Dollina
The Dollina is a series of 35mm folding cameras produced by the German maker Certo based in Dresden. There were three generations of Dollina, each with a different body.
Contents
The first generation: Dollina 0, Dollina I, Dollina II
The first model was the Dollina I, a horizontal-bed folding 35mm camera with a simple viewfinder, and the focus knob on the top plate. The shutter was a Compur 300. The lenses included:
- Meyer Trioplan 5cm f/2.9
- Schneider Radionar 5cm f/2.9
- Schneider Xenar 5cm f/2.8
- Schneider Xenar 5cm f/2.9
- Steinheil Cassar 5cm f/2.9
The Dollina 0 was a cheaper version, with front lens focusing. The choice of lens and shutter for the Dollina 0 included:
- Certar 5cm f/4.5 with Automat 25-100
- Certar 5cm f/4.5 with Vario 25-100
- Certar 5cm f/4.5 with Pronto 200
- Certar 5cm f/2.9 with Compur 300
The Dollina II was a more expensive version, with a coupled rangefinder unit above the top plate. It is operated by the top focusing knob, and the viewfinder and rangefinder windows are separated. The Dollina II existed in black finish (earlier version) and in chrome finish (later version). The shutter was either a Compur 300 or a Compur-Rapid 500. The choice of lenses for the Dollina II included:
- Schneider Radionar 5cm f/2.9
- Schneider Xenar 5cm f/2.9
- Schneider Xenar 5cm f/2.8
- Schneider Xenon 5cm f/2
- Schneider Xenon 4.5cm f/2
- Steinheil Cassar 5cm f/2.9
- Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 5cm f/2.8
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The Dollina III
The Dollina III was a high-end model, with a focusing wheel above the top plate like the previous models, and a coupled rangefinder integrated in a new body with a baroque shape. The folding bed is a flat square plate, and the two sides of the body protrude together to leave room for the lens and the rangefinder. The shutter was either a Compur 300 or a Compur-Rapid 500. The choice of lenses for the Dollina III included:
- Schneider Radionar 5cm f/2.9
- Schneider Xenar 5cm f/2.8
- Schneider Xenon 5cm f/2
- Steinheil Cassar 5cm f/2.9
- Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 5cm f/2.8
The Dollina III was short lived and replaced by the Super Dollina, and today it is the most uncommon of the Dollina models.
The last generation: Super Dollina, Super Dollina II
The Super Dollina replaced the Dollina III as the top of the range. It also had a coupled rangefinder integrated in the body, but this new body was more rounded and compact, similar to the Dollina I and II. The viewfinder and rangefinder windows were separated. The focusing wheel was sticking out of the right side of the top plate. The Super Dollina had two thick buttons for advance and rewind, and was made at least until the war. The shutter was either a Compur 300 or a Compur-Rapid 500. The choice of lenses for the Super Dollina included:
- Friedrich Doppel Anastigmat Corynar 5cm f/2.7
- Meyer Trioplan 5cm f/2.9
- Schneider Xenar 5cm f/2.8
- Schneider Xenon 5cm f/2
- Steinheil Cassar 5cm f/2.9
- Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 5cm f/3.5
- Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 5cm f/2.8
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After World War II, it was replaced by the Super Dollina II with slim buttons for advance and rewind. The shutters on the Super Dollina II included:
- Cludor 200
- Vebur 250
- Compur-Rapid 500
- Synchro-Compur 500
The choice of lenses for the Super Dollina II included:
- Ludwig Meritar 50mm f/2.9
- Rodenstock Heligon 50mm f/2 (probably for exportation, together with a Synchro-Compur 500)
- Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f/3.5
- Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8
The Super Dollina II was made for a very long time, until the beginning of the 1970s. It was also sold under the name Super 35.
The offshoot: Durata, Durata II
The Durata was a less expensive variant of the Super Dollina II produced after the war, without a rangefinder. The first model had a folding optical finder. The shutters included the Prontor II. The lenses for the Durata included:
- Rodenstock Trinar 4.5cm f/3.5
The Durata II was the following model, with a top plate integrating the viewfinder, and bearing a closer resemblance to the Super Dollina II. The shutters included the Cludor 200. The lenses for the Durata II included:
- Meyer Trioplan 50mm f/2.9
Links
General links
In English:
- Dollina section on Retrography.com by Simon Simonsen, Denmark
In Japanese:
Repairs
In Japanese:
