Kodak bought Nagel Kamerawerk in 1932 as they wanted the design and manufacturing facilities to produce top quality amateur cameras. The main camera Dr Nagel designed for Kodak was the Retina introduced in 1934, together with the now standard 35mm cassette. Several models were produced before Kodak introduced the Retina I in 1936. The cameraContinue reading “Kodak Retina Ia (type 015)”
Category Archives: Folding camera
Nixon Nixette 120 camera
This is a simple camera. A well designed and well made simple camera. It takes 120 film producing 12 off 60 by 60 mm negatives. Nixon Nixette (C) John Margetts lens: Supra anastigmat focal length: 7.5 cm apertures: f/5.6 to f/16 (plus, probably, f/22) focus range: 3 feet to infinity lens fitting: fixed shutter: VarioContinue reading “Nixon Nixette 120 camera”
Balda Baldi
This is a small (very small) folder from Balda. It measures 100 mm by 80 mm by 35 mm (closed) or by 85 mm (open). This is slightly smaller (by 20 mm) than the 35 mm Balda Baldina of the same date. It takes 127 film – no longer made and very difficult to getContinue reading “Balda Baldi”
Voigtländer Bessa 66
This is a medium format folder from the German firm of Voigtländer. It dates from between 1938 and 1940. This model was also made after WWII from 1946 to 1950, but my camera is a very early model – more later. There was also a cheaper version available with a folding viewfinder and no automatic framing.Continue reading “Voigtländer Bessa 66”
Kodak Retinette (type 017)
Visually, this is very like an early Retina – see my description of my Retina I type 119 – I gather the Retinette line was introduced for the folding 35 mm cameras with no rangefinder. Before I go on to describe this camera I want to repeat the standard advice regarding using the V or self-timer settingContinue reading “Kodak Retinette (type 017)”
Enfield folding camera
This camera is a British Ensign camera – it was generously given to me by Harry Davies. It is a folding camera of a very standard design. Visually, it is very similar to both a Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 and an Agfa Billy Record. Dating it is problematic, not least because I am not sure ofContinue reading “Enfield folding camera”
Agilux Agifold
AGI, who made this camera, are an aeronautical instrument maker – still in business – rather than a camera maker and it shows. During WWII, AGI made military instruments and that pedigree is followed in this camera. It is large and heavy and has no small controls so easy to use with cold hands, withContinue reading “Agilux Agifold”
Ica Icarette 1 (A)
This is an Icarette camera made by Ica in Dresden, Germany. It is a model 1 which was introduced in 1912 but I cannot tell if it is a type 495 (the original, model A in the USA) or type 496 (later version that can also take glass plates, model B in the USA). IcaContinue reading “Ica Icarette 1 (A)”
Kodak Retina I (119)
I have purposefully been avoiding Kodak cameras. There are just too many of them and they are mostly towards the bottom end of the market. Kodak seems to have had an obsession with introducing new models – both camera and film. You would think that three or four film formats would suffice but Kodak introducedContinue reading “Kodak Retina I (119)”
Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 35
This is a folding camera from Zeiss Ikon based on the medium format Ikonta series. This camera gave rise to two lines of cameras in the mid-50s – the Contina and the Contessa cameras. I have two of these, an early Ikonta 35 late 1940s to very early 1950s and a slightly updated version. FirstContinue reading “Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 35”