Baldamatic
Baldamatic is a range of 35 mm cameras made by the german company Balda from about 1958 to about 1962. They were all equipped with a coupled selenium lightmeter.
Baldamatic Picture by David Broglin. (Image rights) |
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Baldamatic
The simplest of the Baldamatic is a viewfinder fitted with a Prontormat shutter. The aperture is set by a ring with a range of light conditions, the speed is automatically calculated from 1/30 s to 1/300 s (aperture priority mode). The lens is a 3-element Color-Baldanar 2.8/45.
Baldamatic I
Baldamatic I Picture by David Broglin. (Image rights) |
The Baldamatic I is a semi-automatic rangefinder with a match-needle exposure system.
Several variants of lenses and shutters were available.
Shutters
- Prontor LK
- Synchro-Compur
Lenses
- Balda Color-Baldanar 2.8/45
- Isco Color-Westanar 2.8/45
- Enna Color-Ennit 2.8/45
- Schneider Xenar 2./45
Baldamatic II
Baldamatic II Picture by David Broglin. (Image rights) |
The Baldamatic II is an improved version of the Baldamatic I, including a larger viewfinder. Several variants of lenses and shutters were available. An export version was called Helioca.
Shutters
- Prontormat (with aperture priority automatic exposure control)
- Prontor LK
- Prontor SLK
- Prontor SVS
Lenses
- Balda Color-Baldanar 2.8/45
- Isco Color-Isconar 2.8/45
- Schneider Xenar 2./45
Baldamatic III
Balda Baldamatic III with Balda-Xenon 1:1,9/50 mm image by Hubertus Bendi (Image rights) |
The top model in the Baldamatic range was similar to the Baldamatic II, but offered an interchangeable lens mount, for which focal lengths of 35mm and 135mm were available.