Ducati Sogno
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| Style, film format | Half-frame 35mm interchangeable lens rangefinder system |
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| Lens, shutter | Uncoated f/3.5 35mm Vitor |
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| Photo quality | Nice |
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| Ergonomics | Very tiny! |
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Mention the name "Ducati," and most people will think of motorcycles. And that would be correct. However, for a few years, Ducati -- the renowned motorcycle manufacturer -- also made cameras.
From what I've been able to gather -- and it's not much -- the Ducati was released in the mid-1940s, just after the end of World War II.
The Ducati Sogno ("Dream") is a full-featured 35mm rangefinder camera system. It featured a coupled rangefinder (although it has a separate viewfinder), interchangeable lenses, solid construction and a decent set of shutter speeds and apertures, plus a couple of novel features.
All of that is packed into a small steel and brass package, which means that the camera has heft, considering its diminutive size.
The Ducati engineers squeezed a lot of functionality into the camera, and one of the compromises is that it's a left-handed camera. The film advance is on the left. The shutter release is on the left. The focusing tab for the lens? On the left.
But don't be put off by its somewhat reverse arrangement. Just enjoy
some great Italian engineering.