Zeiss Ikon Hologon Ultrawide camera

My Zeiss Ikon Hologon Ultrawide camera

When it comes to photography, I have a passion for all things panoramic and wide-angle, so the rare Zeiss Ikon Hologon Ultrawide camera was a camera I've always wanted to purchase. What's not to like? The whole camera was built around an incredible Carl Zeiss 15mm f/8 Hologon ultra-wide-angle lens, which the camera is named after.

 It wasn't until later in my career in the photo industry that I had the financial means to purchase one of these wonderful cameras. I'd seen them at camera shows, in online sales on eBay, and in other stores. I've even had the opportunity to purchase one back when I was first starting out collecting cameras, but the price was always beyond my reach.

 About 10 years ago, I was looking through the online catalog from Wetzlar Auctions in Germany. Basically, I was dreaming about the cameras that were still out of my reach. It wasn't the super-rare Leicas that caught my eye, but a hard-to-find Zeiss Ikon Hologon Ultrawide with the handle, cable release, center filter, lens caps, and case that made me pause.

 At the time, Wetzlar Auctions had a fairly low starting price, so I thought, "Why not? Let's give it a go," and see how quickly I'd be outbid. I put in a fair price that I was willing to pay for the camera, as they said it was in "good working condition."

 As time passed and the auction got closer, there weren't that many people interested in the camera, but my thoughts kept saying, "You'll be outbid soon."

My outfit with case, center filter, grip, cable release and lens caps.

 On the day of the auction, I watched the results, and the price didn't reach my high bid. So, by the time the auction closed, I was the winner of the camera. There were concerns that the camera may not have met expectations, and there were underlying issues the auction house didn't disclose that I wasn't aware of.

 After paying for the camera, along with the auction house fees, etc., I then needed to pay to have the camera shipped from Germany to my home in the USA. It was a little bit more than I expected, but to me, it was still under the value of the camera, so I was pleased. Especially to have such a rare and special camera in my collection.

 It wasn't until I received the camera that I noticed the camera's take-up spool was missing, and the bubble level on top was dried out. Not the end of the world, as I purchased a Contaflex/Contax take-up spool that fits the camera well. It wasn't the original take-up spool with the red tips on the end, but it would wind the film in the camera.

 There wasn't much I could do about the bubble level, but at this point, it's water under the bridge. I now have a working Zeiss Ikon Hologon Ultrawide camera to put in the collection and use when I want.

History:

The Zeiss Ikon Hologon is one of the most unusual and technically ambitious 35mm cameras ever produced. Introduced in 1969, it was created around an extraordinary lens rather than the other way around. Its Carl Zeiss Hologon 15mm f/8 lens offered an astonishing 110-degree angle of view, making it one of the widest-angle lenses available for 35mm photography at the time.

Outfit in the original box.

 The story began with German optical designer Dr. Erhard Glatzel and his work at Carl Zeiss. The Hologon was an innovative three-element design intended to produce an extremely wide, rectilinear image with remarkably low distortion. The lens was so physically unusual that conventional 35mm camera bodies could not accommodate it properly. Its rear element needed to sit exceptionally close to the film plane. Rather than compromise the lens design, Zeiss created a camera specifically around it.

 The resulting Hologon camera was based on the chassis of the Zeiss Ikon Contarex but eliminated the SLR mirror and reflex viewing system. In their place was a large optical viewfinder with a built-in bubble level. The level was important because the enormous field of view made even a slight tilt of the camera very noticeable in the finished photograph. The camera also came with a distinctive pistol grip, designed partly to keep the photographer's fingers from appearing at the edges of photographs.

 The Hologon's lens was fixed at f/8 and had fixed focus, providing sharpness from approximately 0.5 meter to infinity. Because such a wide-angle optical design naturally suffered from illumination falloff toward the edges of the frame, Zeiss supplied a specially graduated center filter. This accessory was an essential part of the system rather than simply an optional convenience.

Zeiss Ikon Hologon Ultrawide manual

 Production numbers were extremely small. Approximately 1,400 Hologon cameras were produced, making it one of the rarest members of the Contarex family. Zeiss Ikon's camera manufacturing ended in the early 1970s, and the Hologon became one of the final and most exotic products associated with the Zeiss Ikon name.

 The Hologon lens itself survived beyond the camera. In 1972, unused lenses were offered in Leica M mount, complete with the appropriate accessories. The Hologon name was eventually revived in the 1990s for a redesigned 16mm f/8 lens used with the Contax G system.

 Today, the Zeiss Ikon Hologon is highly prized by collectors. It represents a remarkable moment when optical engineering took priority over conventional camera design—a camera literally built around a lens. Its rarity, distinctive appearance, and extraordinary 15mm Hologon optics have secured its place as one of the great classics of German camera history.

My Camera:

My Zeiss Ikon Hologon Ultrawide camera is based on the Zeiss Ikon Contarex body and is 6" wide by 3.5" tall by only 2" deep. The camera weighs in at 1 pound, 11.5 ounces with the Carl Zeiss Verlauffilter S 57 4x (center filter) and plastic lens cap. The camera's serial number is P76233. The camera has a Carl Zeiss Hologon 15mm f/8 lens, serial number 4814780.

Due to the lens's wide angle of view, the camera has a center filter that is darker in the middle and lighter on the sides. This helps to even out the exposure in your images. If the camera didn't have the center filter, all the images would have a darker ring on the sides, giving the images a slight vignette appearance. The center filter evens out the vignette appearance in your images.

The filter has threads on the outside that thread into the threads on the outside of the lens and wrap around the lens. This is different from most filters, which thread onto the inside of a lens.

 When you look closely at the lens from the front, it has a rather flat appearance, but when you turn the camera and get in close to look at the lens, it definitely has a dome appearance. Its three-element configuration was revolutionary because it produced an exceptionally wide, essentially rectilinear image without relying on the fisheye projection used by many extreme wide-angle lenses.

The camera is very basic and, as I mentioned, is based on the Zeiss Ikon Contarex body. Looking at the top of the camera, the camera's rewind crank is on the far left, surrounded by a movable wheel that shows, as a reminder to the photographer, what ASA (ISO) is in the camera. There is no meter in the camera, so it's really used as a reminder to the photographer what film speed they loaded into the camera.

In the middle is a bubble level, which sits on top of a fairly large viewfinder. It needs to be especially big and wide to show approximately the same angle of view as the ultra-wide 15mm lens. Looking inside the viewfinder, you can see the bubble level just under the viewfinder. The bubble level is for vertical adjustment so you can keep the camera level for horizontal images. As previously mentioned, my bubble level is dry, so there is no bubble to see in mine.

 Moving to the right on the top of my camera is the film-winding lever, which sits on top of the camera's shutter-speed dial. The shutter speeds range from 1/500 to 1 second, plus "B" for bulb, and “T” for timed exposures. Above the winding lever is the camera's film counter, with the shutter release in the middle. The shutter-release button also has threads that accepts a cable release.

On the bottom of the camera are two latches that need to be turned, which allow you to slide the back off the camera and expose the film chamber. Once the back is removed, you'll load the 35mm film like you would with any other 35mm camera. Once you've loaded the film, put the film back into the grooves in the camera body and slide the back up and into position on the back of the camera. Once it's on, lock the two latches and flip down the handles so the camera sits flush.

 When you get to the end of the roll, and it's time to rewind the film into the cassette, one of the latches on the bottom of the camera has an "R" for rewind. Lift the handle of this latch only and turn the lever until the handle is pointing at the "R" for rewind. Flip up the handle on the rewind knob and rewind the film into the 35mm cassette. Once the film is rewound, turn both levers to the open position, take the back off the camera, and remove the film for processing.

The Zeiss Ikon Hologon camera came with different accessories. There is a center filter, which I discussed earlier, and two lens caps. One is plastic and pops over the center filter when it's on the camera, and the other is a metal cap that threads around the lens, like the center filter, when the center filter is off the camera.

 There is also a pistol grip with a removable top, which allows the photographer to place the camera at different angles onto the pistol grip if desired. There is also a cable release that threads into the pistol grip and into the camera's shutter release. The pistol grip also has a leather strap to secure the grip to your hand when carrying it.

 The pistol grip is used so you don't wrap your hands around the camera when shooting, like you would with a regular 35mm camera. If you did, your fingers would appear on the sides of your images, very similar to the way they do with Widelux cameras.

Without the pistol grip, you'd need to hold the camera with your finger on top and your thumbs under it to stabilize it, much like you'd hold an Instamatic camera. You don't wrap your hands around this or Widelux cameras to avoid having your fingers in the images.

 Also included in the kit were the strap for the camera and a very nice hard compartment case for the camera, with room to hold the pistol grip. The case also has elastic straps to hold the center filter and extra lens cap.

Zeiss Ikon Hologon Ultrawide mounted on the pistol grip with center filter, and cable release. Two lens caps too.

Now that we have the camera loaded, let's take it out to see how it performs under normal working conditions.

 Results:

I took the camera to three different locations to try it out. First was a local farm that has a "farm-to-table" dinner we go to near Portland, OR. The name is Topaz Farms, and they are spectacular people who put on the most delicious dinners during the summertime.

 The second was a local farmers market in the town we live in. I'd walk around and take photos of some of the vendors and their wares.

 Finally, I walked the neighborhood, taking some of the standard photos I try to take with all the cameras so that, if you want to look back and see the images, they would be in similar locations.

Here are some of the results from these events and locations.

Conclusion:

Once I processed the film, I noticed a few things about the camera that I felt were a bit odd. The spacing of the negatives was very thin and not the normal spacing I was expecting. This may have been caused by me purchasing a Contaflex/Contax take-up spool, which is thinner in diameter, giving the film less area to travel between images.

 The second thing is that the images didn't seem as sharp as I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, they are sharp, but not as sharp as last week's Contarex “Bullseye” body and lens. Especially being so wide and stopped down, I was expecting super-sharp images, but these were OK.

 It may have been the filter, but that was clean. My expectations were higher, and the images fell short.

 Because of that, I'll try another roll of film, and if I'm not impressed with those images, you may see this on eBay in the near future.

 Want to see other cameras? Here are some of my other Camera Reviews.

 Check out my Cuny's Camera Collection YouTube channel, where I am putting together video overviews of the cameras I write about. Be sure to subscribe and like the channel, too!

 Cuny's Cameras and Photos is my online eBay store, where you will find some of the cameras I have reviewed, along with a wide range of other cameras, lenses, and items from my collection that I am thinning out.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Zeiss Ikon Contarex "Bullseye" camera

My Zeiss Ikon Contarex “Bullseye” camera

Ever since I started collecting cameras, way back in the late 1970s, maybe even the early 1980s, the Zeiss Ikon Contarex, "Bullseye" or "Cyclops" camera has been on my radar to hopefully someday have in my collection. These were the times when my wife and I were newly married, and money was always tight—living paycheck to paycheck.

I can remember seeing the Contarex camera in magazines and other collecting or historical publications. Always in the back of my mind, I thought this was one of the most beautiful cameras ever made. The bulging "eye" over the lens made the camera seem otherworldly, futuristic, and more like an art piece than a camera.

Seeing it many times in McKeown's Cameras price book, which I would devour constantly, soaking in the information on the different camera designs and companies from around the world that produced odd and unique cameras, it was the Contarex that always stood out as an icon for camera collectors.

Fast forward 35 years. It was sometime in the early to mid-2010s when I had the opportunity to purchase one of these wonders of a camera. With extra income to spend on expanding my collection and selling off some cameras, I pulled the trigger at a camera show in the San Francisco Bay Area, where we lived at the time, on a wonderful, working Contarex with the fitted case.

Contarex nameplate

The camera came with the slightly wide Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/4 lens, which was fairly slow, but there are two items I liked about this lens. It's wide—not as wide as I'd like, but it also focuses closer than most lenses. The lens can focus down to 7.5 inches from the subject, almost making it a macro lens. Not quite, but much closer than the standard lens.

The Contarex also has a working meter, which is somewhat rare for a selenium meter system on a camera made in the late 1950s to early 1960s. I also enjoy a more "hefty" camera, since I was mainly raised using the older Nikon F system. Along with having larger hands, these cameras feel more comfortable to me.

I remember when the Olympus OM system camera hit the market in the 1970s. I'd wrap my hands around the smaller body and lenses, and it always made me feel like I was suffocating the camera as my hand enveloped them. Same with the Pentax ME system when they came out, so having a larger camera body and lens has always seemed right to me.

The Contarex camera is extremely solid, well-built, over-engineered, and somewhat weighty. The Contarex has some real heft to it. One thing I wasn't aware of was the camera's build quality, which I discuss below in the history section.


History of the Contarex Cameras

The Zeiss Ikon Contarex, introduced at Photokina in 1958 and hitting the market in 1960, stands as one of the most ambitious and notoriously over-engineered 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras ever manufactured. Conceived in 1954 under the internal designation "Contax IV," the Contarex was designed by Edgar Sauer as Zeiss Ikon's definitive professional 35mm SLR, intended to replace the Contax IIa and IIIa and, in the company's words, cater to "any photographic task whatsoever."

With rising Japanese powerhouses, the Contarex system was Zeiss Ikon's no-holds-barred flagship—a mechanical tour de force that commands immense respect (and sometimes frustration) in the vintage collecting community today.

Zeiss Ikon Contarex camera advertisment

The first model in the lineup earned the nicknames "Bullseye" and "Cyclops" due to the prominent, circular selenium light meter window mounted directly in front of the pentaprism. This meter wasn't just cosmetic; it represented a massive mechanical achievement. The Contarex I was the first 35mm SLR to feature a focal-plane shutter with direct light meter coupling. The camera mechanically linked the shutter speed, aperture, and film speed settings via a highly complex system of internal cords and pulleys.

While the interchangeable Carl Zeiss lenses produced for the Contarex are still legendary for their sharpness, contrast, and uncompromising build quality, the camera bodies themselves are incredibly intricate. The original Bullseye contains nearly 1,100 individual parts, including roller bearings in the aperture mechanism. Interestingly, the lenses lack traditional aperture rings; instead, the aperture is controlled by a milled wheel on the camera body itself, which directly interfaces with the bayonet mount.

Because of their sheer mechanical complexity, they require highly specialized technicians for servicing—simply removing the top plate requires dismantling 43 separate components. A working selenium meter is often a strong indicator that a specific body hasn't been abused over the decades. For anyone running an online shop or writing historical reviews, finding a fully functional Contarex at a global market is a massive victory, offering rich material for a blog deep-dive or video overview.

Another notoriously delicate quirk is the rewind mechanism. Instead of a direct shaft, it uses a series of tiny gears, making it smooth but highly vulnerable to impact damage. Additionally, interchangeable magazine backs allowed mid-roll film swapping, cementing its status as a true professional system camera.

Despite its brilliance, the sheer cost ($499 in 1961), heavy weight, and complicated nature of the Contarex meant it never dominated the market quite like the simpler Japanese alternatives. Zeiss Ikon eventually produced several variations, including the Contarex Special, Professional, and the electronic Super, before ceasing production in the early 1970s. Today, these chrome behemoths remain a fascinating pinnacle of mid-century German engineering—heavy, beautiful, and incredibly rewarding to study and restore.

My Camera

My Zeiss Ikon Contarex camera is 4" tall by 6" wide by 4" deep with the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/4 lens, and weighs in at 2 pounds, 8.8 ounces. My camera body serial number is T89707, and the lens serial number is 3703592. You can find the instruction manual for the Zeiss Contarex at Mike Butkus's website, www.CameraManuals.org.

Looking at the top of the camera, going from left to right, is the camera's rewind knob with a flip-up lever, along with a directional arrow indicating which way to turn the wheel when it's time to rewind your film. There is also an indicator or reminder of what ASA (ISO) you have in the camera.

To the right of the rewind knob is an external light meter window. This is the same as you'll see in the viewfinder, only it's to be used if you're setting up from your waist and want to get the meter settings before you put the camera to your eye.

On the very top of the camera is the accessory shoe, used for a flash unit or for an accessory viewfinder which would be used for the widest 21mm lens available. Just in front of the accessory shoe is the "Bullseye" or "Cyclops" meter. Inside the meter are the aperture settings, which are controlled by a knurled ring just to the right of the meter and on the front of the camera body.

Turning this wheel sets the aperture setting, and it will also set the internal aperture needed to make the exposure. This will be transferred through the camera body, setting the proper aperture on the lens through its internal pulley system. You can remove the front of the meter housing, which has a honeycomb appearance, to expose the meter aperture, along with the pulley that activates it.

Just behind the aperture wheel on the front of the camera is the film winding lever, which sits on top of the shutter speed selector. Inside the winding lever is the camera's shutter release, which can accept a cable release for longer exposures. The shutter speed selector has a range of shutter speeds from 1/1000–1 sec, including "B" for timed exposures.

Just under the shutter speed selector is the ISO (ASA) settings. To set the ISO, lift on the shutter speed wheel and turn the dial to set the meter to the proper ISO. The ASA range is from 50–1300. There are also 2x and 4x settings if you want to overexpose in low-light situations purposely.

On the front of the camera, just under the aperture control wheel, is the camera's self-timer, which has a maximum delay of 12 seconds. It can be shorter, provided you don't pull the lever all the way to the maximum amount. On the other side of the lens, on top, is a light window for the internal meter.

Under the light window is the button to remove the lenses. Press in and turn the lens counterclockwise to remove the lens. To mount the lens, match up the two red dots and turn clockwise until the lens clicks into place. On the side, next to the lens release button, is the flash sync terminal, which is where you'll connect the flash cable, since the camera doesn't have a hot shoe for the flash.

Looking through the camera's viewfinder on the rear of the camera, you'll see the three different focusing types incorporated into the focusing screen. On the outer portion is ground glass, in the very middle is the split image, and circling the split image is a microprism focusing area. Some people have difficulty with the split image, especially with slower lenses, where one of the halves blacks out and they cannot find the vertical or horizontal line to bring together. That's caused by the pupil of your eye not being centered in the focusing screen. If you move the camera up or down, you'll notice this changes from top to bottom, but once centered, the split image becomes whole, and you'll be able to focus more easily.

On the right side of the focus screen is the meter window. Inside the meter window is a line. The goal of proper metering is to get the line in the middle for a properly exposed image. When the line is above the cutout area on the left, you're overexposing, and when below, you're underexposing. The meter allows you to set either the shutter speed, then move the aperture wheel to line up the exposure, or you can set the aperture and move the shutter speed to get the meter needle in the center. It all depends on whether you want to stop action (shutter speed) or get more/less depth of field (aperture).

To open the camera to load film, there are two latches on the bottom of the camera that need to be turned, which allow you to slide the back off the camera and expose the film chamber. Once the back is removed, you'll load the 35mm film like you would any other 35mm camera. Once the film is loaded, put the film back into the grooves in the camera body, and slide the back up and into position on the back of the camera. Once it's on, lock the two latches and flip down the handles so the camera sits flush.

When you get to the end of the roll, and it's time to rewind the film back into the cassette, one of the latches on the bottom of the camera has an "R" for rewind. Lift the handle of this latch only, and turn the lever until the handle is pointing at the "R" (for rewind). Flip up the handle on the rewind knob and rewind the film back into the 35mm cassette. Once the film is rewound, turn both levers to the open position, take the back off the camera, and remove the film for processing.

Now that we have film loaded into the camera, let's take it for a walk around the neighborhood and see how the camera performs.

My Results

I didn't have any fresh film to shoot through the Zeiss Ikon Contarex camera, but I did—and still do—have some outdated film from 1976, Plus-X 135 film, which I took from the inventory I have from my online store.

 Shooting the film at approximately ISO 50 and processing the film in Rodinal at 1:25, here are the results I achieved with the camera.

Conclusion

The camera performed flawlessly. While this was the first time actually shooting with the Contarex camera, I was surprised at how close you could focus with the lens. All of the images were handheld, and the day was somewhat overcast so that the images would be a bit flat in the lighting, but overall, the camera and lens were fantastic.

 The aperture wheel and light meter worked as they should, and the lens's sharpness is incredible. While the camera is big and heavy for many, it felt very comfortable in my hands.

I now understand why so many people enjoyed using this camera, as it is over-engineered and almost impossible to get serviced. While mine is working well, I'll definitely be taking the camera for many more walks shooting film with it.

 Here are some of my other Camera Reviews.

 Check out my Cuny's Camera Collection YouTube channel, where I am putting together video overviews of the cameras I write about. Be sure to subscribe and like the channel, too!

 Cuny's Cameras and Photos is my online eBay store, where you will find some of the cameras I have reviewed, along with a wide range of other cameras, lenses, and items from my collection that I am thinning out.

 Until next week, please be safe.

 

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.