Brillant
| German TLR () | |
|---|---|
| 35 mm | Contaflex | Flexilette | Optima Reflex |
| 3×4 | Pilot Reflex |
| 4×4 | Baby Rolleiflex (1931) | Baby Rolleiflex (1957) | Karma-Flex |
| 6×6 | Altiflex | Amplion Reflex | Brillant | Flektar | Flexo | Flexora | Flexora II | Flexora III | Foth-Flex | Ikoflex 1 | Ikoflex II | Ikoflex Ia | Ikoflex Ic Ikoflex Favorit | Karma-Flex | Mentorett | Montiflex | Peerflekta | Perfekta | Photina Reflex | Plascaflex | Reflecta | Reflekta | Reflekta II | Rica Flex | Rocca Automatic | Rocca Super Reflex | Rolleiflex | Rolleicord | Rollop | Superb | Superflex | Trumpfreflex | Vitaflex | Weltaflex | Wirgin Reflex | Zeca-Flex |
| 6×9 | Superfekta |
Introduction
The first Voigtländer Brillant was released in 1932. This early Brillant resembled a TLR but it was technically closer to a box camera, since it could not be focused in the viewfinder. While contemporary TLRs had rather dim ground glass viewfinder, the Brillant had a so called brillant finder made of plain glass. The 1932 version had a metal camerabody. From 1937 onwards, Brillants were made of bakelite, a polymer, and introduced an accessory compartment for an extinction meter or filters. This 1937 version is known as the Brillant V6.
Variations
- Early models have a metal body, later models are made of bakelite. Most models have swing door for accessories. Some models have a rotating accerssory door.
- Aperture, lens and shutter may vary from type to type and in time.
- Soviet camera factory GOMZ/LOMO made Komsomolets and Lubitel cameras that were clearly based on the Voigtländer Brillant.
Links
- a Brillant at Kurt Taubers online museum.
- Voigtländer Brillant at rolandandcaroline in th uk.
- A brief Brillant model evolution at Matt Dentons site.
- A Brillant model overview at cinci.de
- An interesting note of the Brillants use of an extiction meter on The Classic Camera
- An online Brillant manual
