Balda

Balda was a German maker based in Dresden that made a quantity of medium-range folders before World War II. It was quite comparable to Welta or Certo.

After the war, Balda was nationalized in East Germany, and later became Belca. It continued for some time to produce little 35mm folders like the Beltica, and was finally absorbed by Welta.

Its founder Max Baldeweg fled to West Germany, and set up a new company called Balda (Balda Kamera-Werk), this time based in Bünde, West Germany. The new Balda company produced a series of 35mm and medium-format rollfilm cameras, and also produced cameras under Hans Porst's HAPO label. The company discontinued camera production in the late 1970s.

Balda Dresden, later Belca

35mm folder

• Jubilette
• Baldina
• Super Baldina (coupled rangefinder)

120 folder

• Juwella (6×9)
• Baldafix (6×9)
• Baldax (4.5×6, #00 shutter size)
• Baldax (4.5×6, #0 shutter size)
• Baldax (6×6, #0 shutter size)
• Baldix (6x6 cm)
• Hapo 66 (6x6 cm)
• Hapo 66e(6x6 cm)
• Baldaxette I (4.5×6, coupled rangefinder)
• Baldaxette II (6×6, coupled rangefinder)
• Super Pontura (6×9, coupled rangefinder)

120 box

• Frontbox (6×9)
• Rollbox (6×9)
• Poka (6×9)

127 folder

• Baldi (3×4)
• Rigona (3×4)

Belca

35mm folder

• Beltica (vertical style folding, like the pre-war Baldina)
• Beltica II (horizontal style folding)

35mm stereo

• Belplasca, with a pair of Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 37.5mm/3.5

120 folder

• Belfoca (6×9)

Balda Bünde

35mm folder

• Baldini
• Rival 35
• Rigona
• Baldinette
• Super Baldinette (coupled rangefinder)

35mm fixed lens

• Baldina
• Super Baldina (coupled rangefinder)
• Baldessa / Baldessa I
• Baldessamat F / RF
• Super Baldamatic I / II / III

35mm ultra compact

• CA 35
• CE 35
• CS 35

120 folder

• Baldi 29 (6×6)
• Baldix (6×6)
• Mess-Baldix (6×6, uncoupled rangefinder)
• Baldax (6×6)
• Super Baldax (6×6, coupled rangefinder)

120 collapsible lens

• Baldixette

Links

In German:

• There is a short history of Balda at dresdner-kameras.de, see under "Firmen"
• Balda page at Frank Petermann's site

In French:

• Balda page at Mario Groleau's website