# The Roniflex X3000



## smithdan (Aug 24, 2017)

On her last trip to England, my wife found this plastic wonder.  Research found that it is quite a hit with the lomography crowd.




 




This rather handsome critter features a handy if cheesy carry strap and the new (but probably not improved) lens from that well known "optical" lensworks.






Pulling up on the rewind knob unlatches the back.  It then becomes necessary to try and open it up using fingernails, paper clips, your comb or whatever is handy.  Pushing it back down is futile as it won't stay there or rewind the film either when called upon to do so.   Colourful little pictures attempt to indicate a choice of exposure settings.  For the more technical among us,  f no's are printed on the other side.




I was going to say something about the workmanship in here but changed my mind.




Not a 'flex of any description.  More like a primitive aiming device.


Time for a test drive.  Was going to go all lomo-ey so loaded up a roll of hopelessly expired Gold 200.  Would have had to ship it out so threw it in some past due D76.  Perhaps a colour run later, or not.





This mysteriously arrived across the alley week or so ago.  The mattress has been a longer resident.








Three times while advancing the film the shutter fired, this on a 24 frame roll.




I like my truck.


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## dxqcanada (Aug 24, 2017)

That is ... well, hmm ... ah ... hmm.


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## vintagesnaps (Aug 24, 2017)

That's priceless!  'Roni'flex, how clever. With a 'new' optical lens - and it's the X3000 model - what more could you want?

These cheap and cheesy plastic cameras can be fun to play around with. Especially if you're easily entertained (which, apparently, I am).


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## compur (Aug 24, 2017)

When I search eBay for Roniflex the search engine changes it to "Rolliflex" and I get all the sellers who can't spell Rolleiflex.


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## Derrel (Aug 24, 2017)

I thought the Roniflex came as a free bonus gift with a subscription to some magazines that were sold back in the late 1980's?


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## jcdeboever (Aug 24, 2017)

I seen one in the back of a Richie Rich comic book. It came with a free pirate eye patch and a pack of garlic gum.


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## smithdan (Aug 25, 2017)

Derrel said:


> I thought the Roniflex came as a free bonus gift with a subscription to some magazines that were sold back in the late 1980's?


Remember those.  Some had TIME as a brand and also boasted an "Optical" lens.  They were cleverly shown in the print ads to appear better than they really were.  Saw one once branded Canon, not two n's as expected and similar font.  Wondered how they got away with that. 
Another example of this genre is my Weston WX 7, "featured" a couple of years ago in this section.  It had white metal weights inside to give it some semblance of reality.


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## smithdan (Aug 25, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


> I seen one in the back of a Richie Rich comic book. It came with a free pirate eye patch and a pack of garlic gum.



When I was about 8 I ordered one of those HIT "spy cameras" from a comic book.  Came with a fake leather case and 3 (?) rolls of film.  No gum, can't remember if it came with x-ray specs or not.  Drugstore wouldn't send it off, aunt tried home processing but negs all black.


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## jcdeboever (Aug 25, 2017)

smithdan said:


> jcdeboever said:
> 
> 
> > I seen one in the back of a Richie Rich comic book. It came with a free pirate eye patch and a pack of garlic gum.
> ...


Lol.


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## compur (Aug 25, 2017)

My first camera was also a Hit. I bought it for a dollar when I was a kid  in a souvenir shop at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.  I shot one roll but I also couldn't get it processed. I was deeply disappointed.


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## Dany (Aug 27, 2017)

These superb packages of high technology (Canonmatic, Roniflex and others) have an obvious advantage:
They often can be found in mint condition because they were stored in a drawer for ever after the first roll has been processed and prints made.


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