C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →rangefinder-35mm
The King Regula IIIa is a 35mm coupled-rangefinder camera manufactured by King KG of Bad Liebenzell, West Germany, introduced around 1955. It is a fixed-lens, unmetered camera sitting in the middle tier of the postwar West German camera market — above simple viewfinder-only folders, but below the Leica and Voigtlander Vito III class.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
Price range on the used market is low (EUR 20–80 in Europe, somewhat more in North American markets), reflecting that the Regula is not a sought-after collector name compared to Voigtlander, Leica, or Canon.
About this camera
A compact West German fixed-lens rangefinder from the mid-1950s — honest construction, good Steinheil or Schneider glass, and a reliable Pronto or Vario shutter at a budget price point.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm (24×36mm) |
| Lens | Steinheil Cassar 45/2.8 or Schneider Radionar/Xenar 45/2.8 (varies) |
| Years | ~1955–1960 |
| Shutter | Prontor-S or Pronto leaf shutter, 1s–1/300s + B |
| Flash sync | X sync |
| Meter | None |
| Focus | Coupled rangefinder (separate RF window) |
| Film load | 35mm, 36 exposures |
| Battery | None required |
King KG began producing cameras in the early 1950s in the Regula series, targeting the middle segment of the West German domestic and export market. The Regula I and II were simpler viewfinder cameras; the IIIa represented the step up to a coupled rangefinder, making it competitive with the Voigtlander Vito B and Agfa Silette RF class of cameras.
The Regula IIIa was succeeded by the IIIb and IIIbc variants, which refined the finder and shutter options. King also produced the Regula Sprinty and other model lines. Production of the rangefinder Regulas tapered off in the early 1960s as the market moved toward integrated metering and Japanese competition undercut German mid-tier cameras.
The Regula IIIa is a representative example of the broad West German camera industry of the 1950s, when dozens of small manufacturers competed to produce competent, affordable precision cameras for domestic and export sale. It is not a landmark design but is a historically significant artifact of that production landscape.
For contemporary collectors, the Regula IIIa is a low-cost entry into the West German fixed-lens rangefinder category. The Steinheil Cassar 45/2.8 and Schneider-derived lenses are capable performers — sharp in the center from f/5.6, and the leaf shutters are easily serviced.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
View profile →King Regula IIIa
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