The Bentley WX-3
October 26, 2006

*
Quality. Durability. Leatherette.

* Bentley Motors is not affiliated with Bentley Optical Industries in any way.

These featurescan be yours, too, when you own a Bentley WX-3 35mm camera.

I received my Bentley WX-3 directly from Mr. Bentley himself. The hefty silver box, only slightly scuffed from almost 25 years of storage, immediately gave you the impression of quality. This is no mere trinket.

Upon opening the box, the whiff of stale, musty air could only mean one thing: 100% Leatherette from the famed Leatherette mills of Taipei, China. Only the finest Leatherette would maintain this kind of suppleness after all this time. Even the finest Corinthian Leather would crack and break after so much storage.

Unzipping the case revealed the humble, yet heavy Bentley WX-3 body nestled within. Its stark, black body covered in a suffocating membrane of crackling cellophane, yearning to be freed. I peeled off the plastic sheath to behold the body in its natural splendor. I felt it compliment my hand as if it was made for me, and my hand only. I turned of over, my eyes caressing the plastic, leather-like texture that wrapped around it. The cold steel of the shutter release. The crick-crick-crick of the plastic winder. Only this camera could possible bear the Bentley name.

I next unboxed the exclusive flash unit from its silver den. Nestled in its multilingual instructions it, too, beckoned to be free. I opened it and attached it to the camera body. A smooth slide, then click. Holding it away from myself at arms length, I beheld the full glory of the camera and its flash.

I inspected the fine glass optics from Bentley Optical. The 50mm lens speifications are an astonishing f/6 to f/11. This is the first time I've ever seen a camera with that kind of minimum f-stop. A camera like the Bentley can't be rushed into taking a photo. Time stands still for you and your WX-3.

I inserted two fresh AA batteries into the flash unit and immediately my eyes were greated by the whine of its capacitors springing to life. Energized for the first time by electrons within. I pushed the red test button. I was blinded momentarily by the flash from the device. Blue dots danced before my eyes like so much paparrazi.

Loading the film into the camera harkened me back to my days as a youth, installing a roll of film into a disposable camera I bashed open in an attempt to reuse it. Everything about this camera says, "Hey, I am a photographer, I do things my way. Its manual or the highway." The counter reset: manual. The f-stop: manual. Film winding: you got it, manual.

What more can be said about the Bentley WX-3 camera? Well, frankly, a volume. But I'll let the pictures speak the thousand words:

Behold, the Bentley ... its accessory flash	Everything looks good Chinstrap, Leatherette case, manuals.	Shrinkwrapped since 1982
Out of the box Looks like the real thing	Feature-packed 50mm lens	The inside Professional quality
Full-featured lens settings	Yes. That says f/6. Worlds non-fastest 50mm lens.	Two AA's in the W-14... you are good to go.
Only true American d...put the shutter here	img 0020	*FOOMP* Thats the flash working.
Swee's Roll Barren contact sheet	Swee's Roll The one photo that turned out. Or is it three?	Only one frame exposed on the entire roll
Liem's Roll Not too bad...	Liem's Roll A little blur	Liem's Roll The sharpest of the roll
Liem's Roll A bit blurry indoors	Liem's Roll Not very sharp at all distances	Liem's roll Snapshot
Liem's Roll Blur in broad daylight?	Liem's Roll A sample with the fill flash	sample000