Mikeinlagardette's photos with the keyword: french

Citroën bought the Maserati company in 1968, hoping to use Maserati's experience of high performance engines, to produce a sports version of the Citroën DS. Two years later the Citroën SM was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, and went on sale in France near the end of 1970. Despite it's modern styling and innovative features, and a top speed of 220km/h (140mph), it was not a commercial success, perhaps because the comparatively large engine (for Europe) options of 2.7 or 3.0l V6, meant that they were heavily taxed in France.(They were also extremely complex, and so quickly became very expensive to maintain !!) Maserati later used the same basic engine design in the Merak and Bi-Turbo, and Citroën used much of the technology in the more successful CX model. Production ended in 1975, when Peugeot SA took over the now bankrupt Citroën. 2.1 mPX Canon Digital Ixus, photofinished in Gimp.

Citroën were not the only large volume French car maker to develop new models and production techniques during the 1930's - Renault, often considered to have rather conservative designs, in fact made great strides - compare this car to this one, built only ten or twelve years before: Built for less than two years, when the outbreak of WW2 brought an end to production, there were two engine options, a 1.9 or 2.5L, both 4 cylinder sidevalve's. 2.1 mPX Canon Digital Ixus, photofinished in Gimp.

It is strange that France, which played such an important role in the development of photography, should have produced so few notable makes of cameras - but on reflection, I suppose one could say exactly the same of the British! Almost all French made medium format folding cameras were 6x9, there were a few 6x4.5, but I can think of no 6x6 French folders, although I'm sure there must have been some! This is a 6x9, a Kinax Junior, made by Société Industrielle de Photographie et d'Optique, Paris & Montreuil sous Bois, I think, in 1953. Well made and well finished, this version shared the same body as the more highly specified models, but has only a modest f6.3/100mm triplet lens in a simple 4 speed shutter, 1/10th to 1/150th + B. It uses 620 film, which is why I have only ever taken a few rolls of film with it, and the lens has a strange 29mm diameter mount for push on filters and hood, so I had to machine up a little adapter ring to allow the more normal 32mm fittings to be used. The camera is like new, seems to have been hardly ever used, and now I have sorted converting 120 to 620 without re-spooling, I will put another roll through it, but the f6,3 is a bit limiting, as is the top speed of 1/150th, so I'm not optimistic - really, just a Shelf Queen! Mamiya RB67, 645 back, f3.5/65mm Mamiya Sekor lens. Foma 100 in divided D23, 7+5 mins stand @21C, scanned @1200dpi on Epson V500.