Balda Baldessa 1a (~1958)

Balda Baldessa 1a (~1958)

#458

Gentilmente oferecida pelo Daniel. Muito obrigado!

This photo is from the copy I own

History and technical features 

The Baldessa is a range of modestly priced 35mm viewfinder and rangefinder cameras produced by Balda in Germany from c.1957 to the late 1960s.

Baldessas have an unusual folding film advance key in the base - requiring a 180° turn, along with a spring-out rewind crank. On the simpler models, this along with the front-mounted shutter release and the frame counter to the left of the viewfinder ocular leaves the top plate empty except for the accessory shoe. Early models have a removable back; later examples are hinged.

Source: Camera-wiki.org

The Balda Baldessa Ia (or Balda Baldessa 1a) is a 35mm rangefinder camera introduced by Balda Kamera-Werk in 1958, about ten years after founder Max Baldeweg fled Socialist Dresden to reestablish his company in the soon-to-be West German city of B ünde. The Baldessa Ia and its sister model the Ib are basically identical to the original Baldessa I with the addition of a coupled rangefinder. The Baldessa Ib then went a step further by also including a built-in light meter.

Source: vintagecameralab.com



Specifications

he Baldessa 1a was introduced in 1958, and adds a coupled rangefinder to the Baldessa I design. It was available with a Color-Westanar or Baldanar 45/2.8 lens in a Prontor-SVS shutter.

Source: Camera-wiki.org

I love unusual cameras and am happy to say that the Baldessa Ia boasts a number of peculiar design choices. First off, the Baldessa Ia’s top plate is completely barren apart from the cold shoe. Instead, the shutter button (which has a threaded socket for a cable release on its underside) is adjacent to the Baldanar 45mm f/2.8 lens on the front of the camera. Both shutter speed and aperture control rings are on the lens barrel as expected but a black tab has to be pushed in for either of them to move. Most cameras are focused via a ring on the lens barrel but the Baldessa Ia’s designers decided to use a wheel embedded into the body above the shutter button instead. Also on the front are a flash sync socket just off the lens barrel at five o’clock and an accompanying flash mode selector on the lens barrel at nine.

As we move to the camera’s bottom plate, we encounter more eccentricities. The tiny “kickstand” which allows the camera to balance on a flat surface can also be shifted to the “R” position to release the comma-shaped film rewinding lever. Opposite the rewind mechanism is a winding key which, when unfolded, reveals an automatic film counter while advancing the frame with every half turn. In the middle of it all is a tripod socket which also houses a film speed indicator. Last but not least on the list of oddities are the two silver buttons on the user’s right-hand side which can be simultaneously depressed to open the back of the camera.

Source: vintagecameralab.com


Model

Serial number 097513


Reference sites

Camera-wiki.org

vintagecameralab.com


Manual

Balda Baldessa Manual in english

Film

35mm film

Pictures taken with this machine


Videos

King Regula Sprinty C 300

King Regula Sprinty C 300

Características

The Regula Sprinty was a long-running series (1962-71) of 35mm viewfinder cameras made at Bad Liebenzell in the Black Forest by King KG, part of their King Regula range. There were several redesigns throughout the series, and several models of each - some with light meters. Sprintys were also sold as Prinz Pilot II, Prinz Pilot E (by Dixons),Kalimar A, and Pacemaker (by Boots).

The construction of the camera is anodised aluminium and plastic, the leatherette is stuck on the camera. It has an accessory shoe with front mounted PC sync connectors for flash/bulb. The film is advanced with a metal lever; this also moves the exposure counter which is located on the bottom of the camera, this is reset whenever the rear of the camera is opened.

The camera is quite basic; no light meter or ability to set the film speed, best to stick to the sunny 16 rule. Unlike later Sprintys with a Rectamat shutter this model lacks the 1/30th f/2.8 shutter setting which is quite useful for indoor pictures, instead having only 3 speeds (1/60, 1/125, 1/250) and no bulb mode. The camera's film rewind is a thin plastic knob making film rewind harder to do.

Sprinty C 300

The construction of the camera is anodised aluminium and plastic, the leatherette texture on the camera is molded plastic. It has a hot shoe that can be adjusted for use with an electronic flash or flash bulb. The film is advanced with a metal lever; this also moves the exposure counter which is located on the bottom of the camera, this is reset whenever the rear of the camera is opened.
Functionality Edit

This is pretty much identical to the BC 300 but without a uncoupled light meter. A Sprinty C that's had a makeover and a 1/300th shutter speed added.

Manufacturer: King
Date of Production: 1971
Type of Camera: Viewfinder
Film Type: 35mm
Lens: Isco-Gottingen Color-Gotar 45mm f/2.8
Shutter: Rectamat
Shutter speed range: 1/30-1/300 + Bulb
Focus areas: 1m-Infinity
Viewfinder: Yes
ASA/ISO range: 50-400 (recommended)

Fonte: Camerapedia

The Regula Sprinty was a long-running series of 35mm cameras made by King KG starting in 1963 and sold through the 1960's and 1970's as part of their Regula range. Sprintys were also sold as Prinz Pilot II, Prinz Pilot E (by Dixons), Kalimar A, and Pacemaker (byBoots). There are several versions of the Sprinty camera, each one usually improving or updating the camera in some way over the previous version, but even then they are all very similar in looks and basic design.

Apart from some early versions of the Sprinty they all have a very similar design with cosmetic changes and some functional improvements over the years a list of things they share in common are: -
Isco-Gottingen Color-Gotar 45mm f/2.8 lens used on all models; simple triplet lens that focuses 1m to infinity
Rectamat shutter system where the apertures and shutter speeds are linked (except in bulb mode on models that have bulb mode)
Black plastic trim around the viewfinder assembly
Projected frame lines in the viewfinder with parallax correction marks
Metal plate around the lens assembly, brass in earlier models, aluminium in later ones
Top section made from Eloxal (ELectrolytic OXidation of ALuminum)
Film advance lever is in the same place on all models
Film counter is on the bottom of the camera, reset when the back is opened

Sprinty C 300

Now in the 1970's the camera has been slightly redesigned again. This is a Sprinty C in essence with a few tweaks to the design.
The 1/250th top shutter speed is now 1/300th instead, giving the camera the name Sprinty C 300
The somewhat flimsy and hard to read focus ring has been made bigger and easier to turn, the distance reading now more easily visible when peaking over the top of the camera.
The metal shutter button is now a plastic square, but still has a thread for a cable release.
The hot shoe is now recessed into the camera body giving a much cleaner look to the top of the camera.

Fonte: camera-wiki.org

Modelo

A minha é uma Sprinty C 300 (1970-1971)

Manual

Regula Sprinty (em inglês)

Sites de referência

Camera-wiki.org

Camerapedia