Comparing Signets

I shot a roll of ColorPlus 200 in my Kodak Signet 35 to try to get a comparison of the images produced by the first and second models in the Signet line.  I cannot really see any significant differences in the qualities of the two cameras' pictures that were not a product of lighting and my own performance.

In terms of handling the slightly larger size of the Signet 40 does help the user keep the trigger finger from blocking the rangefinder window.  It does not seem to me that the lever advance or the wider range of shutter speeds in the model 40 would have impelled owners of the sturdy little 35 to abandon it in favor of the 40.

There is, however, an interesting comparison to be made between the ornamental designs of the two cameras related to the dominating influence of American car design which held sway in those days.  In 1951 when the Signet 35 came out, post-war car design showed the influence of aircraft styles -- the lines were generally rounded, the rear fenders still bulged out over the wheels and there were also remnants of deco chrome details carried over from the pre-war period.  By 1956 when the Signet 40 appeared, cars were more angular and slab-sided and camera designs reflected similar changes.