Baldax

The Baldax was a series of folding cameras made by the German company Balda.

Prewar models

The prewar Baldax was made throughout the 1930s in three main variants: a 4.5×6 small model for #00 shutter size, a 4.5×6 large model for #0 shutter size and a 6×6 model (#0 size). All the Baldax had solidly built diagonal struts, with a typical shape, larger at the base. Some had a folding optical finder and others had a tubular optical finder. The body shape somewhat evolved during the production.

The Baldax was also sold under various distributor names. It was the basis of the Plaubel Roll-Op models. In Japan it was copied by Proud for the Semi Proud model, that was in turn the basis of the Semi Olympus I, the first Olympus camera. Other Japanese copies of the Baldax were the Riken Heil and some of the Riken Adler models, maybe they were also made by Proud.

Postwar models

The postwar Baldax was an evolution of the prewar model, sold at the beginning of the 1950s by the West German company Balda Bünde. It existed in 6×6 version and had a top housing incorporating the viewfinder and an exposure counter. At the same time, the Super Baldax was the same model with a coupled rangefinder. The Baldix was like the postwar Baldax without the frame counter, and the Mess-Baldix was a Baldix with an uncoupled rangefinder. The Baldi 29 was a later, cheaper model based on the same body, with a more rounded top housing and a f:2.9 lens, hence the name. The range of cameras available at the 1956 Photokina included the Baldi 29, Baldix and Super Baldax, according to this page by Karl Riess. The same models were still available in 1959/1960 according to this page with sale prices.