Welta Welti camera

My Welta Welti camera

While looking for a camera to discuss in this week's camera collecting blog, I was unpacking cameras I took to the recent camera show outside of Seattle, and I picked up a nondescript leather case for one of them. Opening the case to see which camera it was, it turned out to be a fairly plain-looking 35mm folding camera. 

 I opened the camera to see which one it was, but nothing was screaming the manufacturer to me. The only few telltale signs I could see were the words "Germany USSR Occupied" in gold embossed letters, along with "Made in Germany" embossed into the leather. There was also the number 1 inside a triangle and the numbers 37/373/1001 embossed into the leather on the back of the film door.

 Opening the door to see what lens the camera had, it wasn't what I expected. Unlike a Schneider or Zeiss lens, the camera has a less popular Meyer Optik lens in a Vebur shutter.

 Now I was more perplexed about the brand of camera I was holding. I researched the information I had, and I found that I was holding a Welta Welti camera made soon after WWII.

My Welta Welti camera with leather case.

 Usually, on cameras of this era, the manufacturer's name is embossed on the side of the camera, close to the film door. I looked at the camera again, and it was either worn off from use or never there in the first place.

 Testing the camera's shutter, it worked at all speeds, and the aperture was smooth and functioning as it should. The lens was clean, and the transport seemed in good condition, so for the week I go camera shopping in Tokyo, and being a fan of Welta cameras, like the Perfekta and Superfekta, I found the camera to write about for this week's blog post.

History:

 For those of us who spend our days restoring, shooting, and studying vintage cameras, the name Welta carries a distinct weight—both literally and figuratively. Founded in 1914 by Walter Waurich and Theodor Weber in Freital, Germany, the company originally operated under the moniker Waurich & Weber. By 1919, the "Welta" trademark was born, marking the beginning of a remarkable, albeit turbulent, chapter in the history of photography.

 Welta quickly earned a sterling reputation during the 1920s and 30s. At a time when German optical and mechanical engineering set the global standard, Welta held its own against titans like Zeiss Ikon. They mastered the folding camera format, producing medium format workhorses outfitted with top-tier Compur shutters and stunning optics from Schneider-Kreuznach or Carl Zeiss. For a working photographer or a serious enthusiast, a Welta meant uncompromising precision wrapped in a beautifully crafted, leather-bound brass body.

 As the 1930s progressed, the photographic landscape shifted dramatically as the 35mm film format gained popularity. Competitors were releasing compact, pocket-sized folding 35mm cameras, most notably the Kodak Retina. Welta's brilliant response was the Welti.

 Introduced in 1935, the Welti was a marvel of compact engineering. It wasn't just a scaled-down medium format folder; it was a purpose-built 35mm instrument. With its incredibly robust struts, precision-focusing helix, and satisfyingly dense, all-metal heft, the Welti proved that "compact" didn't mean compromising on professional-grade durability. It remains the perfect embodiment of Welta's meticulous design philosophy.

 The devastation of World War II completely altered Welta's trajectory. Finding itself in the Soviet occupation zone (later East Germany), the company was nationalized in 1946, becoming VEB Welta-Kamerawerke. Despite this massive structural shift, the Freital factory continued to produce incredible cameras, including refined post-war iterations of the Welti, the Weltax, and the Belmira.

 However, as the East German government moved to consolidate its optical industries to compete on the global stage, Welta was eventually absorbed by VEB Kamera-und Kinowerke Dresden in 1959, which later evolved into the massive Pentacon conglomerate.

 By the mid-1960s, the Welta name faded into history. Yet, when you hold a Welti today, you are holding a defiant piece of history—a tactile testament to a specialized factory that, for a few brilliant decades, built some of the finest folding cameras the world had ever seen.

My Camera:

 My Welta Welti camera is similar in size and shape to the Kodak Retina cameras. The camera is 4.5" wide by 3.5" tall by 2" deep with the lens retracted, and 3.5" deep with the lens door open and the lens in the normal "taking" position. The Welta Welti weighs 1 pound, 2.9 ounces.

To open the lens door, press a small button at the bottom of the camera, and the lens door opens, exposing a Meyer-Optik Trioplan 50mm f2.9 lens (serial # 1529563), in a Vebur shutter at the end of a small bellows that extends, then the front door is opened.

 The shutter speeds range from 1/250 to 1 second, along with "B" for timed exposures. To set the shutter speed, turn a knurled ring on the outside of the shutter, lining up the desired shutter speed with the red dot on the ring. Just behind the shutter speed selector is the shutter cockling lever. You'll need to pull the lever over each time you're going to make an exposure, as there is no automatic shutter cocking mechanism on the Welta Welti camera.

The aperture on my Welta Welti camera ranges from F/2.9 to 16 and is set by a sliding lever under the shutter, below the lens.

 On the back of the lensboard is a large knob that serves as the focusing lever for the camera. There is no rangefinder or internal focusing on the camera, so the distances you set are just guesses. Sliding the knob to the left or right focuses the lens. The lens can focus as close as 3.3 feet to infinity. At the end of the focus knob is a small pointer that sets the desired distance. 

 On the back of the camera is a depth-of-field scale that shows the minimum and maximum distances that will be in focus, depending on the distance the camera is focused to and the aperture set on the camera. 

 Looking at the top of the camera, from left to right, is the rewind knob, the viewfinder used to view and frame your image. The viewfinder has a small lever under it that allows it to be pointed level for landscape images and to point down slightly for closer portrait images.

To the right of the viewfinder is a cold shoe that can be used for a separate rangefinder to aid in focus distance or a flash for indoor or night photographs. Moving on to the shutter release inside the frame counter, a small sliding button to unlock the film drive gear for film advance and rewind, and on the far right-hand side is the film winding knob with an arrow on the top showing the direction you turn it to advance the film to the next frame.

 On the left side of the Welta Welti camera is a lever that opens the film door for loading and unloading film. Opening the film door exposes the inside of the shutter. The camera has a standard film-loading area for a 35mm camera. The take-up spool is on the right side, and right next to it is the silver film drive gear. On the back of the camera door is the pressure plate. Once the film has been exposed, slide back the small lever between the film winding knob and the frame counter, which makes the film drive gear free-moving and allows you to rewind the film into the film cassette without tearing up the sprocket holes.

To close the lens door for transportation, press down on the two angled struts on the side of the lens; the lens and film door will begin to retract into the camera body. Just press it all the way back until you hear a clicking sound, which means the door is shut and won't pop back open by accident. 

 

My Results:

 I have some 200 ISO film in my bulk loader, which I enjoy using, especially for testing 35mm cameras, as I can roll a shorter roll of film into the film cassette and not use up a full roll of 36 exposures for my blog. Rolling about 20 frames into the film cassette, I took the camera for a nice spring day walk through the neighborhood.

 The flowers and trees are blooming, and the sun is shining. Here are a few of the images I got with the Welta Welti camera.

 Conclusion:

 Looking at the images, they turned out better than I anticipated. The exposures were good, and the focus was enough to produce sharp images, so I'm fairly good at judging distance to the subjects and setting the proper focus distance. I understand that having an external rangefinder for the camera would be helpful, but it would also slow down the process.

 The transport was smooth along with the film rewind. The viewfinder is pretty small, and with glasses, it made it a bit more difficult. That, along with having to remember to cock the shutter each time, was the only real drawback to the camera.

 The Welta Welti is similar to other 35mm cameras from this era, like the Kodak Retina. They are small, pocketable 35mm cameras with a nice range of shutter speeds and good optics. I now understand why I brought the camera to the camera show. It's a nice camera, but I'll probably put it up on my online store for someone else to enjoy.

 Thank you for taking some time from your day to read about this compact 35mm camera made in the late 1940s to early 1950s. Here's a link to the Welta Welti manual. Thanks to Butkus.org.

 I'd love to hear from you about this or any of the other Camera Reviews I've done.

 Cuny's Cameras and Photos is my online eBay store where I sell cameras I've written about, along with other camera oddities I've accumulated over my 50-plus years collecting photo items. 

 I'm taking next week off for my trip to Japan, so I'll see you in a couple of weeks. Please be safe.

Kodak-Nagel Ranca camera

My Kodak-Nagel Ranca camera

Being a collector and working in the photo industry for more than 50 years, and, more specifically, in the photographic retail business for almost 20 of those years. My retail years were in the mid-1970s through to the early 1990s. It was the height of film photography with Nikon F's, Canon AE-1's, Minolta SRT's, Pentax, Rollei, Contax, etc. I can remember the introductions of many of the best-selling cameras from this era. I have seen and sold many cameras. But to this day, I still enjoy them.

 When I look at a camera, especially an older one I'm not familiar with, the first impression strongly influences whether I purchase it. I'm always on the hunt for the odd and unusual camera.  I imagine it's really about what you enjoy collecting. 

 Many collectors look for pristine examples of Leica, Rollei, Hasselblad, or items with a slight difference, making them a "rare" item. Still, if I see a camera I'm not aware of, and it has an unusual appearance or color that stands out, that's what catches my eye. It doesn't have to be expensive or rare; it just has to be unusual to me.

 That's where the camera I'm writing about this week comes in. The Kodak Ranca is a camera I first saw on my friend Mike Ott's website. Mike is the longtime owner of Pacific Rim Camera and one of the best photographic resources around. It's a website I often visit, very similar to Mike Butkus's Camera Manual, which offers information on cameras, catalogues, manuals, etc. 

 I purchased the Kodak Ranca because it was a compact camera I wasn't familiar with. It wasn't until it arrived that the camera had a very similar look and feel. I was aware that it was a Nagel-made camera, which was another reason I was attracted to it. Still, when I dug into the camera after it was purchased, it's considered the "less expensive" version of the very popular Nagel Pupille camera, which I reviewed a few months ago.

 According to my reading of the Ranca camera, there were two versions. The earlier model, known as 46/0, has a helicoid lens and shutter system that rotates out from the camera's body when you grip and rotate the shutter/lens area a quarter turn counterclockwise. This also exposes the helicoid on which the lens/shutter rotates. The second version is the 46/1, which has a rigid lens barrel with the lens and shutter on the end. 

 The camera was introduced in the middle of 1930 and remained available for only approximately 1 year, until the latter part of 1931. Both the Nagel Pupille and Ranca camera take 127-size film, producing 16, 3x4cm images on the roll. 

 Sources state that a total of 2,200 Ranca cameras were produced, compared to 5,000 of the more expensive, better-featured Pupille cameras. While the Pupille has superior features, fewer Ranca cameras are produced. Yet, the Pupille is more of a collector's item and fetches a higher price, even today.

 Some of the other differences between the two models: both cameras have "sports"-style pop-up viewfinders; some have glass on the front, and some don't. Different shutters, either Prontor or Ibsor, were available. The camera uses a front focus system, with some cameras opting for a very simple distance scale for portrait, group, or landscape. In contrast, others have the distance in feet on the lens barrel. 

History:

 Dr. August Nagel was one of the most important European designers ever associated with Eastman Kodak, and their partnership reshaped Kodak's position in the precision‑camera market. In 1932, Eastman Kodak purchased Nagel's Stuttgart-based firm, Dr. Nagel-Werke, and reorganized it as Kodak A.G., retaining Nagel as managing director and head of design. Before this acquisition, Kodak was dominant in film and popular roll-film cameras. Still, German makers like Leica and Contax defined the high‑end miniature camera segment. Kodak wanted a German-built precision camera to compete directly, yet at a lower price and in a form that fit its mass‑market philosophy. Nagel, already respected for compact folding designs and his work on Contessa-Nettel and Zeiss Ikon models, was the ideal partner to bridge that gap.

Kodak Ranca advertismant

 Within Kodak A.G., Nagel used generous Eastman funding and Kodak's global reach to develop a compact 35mm camera that could rival the established German leaders. The result was the Kodak Retina, introduced in 1934 (Type 117), a folding 35mm camera that offered solid German construction and good optics at a far more accessible price than Leica or Contax. At the same time, Nagel introduced a new daylight-loading 35mm cartridge—what became known as Kodak 135 film—which fit not only the Retina but also Leica and Contax cameras. This cartridge standardized 35mm still photography worldwide. It made 35mm use far easier for ordinary photographers, who no longer needed to roll film into cassettes in the dark.

 Nagel's collaboration with Eastman Kodak extended beyond the Retina itself. Under the Kodak A.G. banner in Stuttgart, he and his team produced several notable pre‑Retina and companion models, such as the Recomar plate cameras, the compact Pupille, the Vollenda folding cameras, and the Duo 620 medium‑format folders. These cameras married Nagel's hallmark precision and compactness with Kodak's branding and distribution, giving Kodak an instant foothold in the "serious enthusiast" and professional market that had previously looked almost exclusively to other German makers. 

 Although Nagel died in 1943, the Retina line continued to evolve with the introduction of the rangefinder. Later SLR versions, and the 135 cartridge he introduced, remain the standard for 35mm film, making his association with Eastman Kodak one of the most consequential designer–manufacturer partnerships in camera history.

My Camera:

 My Nagel Ranca camera is 4" wide by 2.5" tall with the viewfinder retracted, and 3.25" tall with the viewfinder extended. The camera is 2.25" deep with the lens retracted into the camera body. When it's extended and ready to take a photo, it's 2.75" deep. The camera weighs 10.1 ounces when a roll of film is not loaded.

 My Nagel Ranca has a Nagel Anistigmat 5cm lens, an F/4.5 lens, a Protar shutter located above the lens with only three shutter speeds: 1/100, 1/50, 1/25, along with "T" for timed and "B" for Bulb. The aperture ring, which is located below the lens, has a slide that controls the aperture. The minimum aperture setting is F/16.

Shutter/Aperture settings on Kodak Ranca camera

As mentioned previously, the lens/shutter needs to be turned counterclockwise a quarter turn to extend the lens on the helicoid. The unusual thing about doing this is that the shutter release is now in an odd and awkward position for use. The lens/shutter is retracted, and the shutter release is in the 11:00 o'clock position, which is ideal for tripping the shutter. However, when the lens is extended, it puts the shutter release in the 7:00-8:00 o'clock position, making it a bit more awkward, in my opinion. 

 There is a shutter release socket behind the shutter release if needed. On the right side of the shutter dial is a self-timer with a large red dot. Pull it down to set the self-timer, then press it to activate it. Mine isn't working properly, which is common for cameras from this era.

The lens is a front focusing lens. This means you rotate the lens itself to the desired distance from you to the subject. This is shown on the lens by a red line, which is also in an awkward position when the lens is extended. As opposed to being on the top, it's now on the side.

 The lens doesn't need to be extended to open the camera to load film into it. Slide the lever on the bottom of the camera to unlock the film chamber from the camera body. Gripping the chrome handles on either side of the viewfinder and lifting up allows you to remove the film chamber. Once removed, load the 127-size film into the film holder, then slide the film holder back into the camera body and lock it in place with the bottom locking mechanism.

Since there are two red windows on the back, these are used to advance the film. First, wind the film until you see the number 1 in the right side window. Then take your photo. Now wind the film until you see the number 1 in the left side window. Take your next photo. Wind until you see the number 2 in the right side window. Then repeat this process through the number 8. At this point, you've taken 16 photos on your film, and it's time to get it processed, or process it yourself if you have the equipment and chemicals to do so.

 

My results:

 I loaded a roll of 400 ISO film into the Nagel Ranca camera because the day started out overcast. With the limited shutter speeds available, I needed the extra sensitivity to make good images.

 The day turned out sunnier than expected, and the lack of a high-speed shutter meant I needed to shoot all the images at 1/100, f/16. Even then, the negatives turned out a bit denser than anticipated, but I made the corrections needed in post-processing.

 I tried some close-ups and a few longer shots to assess the camera's lens quality. I was both surprised, in a good way, and surprised, in a bad way, by my results.

 Here are some of the photos from my walk through the neighborhood. 

Conclusion:

 To say I was disappointed by some of the results is an understatement. The closer images, which I thought wouldn't turn out very well, were the shining light of the camera roll. The images taken at infinity, assuming they would be sharp, especially at F/16, are unsharp and disappointing.

 The camera was fun to shoot with, and I always enjoy shooting 127 film in the 3x4cm format. Still, I was also disappointed with the shutter release's location after extending the lens to the "taking" position. The shutter release was in an awkward position, to the point that I had to shoot the camera with my thumb while resting it in my palm.

 I'll get used to it next time I take the camera out for a shoot, but I prefer using the Nagel Pupille.

 Thank you for taking some time to learn about the "lesser featured" brother of Nagel's Pupille, the Ranca camera. A compact 127 camera made in the early 1930s.

 Here are the other Camera Reviews I've done.

 Cuny's Cameras and Photos is my online eBay store where I sell some of the cameras reviewed, along with many other photo oddities I've accumulated over my 50-plus years with cameras and images.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Welta Perfekta

My Welta Perfekta camera

As I've mentioned in the past, I'm always drawn to the colorful, or odd and unusual cameras. As a camera collector for over 50 years, and having spent countless hours poring over many of McKeown's price guides to cameras, there are cameras that I'm always intrigued by and would love to own. Cameras like an original daguerreotype camera, the Rectaflex Rotor, a three-lens camera, or a beautiful Compass camera made by Swiss watchmakers Le Coultre et Cie for Compass Cameras Ltd., London, England. All of these cameras are out of my league in terms of pricing, unless I win the lottery and have a few hundred dollars burning a hole in my pocket.

 To me, the most enjoyable aspect of collecting cameras is the hunt to find a rare or somewhat rare camera, lens, or other photographic item. Every once in a while in this collecting game, you come across a hidden bargain.  It could be something at the bottom of a box, or just that the person selling the item isn't fully aware of the value of items, and (to me), that is a highly satisfying feeling.

 Having had that same feeling about a year ago when I was at a garage sale in one of the neighboring towns, and I saw a Welta Perfekta camera. As I picked up the camera, it appeared to be in good condition. The shutter worked, the viewfinder seemed clean for being nearly 100 years old, and all the leather was intact. It was a nice camera, and one I'd love to have in my collection. When I asked about the price for the camera, the person selling it said it was her grandfather's. 

Odd shaped camera body

 Letting the seller know that the camera was in good condition and nice shape. I provided the seller with some information on the camera's age and a brief overview of the company. I let them know that I had collected the camera, written a weekly blog about it, and would love to have it in my collection. The seller said that, since I was a collector, it was important to them that the camera go to a good home, and they offered me the price of $50.00. I was happy to pay that price for such a nice example, and at that point, we were both pleased that the camera had a new home.

 I was familiar with the camera because I had written about the Zeca-Flex camera a while ago, and its shape had intrigued me. The Perfekta has a very similar shape to the Zeca-Flex as they are both folding Twin Lens cameras. These are twin-lens cameras with a large viewfinder that opens and closes, comparable to other twin-lens reflex cameras. The body of the camera folds into the film area, making the camera much smaller and more portable. 

History:

Since I just wrote about the history of Welta in last week's review of their Penti camera, I thought I would spend this review focusing on the history of the Reflekta camera, along with its older brother, the Superflekta camera.

 Both the Superflekta and Reflekta cameras are folding twin-lens cameras. As I previously mentioned, they are considered pocket cameras, which means they are smaller cameras intended to be easily transported in your coat pocket. They are a mix of pocket cameras introduced by Kodak in 1912 with their Vest Pocket cameras, and a Twin Lens Reflex camera introduced by Rolleiflex in 1929.

 The Perfekta camera was introduced in 1934. It's a medium-format camera that takes 6x6cm images on 120mm film. It features a large viewfinder that opens like the Rolleiflex and other Twin Lens Reflex cameras of its time. The body of the camera pops away from the film chamber, utilizing a bellows system that separates the lens from the film chamber, and forms an oddly shaped camera. There is a tripod socket and arm on the bottom of the lens area that allows the camera to stand upright on a flat surface, such as a table, if needed.

 The Perfekta could be purchased with one of three different lenses they sold. You had your choice of either a Meyer Trioplan 75mm f/3.5, Schneider Xenar, or Carl Zeiss Tessar 75mm f/3.8 lenses.

 The Superflekta was the first of this style of camera introduced by Welta in 1932. It's a larger camera that takes 6x9cm images on 120 film. The most intriguing feature of the Superflekta camera is that the film chamber rotates from a vertical position to a horizontal one for landscape-style images. This is very similar to how the Cornu Ontoflex operates. The photographer doesn't rotate the camera; instead, they rotate the film to achieve a horizontal image. 

 Rotating the film's back makes sense, as the camera features a ground-glass viewfinder to focus on the image. If you rotated the whole camera, the viewfinder would be on the side, which would affect composition. Turning the film chamber is a remarkable achievement in that camera. I can see where the Perfekta came into play as it's a bit smaller than the Superfekta. With the square format, Welta could cut down the size of the camera and make it even more "pocketable".

 The difference between the Zeca-Flex and both the Superfekta and Perfekta cameras is that the Zeca-Flex is more linear in design, and doesn't have the almost "S" shape that the Welta cameras incorporate. Only the bottom portion of the Zeca-Flex pops out to take the photo, then can be slid back into the camera's body for transport. 

 While Welta wasn't the first to introduce this style of camera, that honor goes to the Pilot 34 or Pilot Reflex camera made by Kamera-Werkstätten Guthe & Thorsch, another great camera manufacturer in Dresden. This camera was introduced in 1931 and was also a twin-lens camera with a bellows system.

 Both the Welta Superflekta and Perfekta cameras were only produced for a few years due to the complexity of their manufacturing. Another factor that contributed to the downfall of the Superfekta and Perfekta was the larger size of the viewfinder, which prevented it from folding into the camera body, thereby making the camera less compact.

My Camera:

My Welta Perfekta camera is 6.5" tall, by 4" wide including the film advance knob and frame counter, by 3.5" deep. These measurements are with the camera completely closed and in it's most compact state. When the camera is fully open, the camera measures 8.5" tall by 4" wide by  5" deep, and the camera weighs 2 lbs—2.2 oz. My camera has the Meyer Trioplan 7.5cm F/3.5 lens.

 To open the camera and pop the lens area from the film area., There is a round button on the right side of the camera, under the film advance knob, that you press. Once pressed, the body pops away from the film area, exposing the camera's bellows, along with the angled mirror area of the viewfinder system.

On the back, to the right of the viewfinder, is a small button that you slide to the left to open the light chimney of the viewfinder. The light chimney should pop up, exposing the ground glass for focusing. On the inside of the front wall of the light chimney is a magnifying glass that helps with focusing, a feature common in twin lens reflex cameras. On the left side of the chimney is a knurled knob that flips up the magnifying glass when turned, and flips down when turned in the opposite direction. 

Closing the light chimney, fold the sides in first, then the back, and finally, fold the chimney down into the camera's body. It will then lock into place.

 To focus the camera, a knob located just to the left of the lens/shutter assembly slides up and down, allowing you to adjust the focus on your subject. The lens moves in and out on a helicoid from the camera's faceplate. There is no focus distance written on the side of the camera, so you can't set the distance and shoot. All the focusing is done through the viewfinder, which I find somewhat dark and difficult to view on darker days.

 To close the body of the camera for transport, press the two buttons located on either side of the front plate. Once pressed, the body will push into the film chamber area and click into place. Just be sure to flip up the leg under the camera; otherwise, the leg keeps the camera from fully closing. I learned that when I tried to close the camera, I noticed the lever sticking out, ops!!

Taking the photo is pretty basic. The shutter speeds on my camera go from 1/300 to 1 sec. along with "B" and "T" for timed exposures and are set via a ring around the lens. The aperture ranges from F/3.5 to F/22 and is set by a slider arm located under the lens. The shutter cocking lever is located at the top of the lens, and the shutter release is positioned on the right side of the lens.

Loading the film is similar to that of many other medium-format cameras. On the back of the film door is a button that you slide to the left and pull down; the film's back will then open. I first noticed that where you put the fresh roll of film, along with the take-up spool, are hinged guards that both of these items fit into. The winding knob pulls out to make it easier to insert the empty spool into the chamber. Then, flip the small guard down to keep the spool in place. Similar to where you insert the fresh roll of film, once the film is in place, flip the guard down to keep it in position.

While the camera features a covered red window on the back, it also has a unique frame counter. On the inside of the film's door is a slotted rod that rolls on the film's paper backing, and it is equipped with a gearing system attached to a round frame counter, which tells the photographer which frame they are on. 

Here's how it works. Once you load the film, use the red window to access frame number one. On the inside of the frame counter, you slide the knurled wheel from A (Aus=Off) to E (Ein=On). Doing this sets the frame counter to number one, and after you take a photo, the ribbed wheel advances the frame counter every time you advance the film from one frame to the next.

 

Results:

I loaded the camera with an older roll of T-Max 100, the fastest 120 film I had available, and went for a walk with my sister, Laura, and her dog, Sally, taking photos along the way.

 Unfortunately, the day was overcast, and I had forgotten to bring my light meter with me, so I was forced to use a light meter app on my phone, which I dislike doing, as it always seems to get it wrong. However, it didn't fail me again, and the negatives I processed were underexposed.

 Here are some of the better ones from the walk.

Conclusion:

I must say that this camera was delightful to shoot with, and for the price paid, it was well worth every penny. The only drawback would be the darker viewfinder and difficulty I had focusing on the subject.

 I liked the size of the camera; I enjoyed how compact the camera is to use. The shutter and aperture worked well, and the odd shape of the camera was certainly a conversation piece when I talked to some of the neighbors I met along the walk to take photos. The camera is less bulky to transport and carry around than a traditional twin-lens camera, and the optics are excellent—an enjoyable camera that I plan on using regularly.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your day to read about this unusual, yet jewel-like, camera. 

 Click on the link for some of the other cameras reviewed.

 I also run an online eBay store, Cuny's Camera and Photo. If you're interested in older cameras and other camera oddities, I have for sale.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Contessa Nettel Cocarette I DeLuxe

My Contessa Nettel Cocarette I DeLuxe camera

As I've mentioned in other posts, colored cameras are some of my favorite cameras to collect. That's a good thing when the camera is a different color than the standard drab black camera and a beautiful, rich brown-toned camera. When the camera is a rich brown-toned camera and is a rarer version, that makes the camera even more special to me. When the camera is a rich brown tone, a rarer version of the black model of the same camera AND, the camera is in good working condition and has a clean lens, then to me, it's, as we say in the U.S. and to use a baseball term  "a real home run."

 The Contessa Nettel Cocarette I Luxus camera was purchased from a seller in Florida five or six years ago. I purchased this camera along with a few other wonderful cameras, like the Zeiss Super Nettel, a Zeiss Tenax II, a Zeiss Nettax, and a few others, which were real gems in my collection for a long time until I sold them, which at times I look back and regret. That's all part of the collecting world.

 The camera appeared to be in great working condition. The bellows seemed to be light-tight, the aperture moved smoothly, and the camera came with an upgraded Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar lens and a Compur shutter, which, upon inspection, were in excellent condition. Also, the exterior leather was without tears and with minor scuffs, and the Cocarette I handle on the camera was still intact.

 When I received the camera, I wanted to find out more about the camera, so as I usually do, I saw if there was a manual or catalog on the camera. My go-to website for camera manuals is www.butkus.org , which has an extensive collection of manuals. They did have the Zeiss Cocarette manual,

According to the manual, Contessa Nettel made three different Cocarette models, each with four cameras of various sizes.

 The three  Cocarette models are:

Special: Called I/0, II/0, III/0, and IV/O, covered in black leatherette and with hinged metal front.

Standard: Described as Cocarette I, II, III, IV, With real black leather coverings, leather bellows, and hinged "Stirrup" front.

DeLuxe: Styled respectively "de Luxe" I, "de Luxe" II, "de Luxe" III, and "de Luxe" IV. This type is covered in the finest brown Morocco leather and has bellows of the same. ​ All the edges are bound in German silver.

 The different negative sizes of the models described above are as follows:

l/0, I and "de Luxe" I . Film 3 1/4 x 2 1/4 inches

II/0, II and "de Luxe" II . Film 4 1/4 x 2 1/2 inches

III/0, III and 'ode Luxe" III . Film 4 1/4 x 3 1/4 inches

IV/O, IV, and "de Luxe" IV. Film  5 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches

History

Contessa-Nettel AG was a prominent German camera manufacturer based in Stuttgart. It was formed in 1919 by merging two influential companies: Contessa Camerawerke Drexler & Nagel and Nettel Camerawerk. This merger combined the innovative strengths of both firms—Contessa Camerawerke, founded by Dr. August Nagel, and Nettel Camerawerk, known for its advanced strut folding cameras and focal plane shutters. Dr. Nagel, who began his camera design business 1908 as Drexler & Nagel, quickly rebranded it as Contessa Camerawerke before acquiring Nettel in 1919 and establishing Contessa-Nettel AG.

Ad showing the different negative sizes.

 Contessa-Nettel became renowned for its diverse and technically advanced range of cameras. The company offered approximately forty different models, including many variations of the Cocarette, a folding camera that became one of its most famous products during the 1920s. Other notable models included the Deckrullo-Nettel series, which featured self-capping focal plane shutters—a significant innovation. The company also specialized in stereo cameras and produced various compact and portable designs, such as the Piccolette and the Stereax.

 The Deckrullo-Nettel cameras, initially developed by Nettel, continued to be produced under the Contessa-Nettel name after the merger. These cameras were admired for their engineering, particularly their strut folding mechanisms and reliable shutters. Contessa-Nettel's products were recognized for their build quality and design excellence, reflecting Dr. Nagel's eye for detail.

 In 1926, Contessa-Nettel became part of Zeiss Ikon, a new conglomerate formed by merging several major German camera manufacturers, including ICA, Ernemann, and Goerz, alongside Contessa-Nettel. This consolidation aimed to strengthen the German photographic industry and create a powerhouse capable of competing internationally. After the merger, many Contessa-Nettel designs and models continued under the Zeiss Ikon brand, and the Stuttgart factory became a critical Zeiss Ikon site.

 Although Contessa-Nettel, as an independent brand, ceased to exist after 1926, its influence persisted. Feeling out of place at Zeiss Ikon, Dr. August Nagel left to establish the Nagel-Werke factory, which Kodak later acquired. Nagel's subsequent innovations, such as the Kodak Retina and the first pre-loaded 35mm film cassette, trace their lineage to the design philosophy he honed at Contessa-Nettel. The Contessa-Nettel name also lived on in Zeiss Ikon's product lines, most notably in the Zeiss-Ikon Contessa cameras of the postwar era.

 Contessa-Nettel's history is marked by technical innovation, quality craftsmanship, and a legacy that shaped the evolution of camera technology in the 20th century.

My Camera:

My Contessa Nettel Cocarette I Deluxe camera is 6 5/8" long by 3.5" wide, 1.5" deep when closed, and 5.5" deep when opened, with the lens extended from the body. It weighs 1 Lb. 6 oz. My camera's serial number is 422872. It also has a Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 10.5cm f4.5 lens, serial #588166.

 To open the camera, there is a button on the side of the camera, which is similar to another folding camera, which you press, and the front door opens, exposing the front of the camera. Just below the shutter is the company name, Contessa Nettel, and on either side of the name are two knobs which you grab and pull the front standard of the camera out from the camera body until they stop. You're now ready to take a photo if you have film loaded into the camera

Pulling the front standard from the camera body lets you see the controls on the camera much better. Looking down at the camera, you have a bright waist-level viewfinder with indents on each corner representing a vertical or horizontal format for framing your photo. Currently, the camera is in the vertical position or, in modern terms, in portrait mode. The viewfinder can also tilt to the side if you plan on using the camera in the horizontal position to photograph in landscape mode. Right next to the viewfinder is a red bubble level to ensure the camera is level for straight photos and does not have crooked horizon lines.

On the camera's bed, just to the right of the shutter, is a focus lever, which allows the photographer to get closer to their subject and take clear photos. The focus lever can go from 2 meters to infinity, with a few different distances in between.

 When you look at the front of the camera and focus on what is on the Compur shutter, on the right side is the shutter release lever, and on the left side is a dial with Z, D, and M. These are used for different shutter functions. Z opens the shutter when you release the shutter lever and closes when you pull the shutter release again. D opens the shutter when you pull down on the shutter release and closes when you release it, and M is for the more normal use of the shutter speeds built into the shutter. The shutter speed ranges from 1 second to 1/250. All the shutter speeds on the camera seem reasonable, even the 1 sec, which is fantastic for a 100-year-old camera.

A small lever is on the bottom of the shutter. Sliding the lever from one side to the other changes the aperture setting, which you can see on top of the shutter. The camera's operations are very easy to see while holding it. You can view the shutter speed, the aperture settings, the focus distance, the viewfinder, and the bubble level, all while composing the photo in the vertical or portrait position.

 On the right side, as you're holding the camera, is a chrome knob on top of the lens standard. This slightly raises the camera lens, which will correct for vertical distortion. It doesn't do much, but it gives you a little movement in several of the better-quality folding cameras from this era.

For horizontal photos, you can swing a wire finder around the lens. On the back of the camera, a small eye finder slides out to create an action or sports finder from the two pieces. Using the camera in this position is a bit more clumsy due to where the shutter release is positioned.

Eyepiece on back up, and wire frame in place for action photo.

Fortunately, the Cocarette I cameras can use the popular 120-size film. The film chamber slides out from the camera body to load the film. On the left side of the body is a lever that you slide to unlock the film chamber from the body. Once the film chamber is unlocked, it can slide up to reveal the take-up spool and the film area. To put the film in the film area, there are holders that you flip up to get the take-up spool and the film into the respective areas.

 When loading the film, slide the paper packing under the thin channel to keep it flat across the opening. Another oddity of this camera is a large cut-away on the top of one of the corners of the exposure areas. I don't understand why this is there, as it did produce the cutout on the negative. If you know why that is there, I'd love to know. It may have had something to do with the older films of that time.

Once the film is loaded into the film back of the camera, slide it back into the camera and lock the back onto the camera body to prevent it from getting exposed to light. A small square red window with a cover is on the back of the camera. Winding the film with the take-up spool will take you to the number 1 photo, and now you're ready to make your first photo.

 

My Results:

I loaded the camera with a roll of Rollei RX100 film and walked through the neighborhood with my trust Sekonic L-308 meter. The day was somewhat overcast, so the contrast in the images wasn't the best. I also used the focus control on the camera. Since the day was cloudy, the settings on many of the photos were a shutter speed of 1/100 and aperture settings of f/4.5, which means there's not a lot of play when it comes to depth of field, and the photos show that.

 Here are the results I got from the Contessa Nettel Cocarette I Deluxe.

Conclusion:

The camera is straightforward to use, which I’m used to because I often use folding cameras. The controls were straightforward to define and comfortable to hold for composition purposes. However, the results I received weren't the best when I used the focus control on the camera. It's very possible my distances were off, and having to use a shallow depth of field didn't help.

 It wasn't bad, but my expectations were too high. Getting a 6x9 format negative with a Zeiss lens, I was hoping for better results. That shows I'll need to take this camera out and try again.

 Thank you for taking the time to read about this beautiful and very functional camera. It certainly looks terrific in my collection, and I enjoy having it.

 Click on the link if you're interested in reading some of the other camera reviews. 

 If you are interested in some of the cameras and other camera oddities I have for sale, I have a store on eBay called Cuny's Camera.

 Until next week, please be safe.