Name that doodad

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Regular
Location
California
Name
randy
I was tooling around my parents garage, I noticed this little plastic box sitting atop a tool cabinet amongst some "commemorative" (and full) beer bottles from a long defunct local brewery. I opened it up the little box and found this shiny little doodad. I had never seen one before but it might be familiar to some... more seasoned photographers. My father picked this up in Germany in the early sixties, I believe.

Any guesses?

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Randy its called old age and experience. And I can remember these things in the shops, maybe a different brand but essentially the same sort of doodad.
 
I believe it has a clockwork motor in it, so if one turns the fed knob around depending how far it is turned, a button is pressed and Bobs your uncle, a bit like the ones built into cameras!
It’s many years since I saw one in action.
 
I think you wind up the mechanism on the front in the direction shown, and press the button on the right hand side to set it going. Then you quickly get into place for the photograph and adopt an awkward fixed smile while watching the red circle going round. Eventually, something pokes down to activate the shutter.

Here's an interesting fact, there's a Hassleblad mechanical self-timer somewhere on the moon, thrown there in frustration by astronaut Alan Bean. He had planned to take an unofficial photo of himself and Pete Conrad on the lunar surface, but the little (insert NASA bleep here) couldn't be found until after the moment had passed.

-R
 
I also have one or two of those, plus the version for the Polaroid Land Camera series.
One came with a Nikon S4, another with a Leica.

I could even find them... In the Nikon RF Drawer

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Obviously, I am among the more seasoned photographers. I'm sure there must be an identical model somewhere in my house, but it hides itself. However, I've found some similar ones.
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