TEXER
Texer Co. Ltd. is a Japanese photographic importer and exporter based in Tokyo. Among other products, it imported several Chinese-made Seagull cameras, such as the Seagull 203 and 4A, that were re-badged and then sold under its own name. Perhaps the Texer name is best known for its Chinese-made TLR cameras.
But Texer also sold a 35mm camera -- Texer EX-3 -- which was made by
Seagull and has a Minolta SLR lens mount. It was a one-shot wonder
and designed to be sold in the Japanese market -- where it unfortunately
had to compete against a plethora of many other, Japanese made 35mm SLR
cameras.
Texer EX-3
The EX-3 is an X370 clone made by Seagull, and often sold with a Texer 28-70 (f3.5-4.5) zoom. There was no Texer EX or Texer EX-2, so don't bother looking. It has a horizontally-moving cloth focal plane shutter. 4 seconds to 1/1000 in Auto mode. 1 second to 1/1000 in Manual mode. Bulb and flash synch is 1/60. Electrically controlled self timer (10 seconds before shutter release). In self-timer mode, an LED on a front of a body blinks.
The finder has split and micro prism along with shutter speed scale and LED indication. Over or under exposure indication. Flash full charged indication.(In manual mode, match LEDs type like X370s.)
Exposure mechanism is an SPD light sensor. Center weighted type. TTL auto and manual exposure modes. Light sensor sensitivity is EV1 to 18 at ISO 100 and f1.4 lens. AE lock button. ISO range is 12-3200, set manually. Batteries: two LR44 or SR44 or one CR1/3N lithium battery. Like the Seagull DF-300, it accepts an auto-winder,
but unlike the Seagull DF-300, it is marked on the back "Made for Texer Japan".
Although many Seagull-made cameras were exported from China, this is the only case where the camera was specifically marked for its marketing destination.
| 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 |
|
| Texer EX-3 | cloth, horizontal |
4-1,000 B |
1/60 | Y | 12- 3200 |
Y | Y | LED scale |
Hot | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | meter | Tab holder |