Bergheil
 
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| Voigtländer Bergheil, 6.5×9cm, with 10.5 cm f/4.5 Heliar and dial-set Compur shutter, and with shift. Pictures by eBayer Yalluflex. (Image rights) |
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; Heliar in particular are very common on later cameras. On later cameras, the lens and shutter may be interchangeable (attached with a bayonet).
The cameras have rack-and-pinion bellows focusing, with a focusing knob on each side of the front of the bed. There is usually a focus scale on the left of the bed, and of course a ground-glass screen can be attached. They have front rise, adjusted with the knurled knob at the top of the right hand post of the front standard, and sometimes also geared shift. On many later cameras, there are spirit levels inlaid in the focus and front-rise knobs.
Almost all the cameras have a brilliant finder mounted on the lens standard; depending on the age and model, this may be mounted centrally above the lens (common especially on the smallest size), or offset to the left. Most cameras (except for the smallest) also have either a wire-frame finder or a folding Newton finder on the side of the body.
Bergheil De Luxe
Brown leather
The true Bergheil Luxus (or De Luxe) from 1923-27 is finished with light brown leather covering and bellows, and has gold-finish standard and fittings, after the style of a tropical camera. It was only made in the 4.5x6cm size.
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| Voigtländer Bergheil Luxus, 4×6.5cm, 7.5cm f/6.8 Doppel-Anastigmat Radiar lens, dial-set Compur shutter. Pictures by eBayer Yalluflex. (Image rights) | |
Green leather
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| Bergheil 6.5×9cm, with green leather, interchangeable 10.5cm f/3.5 Heliar and 25.5cm f/6.3 Tele-Dynar lenses and rim-set Compur shutter. An identical camera has also been seen with a 20 cm Tele-Dynar. Pictures by eBayer Yalluflex. (Image rights) | |
There are also cameras with textured green leather covering and bellows, but with the same black-painted fittings as the standard Bergheil. These are often described as 'de luxe' cameras. McKeown dates them to 1932-6 (some years after Voigtländer stopped making the brown-leather camera), and rather dismisses them as a step up from the black models, but [..] not truly 'Luxus' models; all 6.5x9cm and 9x12cm cameras after 1932 had this green leather. McKeown states that the green leather of the bellows tends to darken with age, so that the 'green' cameras are often not particularly green.[2]
 
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| Voigtländer Baby Bergheil, 4.5×6cm, dial-set Compur shutter. Pictures by eBayer Yalluflex. (Image rights) |
Interchangeable lenses
Later Bergheil cameras have an exchangeable lens/shutter unit, attached via a bayonet. Many of the standard lenses are Heliars. The usual long-focus lens is the Tele-Dynar.
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| Voigtländer Heliar 10.5cm f/4.5 lens and Compur shutter, with a bayonet mount for the Bergheil. (Image rights) |
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| 25.5cm f/6.3 | 20cm f/6.3 |
| Voigtländer Tele-Dynar lenses. Pictures by eBayer Yalluflex. (Image rights) | |
Notes
- ↑ Dates: notes on the Bergheil at Early Photography.
- ↑ 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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