King Dominant or Regula Sprinty BC300

This 35mm camera belongs to my father and was purchased in 1975 for his graduation trip. During the trip, only two people carried cameras: himself and another classmate with a Nikkormat SLR.

Identifying the model of this camera isn’t simple; it bears only three markings: one indicating that it was “made in Western Germany,” a small logo tying it to the Regula-Werk King KG manufacturer, and “Dominant” next to the viewfinder, likely its brand.

Searching with this information for the specific model on the internet only leads to the rabbit hole of the Regula King production of cameras for many different brands http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/King.

Nonetheless, it matches the specs of a Regula Sprinty BC 300.

Why did my father buy this camera and not another? He doesn’t even know. It was bought in an optics store rather than a dedicated camera shop, so it might have been the only available option or within his price range. He recalls that, despite having little knowledge of photography, he desired a camera that wasn’t fully automatic.

However, the camera’s control system is somewhat deceptive.

Rectamat Shutter System

The Regula Sprinty BC 300 is equipped with a Rectamat shutter system, which links apertures (f2.8; f4; f5.6; f8; f11; f16) and shutter speeds (1/30; 1/60; 1/125; 1/300) in an EVs program, allowing specific combinations:

• 1/30 and f2.8
• 1/60 and f2.8, f4, or f5.6
• 1/125 and f5.6, f8, or f11
• 1/300 and f11 or f16
• Bulb mode with any aperture.

Curiously, rotating the aperture/speed ring while leaving the shutter open in bulb mode reveals continuous adjustment of the four diaphragm blades. This occurs even if the scale indicates a constant aperture (for example, from 1/60 f5.6 to 1/25 f5.6). Additionally, the flash aperture scale does not precisely correspond to the non-flash scale, suggesting that the aperture indication is somewhat approximate.

As a leaf shutter, the flash synchronizes with any of the available speeds.

Other Features

The Regula Sprinty BC 300 lens is a fixed 45mm f2.8 triplet Color-Isconar made by Isco Gottingen.

It features a selenium uncoupled light meter, operating without batteries and remaining functional thanks to proper storage.

The correct exposure is displayed on the top plate through a small window, indicated by a needle. Adjusting this scale allows you to select the ASA/DIN from 12 ASA/12 DIN to 400 ASA/27 DIN.

The top plate also includes the shutter release button with a cable release thread, a flash hot shoe with electronic or bulb flash options, and a rewind lever.

The main controls are located on the rings of the lens; closer to the body is the aperture/speed selector, while further to the body is the focus ring.

It is a zone focusing camera with a scale marked in meters and feet, ranging from 1 meter/3.3 feet to infinity. While the ring can be adjusted to distances closer than 1 meter, the exact minimum focusing distance is not marked. The scale includes typical iconography such as “head,” “full body,” and “landscape” to assist with focusing, and it features depth of field marks for all apertures.

At the back, you’ll find the film advance/loading lever, bulb mode switch, and viewfinder, which displays bright projected guide frames and parallax correction lines.

The bottom plate houses the shot counter, which resets automatically when the back cover is opened, the button to unlock film rewind and the standard tripod thread.

It is made of aluminum and plastic, imitating the classic faux leather texture, and weighs only 284g / 0.62lb.

The Photos

The photos were taken in February 2024, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, my home town. The film used was Fomapan Classic 100, and the pictures were lightly edited in Lightroom (reframed, adjusted shadows, light, and contrast).

Conclusion

The only issue encountered this time is incomplete lever strokes causing film advancement without shutter cocking, wasting frames. This happened four times in one roll. This wasn’t an issue a couple of years ago and wasn’t remembered by my father from his usage. I guess I have to be more conscientious every time I operate the lever.

Nevertheless, the Regula Sprinty BC 300 remains a lightweight, fully mechanical, and simple camera that continues to function after nearly 50 years since manufacture. And I am pretty happy with the results too.

Eduardo Andres Vecchio

More of my photos, mostly digital on https://www.instagram.com/ecoalfavictor/ and just film at https://www.lomography.com/homes/ecoalfavictor

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