Bergheil

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The Bergheil is a folding plate camera made by Voigtländer in Braunschweig (Brunswick) from 1911 until the Second World War.[1] It was available for different plate sizes: 4.5x6 cm, 6.5x9 cm, 9x12 cm and 10x15 cm.

Most examples seen have a Compur shutter; early ones may be seen with a Compund, or even an Ibsor or Pronto. The cameras are equipped with a wide range of Voigtländer's own lenses. All the cameras have a brilliant finder mounted on the lens standard; most (except for the smallest) also have either a wire-frame finder or a folding Newton finder on the side of the body.


There is a special edition with green leather covering and bellows. McKeown dates these cameras to 1932-6, and describes them as a step up from the black models, but [..] not truly 'Luxus' models; he states that the green leather of the bellows tends to darken with age, giving the impression of more than one available colour.[2] The two examples pictured here only differ in the lens, and the shutter size.


The 4.5×6cm model (or "Baby Bergheil") is quite different from the larger models, notably differing in the shape of the folding struts and the position of the brilliant finder.

Interchangeable lenses

Most Bergheil cameras have an exchangeable lens/shutter unit, attached via a bayonet. Many of the lenses are of the excellent Heliar type, invented in 1900 by Dr. Hans Harting for Voigtländer, often combined with shutters of the leading brand Compur.

The standard telephoto lens mounted on the Bergheil was the Voigtländer Tele-Dynar.

Notes

  1. Dates: notes on the Bergheil at Early Photography.
  2. McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). p950-1.

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