Belca Beltica

Beltica in front of Dom zu Speyer
viewfinder with own distance selector	] depth-of-field-table on camera's back	closed Beltica's characteristic cover

The Beltica was a folding camera for 35mm film, one of the first products of the Eastgerman VEB Belca-Werk, the former plant of Balda-Werk Max Baldeweg in Dresden. The distance selection wheel below the camera's optical viewfinder allowed proper vertical parallax correction. Another modern feature was the exposure counter whilst the lens was a traditional construction with folder, shutter and lens combined, but with shutter-release button on top of the camera body. Besides the B exposure mode it offered a T mode. In this mode the release button had to be pressed twice, the first time for opening and the second for closing the shutter.

The camera was available with different lens/shutter combinations. The technology of this camera was used as base for the development of Belca's famous stereo-camera Belplasca.

specification:

• Type: folder camera
• Maker: VEB Belca-Werk Dresden (East Germany, former Balda-Werk)
• Year of release: 1951
• Films: 35mm

Lens/shutter combination spec. 1:

• Lens: Ludwig "Meritar" 1:2,9/50mm
• Shutter: Balda-Dresden, or Cludor, speeds 1 - 1/200 sec., aperture downto 1:16

Lens/shutter combination spec. 2:

• Lens: Carl Zeiss Jena "Tessar" 1:2,8/50mm or 1:3,5/50mm or 1:3,5/5cm
• Shutter: Cludor, speeds 1 - 1/200 sec., aperture downto 1:22

]
Dom zu Speyer seen thru Beltica

Links:

In english:

• Beltica / Belca section at Retrography.com by Simon Simonsen