Avus

image by Süleyman Demir (Image rights)

Avus circa 1920 with Compur shutter older dial-set version and Skopar lens

The Avus series of folding plate cameras was made by Voigtländer in Germany from 1913 to 1934. These medium-to-upper-quality cameras were made in both 6.5x9cm and 9x12cm versions. They had double-extension bellows, were equipped with Ibsor or Compur shutters (either the older dial-set or the newer rim-set versions), and high-quality Tessar-type lenses, such as Voigtländer's own Skopar design, or with a Voigtar lens. The front lens standard allowed a small amount of both rise/fall and lateral shift. Other than that, they were typical of the other folding plate cameras of the day, with big folding sports finder and additional brilliant viewfinder. The name Avus was taken from a popular car race circuit in Berlin, the first speedway of Germany.

(Image rights)

controls 1. Unfolding button 2. brilliant finder 3. spirit level 4. upwards movement knurl 5. standart 6. slide-unlocking grips 7. focusing pointer for snapshot focusing 8. standart's forward-backward knurl 9. sidewards movement knurl 10. large frame of sports finder 11. strut that holds folding bed in right angle 12. small frame of sports finder

Avus ad in 1928 image by Dirk HR Spennemann (Image rights)

Avus 9x12 image by -Makikofsky- (Image rights)

Links

• Voigtlander Avus at www.collection-appareils.com by Sylvain Halgand