worst camera manual ever

[Paul Howell]

I have owned many different cameras, many different brands starting with Retina IIIC in 1966. Just picked up a working Topcon Auto 100, of all the manuals I have read the manual for the Topcon is one of the worse, no the worse manual I have ever had to decipher. The camera it'self is fussy, not as bad as the Retina, but making heads or tails of how how to set the shutter speed to manual, took an hour.

 

[GRHazelton]

Try the manuals for the Werra and its variations. Ugh!

 

[wiltw]

I have owned many different cameras, many different brands starting with Retina IIIC in 1966. Just picked up a working Topcon Auto 100, of all the manuals I have read the manual for the Topcon is one of the worse, no the worse manual I have ever had to decipher. The camera it'self is fussy, not as bad as the Retina, but making heads or tails of how how to set the shutter speed to manual, took an hour.

I am puzzled by your problem, as the Topcon Auto 100 is one of the simplest cameras to operate. It is a shutter priority automation camera meaning you pick the shutter speed, and the lens aperture is set by itself while on Auto; take it out of A to have a fully manual camera.

 

[guangong]

Some cameras, such as Kodak Medalist require careful reading of manual before attempting to operate camera, because otherwise serious malfunction is possible. Manual is not poorly written, but requires to be read. Topcon cameras are pretty basic.
In the old days some cameras from Japan or Russia required reader participation, sort of like reading literary Chinese, but the ideas generally came across.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Leica digital. In English.

 

[mshchem]

I have owned many different cameras, many different brands starting with Retina IIIC in 1966. Just picked up a working Topcon Auto 100, of all the manuals I have read the manual for the Topcon is one of the worse, no the worse manual I have ever had to decipher. The camera it'self is fussy, not as bad as the Retina, but making heads or tails of how how to set the shutter speed to manual, took an hour.

My Dad had a Auto 100. That was hot stuff for Dad, graduated from a Argus C3. I'm trying to recall, is the Auto 100 a leaf shutter? I remember wanting a Super D until I got my first Nikon F2S.
Topcon "meter on the mirror" !

 

[Paul Howell]

I am puzzled by your problem, as the Topcon Auto 100 is one of the simplest cameras to operate. It is a shutter priority automation camera meaning you pick the shutter speed, and the lens aperture is set by itself while on Auto; take it out of A to have a fully manual camera.

The manual does not list the self timer, on the same small switch with the X and M dial, for whatever reason it's the V setting, had to figure that out. Then there are 3 ways to set exposure first is shutter priority, second is shutter priority with an over ride for back lighting, sort of an program mode, the camera sets both the shutter speed and the F stop, then there is free exposure. In order to manually change the shutter speed the little tiny switch needs to be M position, then switch that release the ASA dial needs to changed. I have tired the shutter preferred auto exposure, need to pick up some hearing aids batteries, but I'm not hopeful as the camera came with 2 light meters.

It is a leaf shutter, seems to work at all speeds. No louder than my Kowa SE, the Kowa's are standard manual exposure with a match needle in the viewfinder.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

V - X - M is a common setting on Synchro-Compur leaf shutter cameras or lenses with such shutters. V ("Vorlaufwerk") is the delay timer - but X and M are flash synch choices.

 

[mshchem]

V - X - M is a common setting on Synchro-Compur leaf shutter cameras or lenses with such shutters. V ("Vorlaufwerk") is the delay timer - but X and M are flash synch choices.

Vorlaufwerk is my new favorite word of the day! Google translation has a nice female robot voice that pronounced it for me.
I checked the Butkus website there's a decent manual there for a very reasonable donation.

 

[jim10219]

I like the old Sea & Sea manuals. They have lots of cute pictures and some words that said some stuff, probably. I'm not a scholar.

 

[Arklatexian]

Vorlaufwerk is my new favorite word of the day! Google translation has a nice female robot voice that pronounced it for me.
I checked the Butkus website there's a decent manual there for a very reasonable donation.

Those of us who, in the early days started using German blade shutters quickly learned that "V" meant "self timer" but today is the first time that I have ever known what word "V" meant.Thank you. We are never too old to learn........Regards!

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Although "Vorlaufwerk" in a photographic sense would colloquially be translated as "self timer" or "delay mechanism", more literally it means a mechanism which runs ahead or leads the actual tripping of the shutter.

As for the Topcon, I wonder if the shutter speeds can be changed in the X (electronic flash synch) setting as well as M (flashbulb)? I would hope so!

 

[mshchem]

Although "Vorlaufwerk" in a photographic sense would colloquially be translated as "self timer" or "delay mechanism", more literally it means a mechanism which runs ahead or leads the actual tripping of the shutter.

As for the Topcon, I wonder if the shutter speeds can be changed in the X (electronic flash synch) setting as well as M (flashbulb)? I would hope so!

Look here it's got everything on flash synch etc. Even shows the self timer
If you donate a few dollars it will help out.

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/beseler/beseler_topcon_auto_100/beseler_auto100-splash.htm

 

[wiltw]

The Topcon Auto 100 has NO fully Automatic mode ...you always set the shutter speed!

The self timer is on p17 of the owner manual.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I have owned many different cameras, many different brands starting with Retina IIIC in 1966. Just picked up a working Topcon Auto 100, of all the manuals I have read the manual for the Topcon is one of the worse, no the worse manual I have ever had to decipher. The camera it'self is fussy, not as bad as the Retina, but making heads or tails of how how to set the shutter speed to manual, took an hour.

who reads camera manuals?

 

[AgX]

Try the manuals for the Werra and its variations. Ugh!

I got 2 versions of the the combined I-V manual, only slightly different.

I consider them one of the best manuals I ever read.

 

[blockend]

No film camera manuals have confused me as much as the digital variety. In fact many are so complex that manufacturers have given up on them in favour of online versions. Some settings aren't explicit even then, especially if the function only works in combination with certain others, and to no logical pattern.

For many years camera manuals were essentially the same. First a thank you for purchasing the model and the wisdom of your choices. A how to hold guide featuring an attractive lady behind or in front of the camera, followed by a sequence of black and white shots illustrating the effect of aperture and shutter speed. Humorous icons denote not cooking your camera, sticking a finger in shutter and that was your lot. Now you have to circumnavigate the extraction of jpeg files from moving images and the effect of manual to electronic shutter artefacts (p379, supplement D, firmware 3.84).

 

[abruzzi]

A how to hold guide featuring an attractive lady behind or in front of the camera, followed by a sequence of black and white shots illustrating the effect of aperture and shutter speed.

The Nikon F2 manual didn’t have an attractive lady holding it, but a guy that oozes 1970’s with a bushy mustache and plaid jacket.

 

[Paul Howell]

Well I checked, my Retina IIIC has the same set up for flash and self timer, XMV, been so long that I have used a flash with the Retina I completely forgot. The online manual I found was only 3 or 4 pages long, will look for a longer version.

 

[mshchem]

The Nikon F2 manual didn’t have an attractive lady holding it, but a guy that oozes 1970’s with a bushy mustache and plaid jacket.

Looks bit like a pervert . Of course so did I in 1975 I went to senior prom in a powder blue tux wearing blue platform shoes

 

[LeftCoastKid]

who reads camera manuals?

+1! My first Nikons (F2AS, F2A, F3, F3HP, FE) were intuitive to the point where only a quick glance through the manual was all that was necessary (i.e. How to switch out the focusing screen). For later acquisitions (F4S, F5, F6, D700, D800) it was set to "M" and go; manuals probably met the recycling bin along with the rest of the packaging the respective cameras came with,

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Ok, I just paid $25 for a camera and from reading the manual I can't figure out how to focus, set the aperture, shutter speed, or how to advance the film...

 

[Bill Burk]

Theo, you should send for the primer.

I too learned a new German word today, thanks.

And yes that manual for the Auto Topcon 100 is a contender for the worst.

wiltw I consider auto aperture or auto shutter to be full automatic, and if the camera automatically selects both I call it "Program" but that's just words... I remember the days of having to choose your sides... Pentax and Olympus only gave auto shutter speed so that's where I started. I know Canon A-1 gave us all modes of operation (PASM) and that was a real marketing boon for them.

 

[AgX]

Vorlaufwerk is my new favorite word of the day! Google translation has a nice female robot voice that pronounced it for me.

Sounds a bit strange to me. I guess with knowing what's it about I would have asked her to repeat...

 

[GRHazelton]

My Pentax LX, comparable to the Nikon F3, has an instruction book of perhaps 35 or 40 pages. Operating the LX is easy for anyone familiar with film cameras; there are only one or two features that are not intuitive.
Speaking of instruction manuals - or the lack thereof - we recently bought a GE Profile dual fuel range. Lovely thing! But if you want a printed manual you can download one and print it off yourself, or ask for GE to send you one. A manual is needed; this is not your Grandmother's stove! For the money this baby cost the manual should have been leather bound; it also lacked a broiler pan and rack. GRRRR! Since I'd carefully researched the purchase I knew of the lack of broil equipment, but GRRRR anyway.