![]() The lens is a five-element Colinar 5cm f/2.8 on the original Arco 35 and a four-element Colinar 5cm f/3.5 on the Junior. It was replaced by a Seikosha-MX on the last examples of the Arco 35 Junior. The shutter is a Seikosha-Rapid (B, 1–500, self-timer), cocked by a lever on the shutter housing itself. The lens standard has a threaded hole at the top, used to couple the View-Arco device (see below). There is an Arco logo embossed in the leatherette of the folding bed. The folding bed is opened by a button at the top, and it is closed by pushing two small levers, on either side of the lens standard. ![]() The original Arco 35 has strap lugs on both sides of the body, absent on the Junior. There is a ¼" tripod thread at the bottom right (on the side of the advance knob). The back is removable to load the film, and is locked in place by a latch on the left. Next to the advance knob are the release button and the rewind unlock slider with A–R indications. The sprocket shaft is free and the film is wound by the axis of the advance knob itself. The Arco 35 models have double exposure prevention, as most 35mm cameras. The film is advanced by a knob at the top right, surrounded by an exposure counter graduated from 0 to 39 and containing a film reminder. The camera also has the serial number or a registered design number inscribed in small characters above the eyepiece, depending on the particular example (see the evolution below). The casing has an accessory shoe at the top and is engraved Arco 35 (on the original model) or Arco 35 J (on the Junior). The rangefinder is coupled all the way down to the minimal distance (35cm) this feature was unusual and often boasted in the advertisements. They share a common eyepiece on the right, and have two rectangular windows at the front: a large one on the right for the viewfinder and a smaller one on the left for the rangefinder's second image. They are built as a functional unit, removable as a whole when the camera is dismantled, as opposed to bits and pieces directly attached to the top plate. The viewfinder and coupled rangefinder are contained in a casing placed in the middle of the top plate, above the folding bed and front standard. Viewfinder and rangefinder of the Arco 35. Only the top part of the rewind knob rotates the intermediate section is fixed and has depth-of-field indications engraved on the rear. ![]() The focus knob is concentric to the rewind knob, which has an R in an arrow to indicate the turning direction. ![]() The close focusing distance of 35cm was quite an achievement for a leaf-shuttered camera. Focusing the camera does not involve moving the scissor struts or further dropping the folding bed, unlike the Certo Dollina. The focusing system is peculiar to the Arco 35: the front standard is mounted on a pair of scissor struts, itself attached to a metal frame sliding inside and out of the camera body and driven by a set of four rack-and-pinion devices. The lens and shutter assembly is mounted on a square plate, moved back and forth for focusing and driven by a knob at the top left, as seen by the photographer, an ergonomics similar to that of the 1951 Vito III. The first generation of Arco 35 has a prismatic body with sharp edges. The Arco 35 is a horizontal folder, unlike most other 35mm folding cameras.
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