Câmara gentilmente oferecida por Adília Silva. Muito obrigado!
This photo is from the copy I own
History and technical features
The Franka Solida is a 6×6 folding camera released in 1936. There are different versions of the Franka Solida, called Solida I, Solida II, Solida III, Solida Junior and Solida Record. The Solida III is a vertical folding camera, the other Solida-Versions are horizontal folders. Some prewar Solidas used the 4.5x6cm format. There are also cameras with uncoupled rangefinder and uncoupled lightmeter (IIE, IIL, IIIE, IIIL) and one version with both meters (IIIEL) . The Solida were produced till 1962. Franka also built in 1957 a camera with the name Solida 35, a rare 35mm camera with interchangeable lenses.
Most frequently found with 75/3.5 Ennagon lens on Pronto or Prontor-S shutters, with 4 or 5 speeds. Las units made by the end of the 60s were fitted with Jsco Westar lenses made by Schneider-Kreuznach.
The No.1 Pocket Kodak is designed to take Kodak’s then-popular but ultimately short-lived autographic film which allows you to use the camera’s metal stylus (which is usually found attached to the brackets just next to the shutter lever but is missing from mine) to record information about the photograph you just took by opening the squat T-shaped window on the rear panel of the camera and writing directly onto the margin of the negative via carbon transfer paper. Regular 120 film also works, of course.
The Kodak No. 1 Pocket Autographic was produced in 1926. There are a few different variants of the same model of the camera that year depending on where it was sold, but the main differences were limited to slightly different front plates.
This wonderfully ornate folding art deco styled camera shoots 6×9 photos on 120 film. Originally designed for the Autographic film, it is great in that it was in a size currently still produced. The whole camera folds into a flat shape which would have fit into a large overcoat pocket, thus its name, which is achieved by using bellows to extend the lens.
It has an achromatic meniscus lens with four aperture settings marked 1,2,3 and 4. Not initially clear what they relate to in real aperture values but I measured it by comparing to another lens and it seems to be roughly f/4 (looks slightly bigger), f/5.6, f/8, and f/11. The shutter is a Kodex in-lens and has four speed settings; 1/50, 1/25, Bulb and Time.
The viewfinder is on a hinge and can be positioned for both portrait and landscape modes. Focus is achieved through a worm screw which you wind on the right-hand side, it has markings for both metres and feet. It is an estimation of-course. The lid has a great art deco styled kick stand and one of the two tripod sockets. The other socket is near the right hand side at the bottom of the camera in landscape orientation.
Loading film into the camera required removing the main body of the camera from the outer shell and is then a matter of putting the film spool on one side and the take up spool on the side with the half circle wind-on key. Once the camera is back into the shell, you wind on until you see the numbers in the little red window. There is no double exposure lock, or automatic winding positioning, you need to line up the number of next frame manually.
Of-course one of the key features of the camera is the Autographic facility. Firstly, there is a window at the back, positioned perfectly to have the writing come out on the frame of the picture. Then there is beautifully decorated stylus, which usually sits on the side of the lens when not in use.
The camera uses a achromatic meniscus lens with a maximum aperture of f/6.3 and a Kodex shutter with four speeds: time, bulb, 1/25, and 1/50. A rotating waist-level viewfinder can be found diagonal from the lens and focusing is achieved via worm screw on the user’s right side of the front panel with a focus distance scale on the left. The Pocket Kodak also features two tripod sockets: one just behind the worm screw for portraits and one on other side of the winding key for landscapes.
Máquina gentilmente oferecida por José Paulo Costa.
History and technical features
Felita is a medium format film viewfinder like box camera made by Vredeborch GmbH, Nordenham, Germany and introduced in 1955.
It is similar as Vredeborch Felica but with metal body. It uses roll 120 film for 6x6cm frames. It has a 60mm f/8 meniscus lens, zone focus and a central, Guillotine type shutter with two speeds, 1/25 and 1/50 +B. It was offered black and grey coverings. There is a rare version with red covering also.
The Vredeborch Felica is a simple camera for 6x6 exposures on 120 film, made by the German firm Vredeborch. It is a modest step upwards from the most basic box camera, with scale focusing by twisting the front ring of the lens; two shutter speeds; aperture settings "sunny" or "cloudy"; and a yellow filter to enhance clouds in black & white photos. The series began with the Felita of 1955 and continued with the Felica Duo and Stafetta Duo, variations that offered a second 6x4.5cm image-format option.
Type: viewfinder camera
Manufacturer: Vredeborch
Year of launch: 1954 or 1955
Film: type 120 film rolls
Lens: 60mm
Shutter: guillotine-type, flash synchronized, with speeds 1/25 sec., 1/50 sec. and B
Aperture: f8 or f16
Viewfinder: optical, Albada type
Format: 6x6 cm negative
Film: 120 roll, picture size 6x6cm
Lens: meniscus lens 60mm f/8, filter slip-on
Built-in yellow filter, sets with a lever on the lens-shutter barrel
Aperture: two apertures, sunny (f/16) and cloudy (f/8)
Setting: lever and symbols on the lens-shutter barrel
Focus range: 1.5-8m +inf
Focusing: manual front element focusing with three settings: 1.5-3m, 3-8m and 8m-inf
Shutter: central, Guillotine type with two speeds, 1/25 and 1/50 +B; setting: lever and scale on the lens-shutter barrel
Cocking and Shutter release: by the same knob, on the top plate
Viewfinder: reverse telescopic finder
Flash PC socket: on the lens-shutter barrel
Cold-shoe
Self-timer: none
Back cover: removable with bottom and sides of the front plate, opens by a latch on the bottom plate, then slide the front plate; w/ red window
The back cover is bent to compensate for the distortion of the lens
Tripod socket: 3/8"
Hand grip
Body: plastic; Weight: 257g
Manufactured since 2007, the Diana+ is a replica camera produced by Lomography in an attempt rekindle people's love for the original Diana of the 1960s - a "toy camera" produced by the Great Wall Plastic Co.
The radiant color-dripping lens, soft-focus surprises, all-plastic body and simple shutter of the original Diana were expertly duplicated to provide the authentic look and feel for the Diana+. During development, the decision was made to add new features, namely pinhole photography facilities and the option for endless panorama shots. Keeping the same 75mm plastic lens design, this has two formats, the original 16 frame 4.2x4.2cm, and a 12-frames-per-film 5.2x5.2cm, and also adds a tripod socket and shutter lock. Many accessories have been produced for the new Diana, including an instant-film back, a pinhole lens, a hot shoe and lens converters for Close-Ups, 20mm Fisheye, 38mm Super-Wide, 55mm Wide-Angle and 110mm Telephoto.
There are several special editions, in various colours, some to commemorate events or tie-ins with particular retailers; these include:
Black Jack (all black)
Edelweiss (all white)
Glow (glows green in the dark)
Hong Meow (black and white with panda logo on winding knob)
Meg (red and white, White Stripes edition)
Parisian
Dreamer
Aviator
Take My Heart
Tori (limited edition Tori Amos version)
Lomography World Congress Edition 2007
CMYK
Scarecrow
El Toro
Tokyo World Tour Edition
Chromiac
MoMa
Qing Hua
Rudolf
Lomography have also created the Diana F+ which offers a similar specification to the Diana+, but features a replication of the original Diana Flash. The flash face is cast in reflective silver, and it syncs with the Diana F+ via a traditional metal plug connection.
Two Shutter Speeds
Two Image Sizes
Multiple and Partial Exposures
Pinhole Function
Endless Panorama
Shutter Lock and Tripod Thread
2 Year International Warranty
Film format: 120
Size: 5" x 3.75" x 3" (12.5cm x 9.5cm x 7.6cm)
Variable shutter (Daytime & "B" for unlimited long exposures)
12-shot (5.2x5.2cm), 16-shot (4.2x4.2cm), and endless Panorama (4.6x4.6cm) formats
Removable lens for super-wide-angle pinhole shots
Includes the Diana F+ Flash with color gel filters
Balda's Baldix cameras were a series of self-erecting folding cameras derived from the Baldax series. The cameras made 6x6cm exposures on type No. 120 film rolls.
The Baldix was like the postwar Baldax without the frame counter. The Mess-Baldix had the additional mechanical frame counter, and an uncoupled rangefinder. The Baldi 29 was a later, cheaper model based on the same body, with a more rounded top housing and a f:2.9 lens, hence the name. The range of cameras available at the 1956 Photokina included the Baldi 29, Baldix and Super Baldax, all models that were still available in 1959–60.
Sweet little folder that takes 6×6 pictures on 120 rollfilm, made by the famous Balda Kamera Werk in West Germany. Balda-Werk was located in Dresden from 1908 up until the end of WWII when it became part of VEB Pentacon group and was re-established in Bunde, (West) Germany. They made cameras up until 1985 when the camera production portion of Balda was sold to a Chinese joint venture. Balda AG is now manufacturing components for mobile communications, satellites and the medical industry. (Come to think of it, isn’t that more or less what Zeiss is up to these days?) Balda Werk made other similar folders such as the excellent (pre-VEB) Baldax and Baldalux and the (post-VEB) 35mm Baldinette. Shutters used in these cameras range from Vario to Compur-Rapid, lenses included Balda-Werk and Enna-Werk, Hugo Meyer and Schneider Kreuznach. They also made Baldax models sold as Lisette under the name Porst. This camera is imprinted Baldix, West Germany, Balda, Bunde, on the leather.
There are a lot of features packed into this comact but heavy pocket-sized folder. Double-exposure lock, PC sync and accessory shoe, self-timer (not working too well on this example), coated lens, positive spring-loaded extension. It’s extremely well-designed. Wind knob is ratcheting (cool idea) as part of the interesting (see below) double-exposure prevention. The Enna-Werk Ennagon lens is a real beauty. You can tell at a glance that it’s a high-quality German lens, with the same coated crispness I can see looking at my Meyer Oreston. Enna-Werk made the interchangeable lenses for the prized American rangefinder Argus C fourty-four, which is in fact the main reason that camera is valuable. The lens frontispiece has a red C that I assume stands for Color, which would mean that it was a color-corrected coated lens. (Color is part of the options on the film selection indicator, so I think it’s a safe assumption.)
Controls are simple – the top has ratcheting wind knob on the left, with the bellows release button next to it, the accesssory shoe in the center, the shutter release, and a knob that has a dial film indicator but doesn’t really do anything, it’s just supposed to remind you if you have Din 7 Ortho-Panchromatic film or if you’re using the ASA 100 Color film today. Only goes up to ASA 200 so it’s only marginally useful…. The other controls are all on top (side? depends on how you’re holding the camera) of the lens-mounted shutter. The shutter cocking lever cocks easily to one side with a finger. VXM self-timer/flash sync switch is color-coded Green Red Yellow, fairly standard. PC terminal is right there too, sticking out a little presumptuously. Focus is smooth and I assume the scale is in meters even though it doesn’t say.
One of the nicest things about this little beauty is the perfect placement of the shutter release button. Shooting with it feels like shooting a solid 35mm rangefinder while the result is a whopping 6x6cm instead of 24x36mm. It’s about the same size and weight as the Contaflex, and it is just a pleasure to shoot. Make sure you depress the shutter release all the way in one smooth movement, otherwise it goes click-click as the linkage engages and then the shutter releases, and you may miss your shot. Be firm, not timid.
Produced 1950-55 (1952?) Balda Kamera Werk, Bunde, Germany
Film type 120 rollfilm
Picture size 6cm x 6cm
Weight 18.2oz (516g)
Lens Enna Werk Ennagon C 75mm, f3.5 (stops to f22)
Filter size use Series VI with the 1 1/4″ (31.5mm) slip-on adapter
Focal Range 1m to infinity
Shutter Prontor SVS (has V, X, M settings)
Shutter speeds B, 1-300
Viewfinder in-body viewfinder
Exposure meter none
PC sync and accessory shoe
Film counter, double-exposure prevention
Close cousins HAPO (eg HAns POrst)
The Adox 66 was a bakelite box camera. The eye of its reflecting type viewfinder was placed directly over the camera lens, giving the camera a bit of the look of a pseudo TLR. It was made by Hermann Wolf GmbH, Wuppertal, Germany, for the Adox company. Wolf made a similar model named Gevabox for Gevaert in Belgium. Wolf's own name for that camera was Luxa 66.
The ADOX 66 camera was manufactured by the ADOX company in circa 1950. Constructed of Bakelite plastic with the view finder located on the top to give the appearance of a TLR. It was made by Hermann Wolf GmbH, Wuppertal, Germany, who originally called it Luxa 66.
It had a focusable 1:8 meniscus lens, choice between instant and time mode, and choice between the two apertures f8 and f11. It had a thread in the bottom to put it onto a tripod, and a thread in the top to connect a remote shutter release.
The camera was fitted with a fixed focus meniscus f8 lens and an instantaneous and time shutter. It featured a two aperature settings f8 and f11, a tripod socket and a cable release socket.
Coronet Box Cameras are medium format 120 film cameras made by Coronet in England.
There are several other Coronet Box models which also made by Tiranty in France. This means that the same camera model could be found either British made or French made. For these models see the article Tiranty Box Cameras (Coronet).
All of the Coronet box camera models are in medium format, 6x9cm frame with roll 120 film. They have a simple one speed spring rotary shutter. These boxes are offered with various meniscus type lenses.
Coronet was a British camera maker based in Birmingham. The company was formed in 1926 by F.W.Pettifer. It manufactured a variety of cheap box and folding cameras until 1967. After the war it worked together with the French company Tiranty to avoid French import restrictions. Several Coronet camera models were made in France, some with Boyer lenses, and some with instruction imprints in French. Coronet also had their own brands of film, including Corochrome.
Introduced in 1950
This camera belongs to the Consul, Captain and Ambassador family
It has 2 modes of shooting, Bulb, and I would guess something between 1/125 to 1/1250
Worked with 2 viewfinders to choose if you either wanted a portrait or landscape kind of picture
Has a green filter
The Subita was a medium format folding camera with optical viewfinder for type 120 film rolls. It is the first one of the Dacora 120 film folding cameras series.
The Subita was a folding camera with optical viewfinder for 120 film made by the German manufacturer Dacora. The Dacora 120 was a slightly more sophisticated version of it, and the Dacora I was the top model of the line. The basic model, the Subita, was an undemanding item with just two shutter speeds, two apertures, stepless distance selector, a shutter-cocking shutter release lever without double exposure prevention, and a solid opening/unfolding mechanism driven by two powerful springs.
Year of launch: 1953
Manufacturer: Dacora
Film: type 120 film rolls
Viewfinder: optical viewfinder
Lens: Subita 75mm f/6.3 Anastigmat, distances 1m to infinite
Shutter: Singlo shutter with speeds 1/25, 1/75, + B, and with flash connector. Cocked on the long shifting travel of the release lever
Aperture: sonnig (sunny=1:11) and trüb (dull=1:6.3)
Dacora Optina is a name variation of Subita and made for the Canadian Eaton stores' camera brand Optina.
Type: folding viewfinder camera
Manufacturer: Dacora
Film: type 120 film rolls
Viewfinder: optical viewfinder
Year of launch: 1953
Lens: Subita 1:6.3/75mm Anastigmat, distances 1m to infinite
Shutter: Singlo shutter with speeds 1/25 sec., 1/75 sec, and B, and with flash connector. Cocked on the long shifting travel of the release lever
Aperture: sonnig (sunny=1:11) and trüb (dull=1:6.3)
Bonafix was the brand used by Franka for a long-running series of folding cameras for 120 rollfilm. These were lower-spec versions of the Rolfix cameras.
he Franka-Kamerawerk in Bayreuth was in its time the biggest camera factory in the Bavarian region of Oberfranken (Upper Frankonia). It was bought by Wirgin in 1962. From 1909 to 1966 it built inexpensive cameras. The most distinctive cameras of Franka are the 16mm cameras with built-in meter which were developed together with Wirgin, and the twin-format cameras with two viewfinders.
In 1909 Franz Vyskocil and his wife Leoni Vyskocil had a small factory and shop for cameras and photographic supply in Stuttgart. In the same year they moved to Bayreuth, where they reopened their business as Vysko-Fabrik Franz Vyskocil, St. Georgen und Bayreuth. In newspapers they announced their new mass fabrication of folding cameras. In 1910 their sponsor Weigand from Berneck entered the company, then named Weigand & Vyskocil. In 1912 the company was refounded as Frankonia-Kamerawerk. In 1913 the company was refounded with Weigand as its sole owner and camera salesman A. W. Schulze from Dresden as partner. In 1914 the company was named Hogaschwerk. Five months later it got its final name, Franka-Kamerawerk.
Until 1915 the company had been successfully producing plate cameras, among them one for a small format. In WWI this camera had been sold with slogans like "Mit Franka in den Krieg" (with Franka to war). The era of the Franka plate cameras lasted until 1930. The earliest cameras by Franka were made of metal. Two thirds of the camera production was made for export.
In 1915 Wolfgang Hirschmann entered the company as bookkeeper. In 1917 he replaced A. W. Schulze in the management. During the war and in the early 1920s the company had some nonphotographic products in its portfolio. In 1919 it moved from Bayreuth St. Georgen into an old liquor factory bulding in Bayreuth, and there the company stayed. The building had to be heightened in 1955. In 1941 Hirschmann's brother Hans and the longterm employee Georg Zettner became the managers. In 1959 Hans and Wolfgang Hirschmann together were owners of the company.
In 1930 the rollfilm era finally reached Franka. Many Franka rollfilm cameras were delivered with a separate frame which could be used optionally in the camera for shooting a smaller exposure format. In 1939 Franka constructed its first 35mm camera, the Kleinbildkamera, but began its production slowly after the war. In 1955 the next 35mm model was offered. It was the time when rollfilm camera production switched from 6×9 to 6×6 format cameras. Franka's last own camera development was very successful, the Frankamatic Lux, with a selenium meter coupled to shutter, aperture and an underexposure indicator in the viewfinder. The Franka 16 subminiature using 16mm film was conceived by Wirgin. Its further development and production was given to the Franka-Kamerawerk.
In 1958 the company had reached its peak with 154 employees and production of 650,000 cameras.
Many of its cameras were sold badged with brand names of mail order houses like Wenz and Klingel, department stores like Kaufhof and Sears or camera distributors like Birnbaum and Porst. Even Burke & James sold cameras by Franka (until 1941).
In November 1962 the company was bought by Henry Wirgin. Hans Hirschmann and Georg Zettner lost procurement but stayed in the company. Highlights of the last years of Franka were the cameras for 13×16mm exposure format, sold as Franka 16 and Edixa 16. In 1966 the factory's production was stopped. In 1967 the machines were moved to Wiesbaden where most of them weren't used anymore. Only the production of the Edixa 16 was continued there for a short while.
A few months ago I picked up this Franka Werke camera for “next to nothing” (20 bucks or so) that appeared from the photos to be in near-mint condition. When it arrived, it looked like it had been stored in its original box since manufacture some 65 years ago. The metal body is covered with rough vinyl made to look like leather, and parts of it were peeling off. But the bellows, all of the metal parts, glass, appeared to be perfect. I couldn’t wait for an opportunity to try it out.
The Franka cameras were generally inexpensive cameras made in Bayreuth, Germany from 1909 to 1966. This particular camera is marked as a “Bonafix”, which was made for years, and there’s not a lot of information out there to identify when this one was made. I’m guessing it’s from 1952 or so.
The weird thing about this camera is that it has two little windows in the back where you can see which picture you’re on – one in the corner and one in the middle. So I thought this meant I could use the middle window and the pictures would automatically be half-frame – giving me 16 pictures on a roll rather than 8. The numbers in the middle of the film go from 1 to 16 and are spaced half as far apart.
So I happily went out and shot a roll of color film, and discovered that I was sadly mistaken. Apparently you need to do something on the inside of the camera to make this work – maybe some sort of adaptor or something. So all my pictures ended up overlapping.
So that was no good.
A couple of weeks later, I loaded up a roll of Kodak Professional Tri-X and decided to use the other film window and only take 8 pictures. This time the results were much better.
The picture above is an effigy of the type which is commonly hung at building construction sites. Its purpose is to ward off the “evil eye.” While we were in the village, we also discovered that there was a temple procession ongoing. A group of young men carrying some sort of decorated deity over their heads were going from house to house with several percussionists. At each home, people were waiting to anoint the procession’s feet with (what looked like) turmeric, and also engage in rituals such as smashing a coconut in the street. It’s all pretty unclear to us outsiders, but it makes for great photos.
Although I felt the pictures had come out pretty well, I had noticed while unloading the film that there seemed to be lots of dust on the inner lens. Later I would inspect more closely, and it turns out there is fungus growing on the inner glass surfaces of the 3 lens elements:
looks pretty bad on this picture, but you can only really see it when you put a light behind it and view at an indirect angle. I made this picture and enhanced the fungus to send to a friend to confirm this was the problem. Apparently it can be removed with some work, and it only “softens” pictures supposedly – doesn’t really show up otherwise. But it seems the spores can spread the fungus to other cameras – so I’ll need to take care of this when I can get my hands on some peroxide.
In any case, to sum up, this is a pretty good find I think. For a 1950s camera I’m quite satisfied with the results!
Folding Roll Film Camera
Made In Germany U.S. Zone.
105mm f4.5 Schneider Kreuznach Radionar Lens.
Aperture f4.5 - f32
Prontor Shutter Speeds B, 1/25 - 1/200 Sec.
Front Element Focus
Fold Out Sports Finder & Prism Viewfinder, Knob & Red Window Film Wind,
3 1/4" x 4 1/4" Images
On 120 Roll Film.
Holga 120 GCFN is a Glass Lens Medium Format Film Camera with built-in color flash. It produces the well known Holga style classic lo-fi photos with the shadowy vignettes, unpredictable light leaks and soft focus in your square shots. It can accommodate all 120 medium format films. The Holga 120GCFN package is provided with two different film size of frame masks, so that it can take both traditional and square format pictures. The Holga 120GCFN includes a built in flash with a spinning color wheel for your choice of red, yellow, blue or standard white flash. Two batteries are required for operating the built-in flash, but it can still take photo without batteries. Although the Holga 120GCFN is basically a fixed focus camera, it still offers four choices of object distances. Two choice of aperture are available: f/11 & f/8. The multiple exposure can be achieve by not advancing the film after a frame has been exposed. Fifteen camera body colors are available: Black, Blue, Camouflage, Gold, Pink, Purple, Red, Red&White, Silver, YRB, White, Yellow, Tri-Color A/B/C.
The Holga is a medium format camera that recently became ultra-popular, partly as a response to the digital consensus with modern photography, and in part as a low-cost, unpredictable means of using film. The Holga is quite cheaply made and consequently is relatively low in cost, making it also a more interesting entry-level type of camera. Everything in the camera is plastic, including the lens, and this leads to blown-out, wild-looking photos with plenty of light leaks.
Specifications
TYPE:120 Medium Format Film Camera
LENS:60mm Glass Lens
SHUTTER:Leaf shutter, speed 1/100s
FOCUS:Adjustable, 0.9m to infinity
APERTURE:f/8, f/11
VIEWFINDER:Eye Level Direct
FLASH:Built-in Flash with 4 Colors Filter
DIMENSIONS:140 x 102 x 76 mm
WEIGHT:200g
COLOR:Black, Blue, Camouflage, Gold, Pink, Purple, Red, Red-White, Silver, A, B, C, White, Yellow, YRB
Click-II is a medium format film viewfinder camera manufactured by Agfa Kamerawerk AG, Munich, Germany and produced between 1959-70.
The Click was yet another cheap Agfa camera designed for the Lomography. With its one speed shutter and few option it was never intended to be anything else than this. Unlike it's 6x9 brother the Clack it was completely constructed out of plastic making it quite vulnerable for damage, if you drop a Click it will most likely break. The main differences between the Clack and the Click is the lens, the Clack has a lens of f11 - f16 while the Click has a f8.8 -f11 lens. Other differences are the fact that the Click II is 6x6 camera (opposed to the 6x9 of the Clack) and thus is a little more economic. The Click II also lacks a socket for a cable release and it's a mystery why Agfa decided to drop this feature. The results of the Click II are not bad for such a cheap camera.
The other camera in the Click line is Agfa Click-I.
More than three years ago an Agfa Click II became my constant companion. This circumstance was neither achieved by a high-resolution image sensor nor by any other special features, but is owed to the absence of modern settings. Apart from all the things the Click is lacking, it holds some attributes that make photography such a pleasure. The 50 year old leather case, that closes with a press button on its back and still is in near mint condition, as well as the sturdy plastic body are just the beginning.
Technical details
The Agfa Click II was produced in Germany from the end of the 1950s until 1970 – how many cameras can claim that nowadays? It has approximately 75 mm focal length, which is almost a normal lens for 6×6 cm medium format. The settings of the fixed-focus lens that focuses on 4 m to infinity, are limited to one lever, which can be set to “sun” (ca. f 16) or “clouds” (f 8.8). Apart from changing the aperture, the same selector can be used to swivel in a built-in close-up portrait lens (f 8.8), that focuses on 2.5 to 4 m. The exposure time always amounts to 1/30 sec, which is why sometimes photographs become blurred by camera shake – but this simply belongs to the Click’s characteristics. Once there was the clip-on flash Clibo enabling the Click to take pictures regardless of sunshine, but it was only produced in a much smaller number of pieces. Furthermore, fitting batteries and flash bulbs are extremely rare today.
When I bought my pre-owned Click II, I found an old film inside that had not been manufactured since 1974 – which also explains the camera’s sound condition. Since then I have almost exclusively equipped the camera with (in part expired) slide film. By choosing the film material the last “setting option” is gathered.
En route with the Click
In all fairness, the technical details concerning the Click are of marginal importance. Much more essential are subjects that stand to benefit from a restrained unsharpness and vignetting as well as a colour shift which results from expired film emulsion. Therefore it is definitely worth taking the Click outside. Weighing only 460 g (including leather case and roll film) it is far from being a burden. For my liking the Click is primarily a fair weather camera, although it can be used in all weathers, independent of power supply and anywhere around the world. All that is necessary is a 120 roll film, which is manually wound forward by means of the winding knob after every single exposure. Due to the few settings (one exposure time and two apertures) photographing with an Agfa Click is so easy – far from the compulsion to take perfect pictures. When getting the film developed you will never know in advance what you will receive exactly. (However you can be sure to get a well exposed film as the Click is much more reliable than a Holga without doubt.)
The Agfa Click II provides all images with its own characteristic visual impression, even those that would look rather unexceptional and boring when captured with perfect sharpness, perfect colour reproduction and perfect exposure. That is what makes the Click so special and in my opinion more than perfect. When it is treated well, it will probably render a service for the next 50 years or more – as long as roll film and film laboratories exist.
Film: 120 roll, picture size 6x6cm
Focusing: fixed focus, 4m to inf.
Viewfinder: simple Galilei
One shutter speed, about 1/30
Lens: Achromat 72.5mm f/8.8; downs to f/11
Aperture settings: cloudy and sunny setting ikons on the lens-shutter barrel; switchable lens proves 2.5-4m close-up taking
Tripod mounting screw on base plate
Connection pins for the Agfa Clibo flash unit
The bend back cover plays a role as a film pressure plate and provides for a steady and good sharpness
Body: plastic
The Isolette is a compact horizontal-folding camera for twelve 6×6 cm (2¼-inch square) pictures (or sixteen 4.5×6 cm (2¼×1⅝ inch) pictures, with the first model of the camera) on 120 film. It was made by Agfa Kamerawerk AG, Munich, Germany, from 1937, and the series of cameras continued until about 1960.
Some of the series were sold (and some made) in North America by Ansco as Speedex models.
The cameras are as follows: The original Isolette (1937-42)
Isolette 4.5 (1945-50)
Isolette V (1950-52)
Isolette I (1951-58)
Isolette II (1950-60)
Isolette III (1952-58)
Isolette L (1957-60)
There was also the Super Isolette (1954-60), a coupled-rangefinder camera.
This first model (1937-42) is a dual format camera. It has hinged masks in the film chamber (they pivot around the spindle of the film rollers on each side of the film gate), to change it from the 6×6 cm format to 4.5×6 cm. There is also a mask for the viewfinder, put in place with a selector lever by the eyepiece.
It first came on the market as the Isorette (embossed in the leatherette of the front door/lens bed as JSORETTE), but the name was changed to Isolette (again, marked on the camera as JSOLETTE) within a year, with no significant change to the camera itself.
One of the distinctive features of the camera is the top housing, made of a plastic called 'Trolitan'; the post-War camera has a cast aluminium top housing. This camera also has loops to attach a strap, the only version of the Isolette to have these.
Different lens and shutter combinations were available, allowing a wide range of levels of specification. All have front-element focusing. The shutter release is on the body. Film advance is by a wide, flat knob, using a red window; there are two red windows in the back, one for each film format, and a swivelling cover for the upper (4.5×6 cm) one. There is a swing-out spool holder on the supply side of the film chamber. This model was called the "Soldatenkamera" (soldier's camera) in Germany during the War.
Year of release: 1937
Film Format: 12 exp. 6x6 or 16 exp. 4.5x6 on 120 type rollfilm.
Shutter: Vario, Pronto, Prontor II, Compur or Compur-Rapid.
Lens: 8.5 cm f/6.3 Igestar, f/4.5 Agnar, f/4.5 Apotar or f/4.5 Solinar.
Viewfinder: reverse-Galilean viewfinder
The earliest cameras have Vario shutters which are not labelled as such.
Daci is a medium format box camera made by Dacora and introduced in 1948.
Early versions (1948) of the camera used simple wire clips to hold the front on, later version (1952) with badge around lens. Red, black, gray and green color varieties are also known.
La Dacora Daci en un principio parece una cámara de cajón del montón, pero una vez que se tiene en las manos, uno se da cuenta de que no es así. Y es que la particularidad de la Daci es que está completamente hecha de Alumino, cosa bastante poco común en su época (1950) cuando el material que primaba, y sobre todo para las cámaras de cajón, era la bakelita. Así pues, esta cámara está hecha con materiales "nobles" que además requerían de la maquinaria al efecto para mecanizarlos. Dacora comenzó su andadura bajo el nombre "Dangelmeier & Co" en Munich en 1946 y cesó su producción en 1972. La Daci fue su segundo modelo, que podía comprarse por unos 7,50 marcos (DM) de la época.
Por lo demás, sí que hay que considerar a la Daci una cámara de bajas pretensiones, ya que como era común en las cámaras de cajón, no tiene gran cosa. El objetivo es un simple menisco fijo y su cierre simple tan sólo ofrece dos posibilidades de disparo que vemos algo toscamente pintadas en blanco al lado del disparador como "Z" y "M" (Zeit / Moment - Tiempo/Instante).
Aún así, hay que reconocerle un muy buen acabado y buena presencia. Tiene su nombre cromado en el frontal y por detrás está la ventana para controlar el paso de foto que se cubre con una chapa metálica igualmente cromada. Todo un lujo! También en la trasera, podemos ver los restos casi intactos de una pegatina publicitaria de la tienda donde se vendió: "Photo Rham, Frankfurt a.M.", o sea Frankfurt en el Main (hay otro Frankfurt más pequeño en la orilla del Oder, cerca de la frontera polaca).
La cámara es de muy reducidas dimensiones, lo que haría esperar el uso de rollo 127. Sin embargo, la Daci hace uso del rollo 120, tomando fotografías en formato 6x6. Debido a éste formato cuadrado (y a la construcción compacta de la cámara), sólo dispone de un visor superior por encima del objetivo. Igualmente dispone sólo de una rosca de trípode en su base y en su parte superior incorpora un asa de cuero. La funda de la cámara es igualmente de cuero, y al verla nos recuerda a las usadas por las cámaras de cajón de la preguerra.
Para abrir la cámara, hay que liberar dos enganches laterales igualmente cromados. También están cromados los embellecedores del objetivo y visor. No así la rueda de alumino para pasar la foto. Debajo del disparador encontramos también, como es común, la rosca para latiguillos o temporizadores.
La Daci se puede adquirir por muy poco dinero, y en general su aspecto “Gotham City” y sus materiales me evocan a la Bilora Bella, aunque se trate de dos tipos de cámara completamente diferentes.
Hay otros modelos existentes de Dacis, entre otros algunos coloreados como la "Daci Royal". La propia Dacora no llegó a fabricar muchos modelos; entre ellos podéis ver también en mi coleccón a la Subita que era un modelo económico de la casa Dacora.
Una cámara muy simple pero bonita, que ha aguantado excelentemente el paso de sus ya 60 años.
HerstellerDacora - Kamerawerk, Reutlingen
TypDacora Daci Royal (rot)
KameratypBoxkamera
Filmtyp6 x 6 cm, Rollfilm
Baujahr1951
OptikMeniskus 1:9
VerschlussEinfachverschluss 1/40 und "B"
Belichtungsmessungohne
FokussierungManuell, 1,50 m - ∞
BlitzanschlussPC-Buchse an der Seite links
Same as the 54/2 1938 but serrated round winding knob with leatherette center, black front trim
Double exposure interlock on the winding knob
Model 54/2:
1934-38
Film: 120 roll film
Lens: Goerz Frontar Achromat two elements
Aperture: switchable: f/11, f/16 or f/22
Shutter: single speed 1/25 +B
Focusing: switchable: 1m, 3m+, 8m+
Viewfinder: two built-in brilliant finders, one for vertical, one for horizontal image format
The Bilora Bella 66 camera was manufactured by the Kurbi & Niggeloh Company of Radevormwald/RHLD, Germany in circa 1956. It was a moderately priced and well-built camera made of cast alloy with material coverings and a large direct view finder. This camera was capable of capturing twelve 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 inch ( 6 x 6 cm ) exposures on No. 120 roll film. It was fitted with a Meniscus f11 lens, and a two speed shutter for 1/50 and 1/100 of a second speeds, in addition to bulb synchronized for flash. This camera also featured a built-in yellow filter. Priced at £4 6s 3d in 1957.
Bilora still exists, although they've abandoned the production of cameras for less labor-intensive and more profitable goods like tripods and opera glasses. Based in Radevormwald, northeast of Cologne, Germany, they have a German-language website at www.bilora.de. This site has a short history section with information about the factory, surmised below.
The Metallwarenfabrik (metalware factory) Kürbi & Niggeloh was founded on February 1, 1909 by Wilhelm Kürbi and Carl Niggeloh in Barmen-Rittershausen, near Wuppertal. The first products developed were tripods, but soon other goods were marketed, like songbook stands, hat racks and postcard holders. Apparently business went well enough to commission a 1200 square meter factory two years later, which was erected in Radevormwald. Camera production started in 1935, beginning with the Bilora Box, of which over a million were produced in 21 years. The name "Bilora" was a contraction of Kürbi & Niggeloh, Radevormwald, and was coined by photographic dealer Otto Tönnes during recovery in Berlin from injuries sustained in World War I.
The first plastic injection machine was purchased on June 26, 1961 in recognition of the growing importance of plastics, leading to the formation of a plastics division in 1965. In 1978, production facilities were increased to 12.000 square meters, and again expanded to 16.000 square meters in 1991. Nowadays the form is known as Kürbi & Niggeloh Bilora GmbH, has over 100 employees, and is located at the Kaiserstrasse 163–165 in Radevormwald. Their prime consumer products are tripods.
Camera production was undertaken under the own Bilora trademark and under auspices of various reputed other firms, such as Voigtländer, for which Bilora produced the Voigtländer Box from 1935 to 1939, and Zeiss Ikon, for which Bilora produced the Ikomatic A and F from 1964 to 1968. Other brand cameras produced in Radevormwald included the Yashica Minipak, identical to the own Bilomatic X, and cameras for the Belgian firm Gevaert, such as the Gevabox II.
The Bella was one of many types of cheap roll film cameras Bilora manufactured after the war. The best Internet resource on Bilora's cameras has to be the Bilora section of www.kameraschaetze.de. It has a large lineup of Bella cameras in all shapes and sizes and, informs us that my blue Bella is type 3c, one of over twenty types of Bella's manufactured.
Enough with the introduction, let's go to the camera. The first impression you get when you take it in your hands is that it feels like a cross between a tin car and a kitchen tool. It's a sturdy camera, made of two heavy iron parts that fit together, but the top plate appears thin and tin-like. The iron parts are a bit bolshy and crude-looking, but well finished with thick turquoise paint, and sufficient for the job anyway. When you look at the back, you can't miss the huge key with the inscription "film 127 – made in Germany". Turn the key to the left, and the back comes loose. It's not fixed to the body and bowl-shaped, and interlocks with the body along deep girders. It has a bent pressure plate, and a non-maskable red window in the dead center. The tripod brush, standard 1/4", is in the middle on the bottom, but fairly far from the camera's center of gravity. Not that the camera is so extremely heavy by the way, but it does have some appreciable mass, which I think is useful when shooting medium format at a highest speed of 1/100s. The film plane is curved because it's easier to design a one or two element lens that projects the image in a semicircular plane, than it is to design one that projects on a straight plane. The lens is an unnamed Achromat f/8 of unknown focal length, that can be stopped down to f/11 by flipping a lever that places a plate with a circular hole in the optical axis of the lens. Nice touch: the plate with the hole in it is the same turquoise as the body. Wonder what that does for internal reflections though. The lens focuses between 1m and infinity. The only shutter speeds are 1/50s and 1/100s, with an option for B. The shutter is really simple, and is operated by pressing the release on the front side of the camera. The release is hooked to a spring that gives it a jaunty recoil, but not much of a pressure point. The shutter is self-cocking, which is good, but it's easy to make double exposures, which is bad. The tricky thing with this camera is that you never really know if you've already exposed the current frame or not, if you don't have the discipline to transport directly after shooting. An exposure counter and linked film transport would have helped, but apart from the red window and the wind knob that protrudes from the top plate, you're on your own. You don't even have a film memo widget. Flash is made easy with the hot shoe and the X synchro contact, advertised by the "synchro-flash" print on the top front of the lens barrel. The film format is 6×4.5cm on 127 film. You load on the right and take up on the left. The viewfinder is a small single-element peephole on the optical axis, but on my camera it's become quite hazy. It has no framelines, but strangely appears to be much wider than the actual image.
I think that about sums this camera up. It's stylish, small and cheap, but strictly for good-natured amateurs. I like it because of its charm and unpretentiousness, but maybe my folly will rub off some day.
Lugar + Fecha de FabricaciónRadevormwald/Alemania, 1959-1961
Número de serie---
ObjetivoRodenstock Achromat 1:8
ObturadorBella -/100
Tipo y dimensiones negativoRollo 120/6x6cm - 12 fotos
Referencia KadlubeckBIL140A
Referencia Kerkmann616
Manufactured since 2007, the Diana+ is a replica camera produced by Lomography in an attempt rekindle people's love for the original Diana of the 1960s - a "toy camera" produced by the Great Wall Plastic Co.
The radiant color-dripping lens, soft-focus surprises, all-plastic body and simple shutter of the original Diana were expertly duplicated to provide the authentic look and feel for the Diana+. During development, the decision was made to add new features, namely pinhole photography facilities and the option for endless panorama shots. Keeping the same 75mm plastic lens design, this has two formats, the original 16 frame 4.2x4.2cm, and a 12-frames-per-film 5.2x5.2cm, and also adds a tripod socket and shutter lock. Many accessories have been produced for the new Diana, including an instant-film back, a pinhole lens, a hot shoe and lens converters for Close-Ups, 20mm Fisheye, 38mm Super-Wide, 55mm Wide-Angle and 110mm Telephoto.
There are several special editions, in various colours, some to commemorate events or tie-ins with particular retailers; these include:
Black Jack (all black)
Edelweiss (all white)
Glow (glows green in the dark)
Hong Meow (black and white with panda logo on winding knob)
Meg (red and white, White Stripes edition)
Parisian
Dreamer
Aviator
Take My Heart
Tori (limited edition Tori Amos version)
Lomography World Congress Edition 2007
CMYK
Scarecrow
El Toro
Tokyo World Tour Edition
Chromiac
MoMa
Qing Hua
Rudolf
Lomography have also created the Diana F+ which offers a similar specification to the Diana+, but features a replication of the original Diana Flash. The flash face is cast in reflective silver, and it syncs with the Diana F+ via a traditional metal plug connection.
Two Shutter Speeds
Two Image Sizes
Multiple and Partial Exposures
Pinhole Function
Endless Panorama
Shutter Lock and Tripod Thread
2 Year International Warranty
Film format: 120
Size: 5" x 3.75" x 3" (12.5cm x 9.5cm x 7.6cm)
Variable shutter (Daytime & "B" for unlimited long exposures)
12-shot (5.2x5.2cm), 16-shot (4.2x4.2cm), and endless Panorama (4.6x4.6cm) formats
Removable lens for super-wide-angle pinhole shots
Includes the Diana F+ Flash with color gel filters
Certina was manufactured around 1955 and it´s successor was Certo-phot. Both cameras were apparently made partly together. Certina has practically the same features but in a more or less different shape. Both cameras have an accessory shoe without any connection to flash. What differs to plain box camera is an adjustable focusing.
You should always keep in mind while you are criticizing , what is a purpose of the item, what is the price and to whom the subject is aimed to. If you perceive these three things while criticizing you might come to right conclusions.
What is then my conclusion. OK, these cameras carry off the duty what they are made for. You can take pictures with them. If you want a camera to rise your status these devices are not for you if not "playing poor" is your goal.
Certo-phot
A basic 6x6 roll film camera which uses 120 film. A good competitor to such Cult Cameras like Holga and Lomo. The results are much alike. Not utterly sharp neither contrasty pictures. Somebody could say that they are artistic or nostalgic, as you wish.
The lens is very simple meniskus type and the shutter has even two speeds, a slow and a slower. You can also choose between two apertures, 11 and 8. The body is made of steel and it feels sturdy. This Certo-phot is somehow an evolution model of Certina. More feminine name which also "sounds" Italian. You may translate it as "secure lady". Certo might mean "surely or securely".
Certo Kamera Werk is famous about a "ladies camera". That happens to be Extremely Collectable. A tiny well built camera small enough to suit in a lady's pocket. It is made before the war which tells you that the history of Certo is relatively long. In fact it begun in 1902.
The Certo Certina is a simple, fixed-lens medium format viewfinder camera introduced by Dresden-based Certo-Kamera-Werk in 1966. The Certina is heavily based on the Certo-Phot of 1958 with the notable addition of a frame advance lever instead of the older camera’s knob.
The Certina’s controls and features are mainly found on and around the lens barrel. The ring immediately surrounding the front element is used for focus either with distance markings (in meters) or by the zone focusing icons found printed on the lens barrel. Going towards the back of the camera are two thin metal rings stacked on top of one another. The ring on top is controlled by a tab at six o’clock and is used to choose between the two shutter speeds: “M” for “Moment” (approximately 1/60) and “B” for Bulb. The ring underneath has two identical metal tabs that extend at three and nine o’clock and is used to select the aperture setting (f/8 or f/11). A flash sync socket is located at five o’clock just off the lens barrel while a black shutter button can be found at ten. A threaded shutter release cable socket can be found adjacent to the viewfinder which has a cold shoe on top of it.
The back of the camera is pretty sparse with only a frame advance lever next to the viewfinder and two red windows for 4×4 and 6×6 frames. The removable back of the camera is held on via a rotating latch which surrounds the tripod socket on the camera’s bottom plate.
In my experience, the vast majority of German cameras are of relatively high build quality regardless of price and the Certina is no exception. My example (which I purchased alongside a Certo-Phot from a gentleman in Dresden via eBay auction) still functions flawlessly and would be in perfect cosmetic condition if it weren’t for a few blemishes on the metal.
The Certina was an attempt to create a solid user-friendly beginner's camera. Thus it was constructed with a focusable lens, a big optical viewfinder and a film advance lever. It had a flash-synchronized single-speed shutter. Possible aperture settings were 11, 8, M and B. Distance setting was eased by symbols.
With the aid of the 4x4 mask the Certo Certina can also be used to take 16 smaller pictures on 120 film. On the inside of the removable back there is a switch with which you are able to select one of the two red windows showing the frame numbers on the backing paper of the 120 film.
