October 7th 2022

 Petri Color 35 E

The Auto Exposure Outcast

In 1970 the Petri Color 35 E was touted as the world’s smallest auto exposure full frame 35mm camera. Details are hazy in the following years but I believe the next in line to take that title and run with it would be another incredible series of cameras, the 1970’s Minox 35.

There are several versions of the Color 35 E and even the odd rebrand, but the particular example shown here was the first to come out. Consisting of an all matte metal body, all metal controls, and only a few hints of plastic, the initial Color 35 E was very similar in build quality to the original Color 35. A textured leatherette wraps the matte chrome body and the lens barrel is made of dense black plastic. This two tone color and an overall square form factor round out the simple but timeless design. It may have been the smallest in the 70s, but it sure was not the lightest. Given it small size, at around 13.8 ounces (390 grams) the Color 35 E has a significant heft to it and a very solid feel. A beautiful work of craftsmanship and attention to detail, truly Petri at their finest.

The Petri Color 35 E is an automatic exposure scale focus camera. A PX675 battery is needed to fully operate, but there is minimal functionality without one. If no battery is installed, the camera defaults to either the highest shutter speed (1/200th) and smallest aperture (f/22) or the lowest shutter speed of (1/30th) at the widest aperture (f/2.8), depending on what revision of the 35 E you have. You could also use the camera in the flash mode, but I will go into more detail on that later. To get to the battery compartment, you will need to remove the back of the camera. This is done by rotating a metal tab on the bottom plate, turning counterclockwise until you feel the back release. Slide the cover down and off, and once again look to the bottom of the inside of the camera. There is a small slotted cover, which you can turn with a coin and get to the battery compartment. One more thing to note about the film compartment. It’s a feature not very common on film cameras, a movable pressure plate. Make sure to move the pressure plate away from the body when loading the film.

To see the batteries charge, the Color 35 E has a battery check button on the left hand side of the body. While holding down the button, turn the camera’s lens toward you and look at the small colored window above the lens. This is the battery check indication. Depending on what ISO you have the camera in, the meter needle’s position will change, but that is nothing to worry about. As the manual states, as long as the needle is in the blue or moves under the marking, your battery is good.

Moving to the viewfinder and looking through, you will notice a red flag covering a large portion of the right hand side of the frame. This is a warning that the camera is not ready to take a picture. You first need to extend out the lens. Unlike the original Color 35’s focus wheel, this action is done by gripping the end of the lens, and physically pulling it straight out. The red square will disappear in the viewfinder, and you are greeted with standard frame lines and a parallax correction area. That is pretty much the extent of what you have in the viewfinder, although the same red flag is used for another warning. When the camera is past its slowest or fastest settings and cannot properly expose the scene, the flag will show.

On the top of the camera, you are able to change the ASA with a dial on the left hand side, underneath the rewind lever. The range is from an ASA of 25 to 500 with an accuracy of 1/3 stops in between. In the center is a hot shoe with a frame counter to the right and a threaded shutter release above. The camera’s back is pretty barren besides the viewfinder and winding lever, and the bottom has the back cover release, a rewind release, and tripod socket. Do keep in mind that the tripod socket is connected to the removable back.

Lastly, on the front face of the camera is where you have a majority of the control. Once again looking at the battery check window, you can also use it as a pseudo indication of the exposure. The needle position will vary depending on the ASA, but you can somewhat manipulate the reading this way if you really wanted to change the exposure. The shutter speeds and apertures are coupled from 1/30th of a second at f/2.8 to 1/200th of a second at f/22.

The Color 35 E is equipt with the same lens as the original Color 35, the 40mm f/2.8 Petri branded four elements in three groups, Tessar type lens. With the lens fully extended, it reveals a marker for scale focusing and exact distances. Looking down at the lens, on the left hand side are the classic scale focus symbols with clicks on the lens at each of the markers. You also have a more precise focusing scale in meters and feet, from infinity and 20 feet (5 Meters) down to 3.5 feet (1 Meter). There are also colored lines above the distances, used to indicate the flash guide number range. Turning the camera upside down, if you look at the lens once again you can see a sliding switch going from EE to 33 feet (10 meters) to 200 feet (60 Meters). The automatic normal shooting mode is ‘EE’ while the focus and flash guide number selected is for the 1/30th of a second flash sync. Finally, there is a PC sync port to the right of the lens as well.

A few notes on the operation of the Color 35 E. When pushing the lens back into the camera, there is no need to set the focus to infinity. I’m not sure if this may just be my example of this camera, but if the lens is collapsed, you can still wind the camera and trip the shutter, but the blades will not move and you will lose a frame. Lastly, the camera is not metering until you wind the camera, so there is no need to keep the lens covered.

The Color 35 E would be in what I would call the end of the golden age of Petri cameras. Along with the Computor 35, the Penta/Flex V6, and the Color 35/35 E, were a very respectable lineup. A few years later Petri started producing cheaper and cheaper cameras, and some existing models were redesigned to be cost reduced. The initial version of the Color 35 E was mainly of metal construction with a sturdy plastic lens barrel and other surrounds, coming in either chrome or black versions. Very early versions also had only one strap lug and a different surrounding lens plate.

In the mid 1970s, a second iteration of the Petri 35 would be released only in black, branded as the Petri Micro Compact. Once again it is the same exact camera, but with simplified flash controls and a few tweaks in design. Within the manual, there is a brief mention that the lens is four elements in four groups, but I’m not sure that is accurate. The manual is in multiple languages, and the others say four elements in three groups, so I imagine that’s a typo. Later versions are also known to have more plastic parts as well.

The third iteration released in the latter half of the 1970s would change the name to the Petri 35 E, and continue with all the cost savings shown on the Micro Compact, but with a simpler design in chrome. It’s said that this version’s lens is stationary, but there are conflicting reports. This variation was released close to the bankruptcy of Petri and their purchase by Ihagee... or at least a part of Ihagee. That’s an odd story in itself, but the 35 E would be rebranded as the Exa 35 E, under West Ihagee moniker. Not much is written about it but it looks as though the name plate is the only difference.

THE SPECS AND FEATURES

Shutter Speeds - 1/30th to 1/200th

Aperture - f/2.8 to f/22

Meter Type - CdS ‘Electic Eye’

Focus - infinity and 20 feet (5 Meters) down to 3.5 feet (1 Meter)

Shutter - automatic, coupled shutter speed and aperture

ASA - 25 to 500

Lens - 40mm f/2.8, Petri branded

• four elements in three groups

• fully coated and color corrected

• same lens as the original Color 35

Flash Option - hot shoe, PC port

• manual aperture guide number setting (1/30th), automatically adjusts for focus

Batteries - PX675

• LR44 works, compensate meter around one stop negative

Film Type - 35mm

Other Features - battery test function, removable back

The Experience

Right away, I will say that this camera gets a bad reputation in the film community, or possibly that is just extremely overshadowed. Is the original Petri Color 35 a better camera, yes and no. It has faster speeds, manual control, better build quality, and a meter in the viewfinder to name a few. However, the one thing it does not have is the E or automatic exposure. An obvious statement, but that’s what sets this camera apart from its predecessor and should not be a deterrent. I would argue this further, but how does it really stack up in practice?

I had a regular Color 35 for a couple of years before this, and I absolutely love it. An amazing camera, with stellar glass to match. I have a fascination with Petri and would occasionally look at listings online for some of the more unusual models. Frequently I would see the Color 35 E in an ‘untested’ or ‘parts’ state and passed on them for a long time. Finally, a great deal emerged and I found myself in possession of the camera a week or so later.

This particular Petri Color 35 E was dirty and not in the best shape. There was a strange rattling inside, no shutter movement, and the battery cover was corroded and very stuck. A forgotten and neglected camera, and one I was very excited to get to work on. I had previous experience with repairing my original Color 35, so I knew my way around the camera fairly well.

The first thing to investigate was the rattle; never a good sign with any camera. Removing the top cover, I found the culprit right away. A small colored piece of metal was loose, bent, and a bit roughed up. This loose piece caused quite a bit of chaos inside the camera bending mechanisms and nearly breaking the meter. The piece in question was the decorative part of the meter and common to see missing on examples online. I flattened it out and spent a considerably long time bending the meter needle back into place. This process was horridly stressful, being a thin piece of metal and the life of the camera. If this broke, the cameras trap needle metering system would be non existant. Multiple days passed as I bent the needle back and aligned components. A handful of tests later, and the meter was freely moving, but there was still no power.

I had the same corrosion issue with my original Color 35 and knew exactly where to look. The positive lead in the battery compartment corroded off and needed to be rewired. Taking the leatherette off the 35 E and unscrewing the lens board, I was able to trace the wire back to its origin and solder in a new wire. A bit of shielding and back and forth testing was needed, but the camera was finally receiving power. A thorough cleaning and gluing the leather back on was the last step, making sure to test the camera in some extreme lighting conditions before everything was back together.

My first film test was in my common park testing ground, and I wanted a similar picture to compare with the original Color 35. They are the same film, same development, and are straight scans. Both are sharp with slightly different apertures/exposures, but I’d say there is no real difference that I can see between the two photos. The meter worked beautifully and I was very impressed. A real test would be taking the camera on an outing and using it as close to a point and shoot as possible, and I had the perfect idea.

Late July I went golfing with my father and took the camera with me. It was a reasonably hot day, and perfectly cloudy. Partial shade and full sun really pushed the accuracy of the metering system. The pictures came out fantastic, perfectly exposing every picture. Great sharpness once again and an accurate rendering of the scenes. From in a pocket to ready is fairly quick, needing only to extend the lens and wind the shutter. Focusing has indents at the predetermined zones, and the rest is taken care of. In quick shooting situations, especially when the light was quickly changing, this camera was invaluable. You could do the same with the original Color 35, but I think this one beats it in quick shooting. My final test was with a proper roll of black and white. The lighting was dim and there were numerous clouds, but I wanted to try out a few high contrast and low light pictures. Once again I was impressed by the results and proving to me that the lens of the Color 35 E is just as good as the original 35.

It really is a shame not many people write about the Color 35 E or sing its praises. That’s one of the reasons why I seek out this type of camera. I want to really give them a fair shot and report my findings. It’s the same lens as the original, with a slightly slower shutter, but in an automatic package. The Olympus Trip 35 is the same type of camera, with something like the 35 RC to match. I strongly believe that the Color 35 E deserves its time in the light. It’s an amazing camera and one that I will continue to fight for its recognition. I’m not trying to knock the original Color 35 either. It’s an outstanding camera and arguably the better one. What I’m trying to say here is the Color 35 E is just as great, but for different reasons. There was a lot of thought that went into creating this camera, and a respect I believe it deserves. If you love the Color 35 and would want a faster street ready version of that, look no further than the Color 35 E.