded style to go in a cable release.
I've got a couple and one of there hotshoe covers. Beautiful!!!
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Petri Racer

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