Perfex Speed Candid (1938-1939)

The Perfex Speed Candid 35 mm camera was produced by the Candid Camera Corporation of America, Chicago, Illinois. The Candid Camera Corporation of America (later just Camera Corporation of America) was one of the companies formed to exploit the miniature camera craze of the 1930s. The Perfex Speed Candid is notable for its steam-punk appearance. The main body was molded from a phenolic resin and has a chrome plated steel face. The face of the camera has the shutter release button and a Graf Perfex Anastigmat f/2.8-22 50 mm lens in a helical focusing mount. The lens has three elements and was made by Graf Optical, Chicago, Illinois. Later Perfex cameras had lenses by Wollensak, Rochester, New York. The top of the camera has a film advance knob, a film advance release button, an exposure counter, an uncoupled split-image range finder, the shutter cocking knob and speed selector (1/25, 1/50, 1/75, 1/100, 1/200, 1/500 and Bulb), and a reverse galilean viewfinder. The back of the camera is made from cast steel and has an exposure calculator and two sliding latches. The bottom of the camera has a tripod socket, an extinction exposure meter and the film rewind knob. The back of the camera comes off for loading film. The film runs from right to left, similar to the Argus cameras, and opposite from most other 35 mm cameras. The back of my example is hard to remove. It probably wasn't as stiff when the camera was new.

Front

Back

The Speed Candid was followed by designs having all metal bodies and chrome tops. Camera Corporation of America closed shop in 1950.