Bencini

Bencini was an Italian camera manufacturer between 1937 and the late 1980s.

Bencini Comet 1, c1948 image by Dirk HR Spennemann (Image rights)

History

The company was founded with the name ICAF in 1937, in Milano, Italy by Antonio Bencini. ICAF manufactured the Roby 120 6x9 camera, the Gabry 127 4x6 camera, and the Delta 120 6x9 folding camera. Shortly before WWII, the company name was changed to CMF. During this period, the company introduced the Etan and Argo cameras but soon ceased producing cameras in order to manufacture airplane components for the war. In 1946 the name became C.M.F. Bencini Later, in the early 1950s, the name was changed again to Bencini S.p.a.. The company continued designing and manufacturing cameras until the late 1984 when business problems led to an announcement that distribution of the company's product line would be taken over by Cafer Ltd. Cafer released a few more Bencini-branded products until shortly before Antonio Bencini's death, and then retired the Bencini and Comet brand names.

The Bencini name became associated with the company's characteristic rigid body cameras. But it made also folding cameras like the Argo rollfilm folder with Aplanatic F:10.5 lens in CMF A3 single-speed shutter. Bencini made cameras for other brands such as Boots and Trifca.

A 1968 US trademark filing for the Bencini brand, lists this company information:

BENCINI S.P.A.
VIA BONO CAIROLI, 34
MILAN
Italy

cameras

127 film

• Bencini Akrom I - a rebadged Comet III
• Bencini Comet

Comet S

• Bencini Comet II
• Bencini Comet III
• Bencini Comet Rapid

Relex

• Bencini Comet S
• Bencini Comet 44
• Bencini Cometa
• Bencini Relex
• Bencini Rolet
• Bencini Minicomet

120 film

Koroll II

• Argo
• Bencini Eno
• CMF Erno
• CMF Gabro
• Bencini Koroll 24
• Bencini Koroll 24S
• Bencini Koroll II
• Bencini Koroll S
• Bencini Koroll T

35mm film

NK 135

• Bencini Comet Rapid (for Rapid cassette film)
• Bencini Comet 235
• Bencini Comet 335
• Bencini Comet 435 Electronic
• Bencini Comet 535 Minicompact
• Bencini Comet 635 Electronic Minicompact
• Bencini Comet K 35
• Bencini Comet NK 135
• Bencini Personal Reporter

126 film

• Boots Comet 126x
• Boots 126C
• Comet 326 XL
• Boots/Bencini Comet 404-X
• Comet 455-X
• Comet Unimatic 800
• Boots/Bencini Unimatic II

110 film

• Comet 110 (for Boots?)
• Comet 310

accessories

• pistol grip with cable release

Link

• An example of Bencini's cameras
• Bencini page at Collection G. Even's site
• Cameras at www.collection-appareils.fr
• Company history and cameras at collectiblend.com
• Comet 455-X at Sylvain Halgand's www.collection-appareils.fr
• Comet 404-X at Sylvain Halgand's www.collection-appareils.fr
• Bencini history, 7 pages (Italian) by Donald Consonni, hosted at mistermondo.com
• Bencini: storia ed apparecchi dalle origini alla chiusura in italiano by Donato Consonni