SAKAR
Sakar International, Inc. is a marketer and distributor of consumer “electronic goods”, some of which are photographic. While Sakar claims to be a manufacturer – just like Vivitar and Soligor -- the products they distribute are manufactured by other companies. In 2008, Sakar acquired the Vivitar brand name after Vivitar's bankruptcy, and since then they have marketed a variety of camera gear under the Vivitar name – although what was marketed by Sakar was manufactured by someone else. In 2009, Sakar established a licensing agreement with Kodak to market Kodak-branded cameras and photographic gear – which of course will bear the Kodak name, be marketed by Sakar, and be manufactured by someone else!
In the photographic realm, Sakar is best known for their lenses – not the ones labeled “Vivitar”, but the ones labeled as “Sakar”. There are quite a few of them, but who actually made them is anyone's guess.
Sakar also sold a few cameras with the Sakar name. These are not as well-known, and pretty basic.
But some of them are in a class by themselves, such as this Sakar FMD System camera. They actually added lead weights to the interior to try to convince people it was really an SLR.
But one Sakar camera actually was a 35mm SLR -- made by Seagull -- and
has a Minolta Rokkor lens mount.
Sakar SL-90MD
It would make sense if you assumed that the Sakar SL-90MD had something in common with the Argus SL 900, but it doesn't. The Argus SL 900 is a Seagull DF-300 variant with an electronic shutter, while the Sakar SL-90MD is a Seagull DF-1 variant with a mechanical shutter. However, the Sakar SL-90MD is the same camera as the Seagull DF-2ETM and the Zenit DF-2ETM, except that it is normally seen with a Sakar 50mm f1.7 or f1.8 lens, of course. It has the same unusual location for the battery on the back of the camera as these other two cameras.
All three cameras use the same TTL metered-manual exposure method. Three LEDs in the lower right of the viewfinder indicate over-, under-, and correct exposure. Over-exposure is a RED "+"; under-exposure is a RED "-"; correct exposure is a GREEN dot -- by adjusting the shutter speed or the aperture. Pretty straight-forward. And all have the same straight-forward top with a straight-forward hot shoe -- no PC connection -- and an ON/OFF switch around the rewind knob for the meter (which uses TWO convenient A76 1.5v batteries).
The shutter speed dial has an ISO speed setting window, and high speeds marked in GREEN.
You would think that the green coloring indicates speeds above the synch speed, but the synch speed is actually a special setting between 1/30 and 1/60 -- 1/45.
And, despite the "MD" in its designation, the SL-90MD lacked Minolta's MD capability (although MD lenses can be used), and it did not accept a Motor Drive -- but the Sakar FMD System camera, above, had one built-in. No kidding!!! Go figure!
| Shutter | Shutter speeds |
Flash synch speed |
TTL meter- ing? |
ISO settings |
Auto expo- sure? |
AE lock? |
View- finder info |
Flash shoe |
Sensa- switch? |
PC plug? |
Multi- expo- sure? |
Cable release plug? |
Stop down button? |
Self timer? |
Mirror lock-up? |
Motor drive option? |
Battery used for |
Film indicator |
|
| Sakar SL-90MD | cloth, horizontal |
1-1,000 B |
1/45 | Y | 25- 1600 |
N | N/A | LEDs | Hot | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | meter | Tab holder |