Dallmeyer Snapshot

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The Dallmeyer Snapshot Camera is a strut-folding camera taking 2¼×3¼" (6×9 cm) exposures. It is a metal-bodied camera with leather bellows, and simple controls: Distant, Medium and Near for focusing, Bright (this is f/11 according to the notes at Early Photography[1]) and Dull for aperture, Fast, Slow and Time for speed (1/40, 1/20 and T). The lens is a Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/6, with no focal length indicated. There is a reflex finder mounted on the front plate, which swivels for vertical or horizontal pictures (this is a Watson finder, with a tiny ground-glass screen).[2] One example of the film-pack type seen at Christie's also has a wire-frame finder.[3]

The first model, presented in 1928[1] or '29,[4] uses film packs. A Dallmeyer Snapshot De Luxe appeared the following year. It is marked De Luxe and has leather (or leatherette?) covering instead of black paint. Apart from this, no difference is visible.

In 1931 a 120 rollfilm model appeared.[5] It exists both in normal and De Luxe versions. It has a folding leg to stand vertically.

The Snapshot camera was sold until well into the 1930s.

Some sources state that the film pack model was made by Dallmeyer itself and the rollfilm model was made by Houghton-Butcher and marked as such.[6] Other sources say that all the Snapshot were made by Houghton-Butcher.[7] Early Photography states that Newman & Guardia made the first model for Dallmeyer, and Houghton-Butcher the second.[1]


Bibliography

  • Channing, Norman and Dunn, Mike. British Camera Makers. An A-Z Guide to Companies and Products. London : Parkland Designs, 1996. ISBN 0-9524630-0-8 P.40.

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Notes on the Dallmeyer Snaphot with film-pack and roll-film examples, at Early Photography.
  2. Auction lot of three Dallmeyer Snapshot cameras sold at the nineteenth Westlicht Photographica Auction, on 28 May 2011: one leatherette-covered (de luxe) film-pack type, and standard (painted metal) film pack and roll-film cameras. The later roll-film camera has a brilliant finder; both the film-pack ones appear to have a Watson finder.
  3. Auction lot of three Dallmeyer Snapshot cameras (archived) sold at Christie's in London (in the auction The British Camera 1840-1960: the Jim Barron Collection): painted-finish film-pack and roll-film cameras, and a de luxe roll-film one.
  4. Date: Channing and Dunn, p.40.
  5. Date: Channing and Dunn, p.40.
  6. Channing and Dunn, p.40.
  7. 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). p240.

Links

  • British Patent 295071 describing the film-pack Snapshot camera, applied for in 1927 and granted in '28 to Dallmeyer Ltd and H.A. Carter, at Espacenet, the patent search facility of the European Patent Office.