Finetta
The Finetta-Werk in Goslar, Harz (Germany) had been founded in 1899 by Piet Sarabèr, a native Dutch. He was electrician and studied engineer, and married a German woman. In 1942 he moved to Germany, where he opened a company as engineering consultant with focus on electricity. Beside the company's focus it developed cameras. In 1947 a cooperation with Helmut Finke began. Finke had been former constructor at Voigtländer, Braunschweig. Until 1948 they developed the Finette 35mm viewfinder cameras, which were launched in 1949.
Finettes of 1949
- 1. Finette I A: 43mm meniscus lens, fixfocus, one aperture, 1/30 sec.
- 2. Finette II A: as I A, but aperture 6.3 to 16
- 3. Finette I B and : Finar 1:5.6/43mm achromatic lens, body improved
- 4. renamed to Finetta I D and II D
Finettas, 1949 to 1951
- 1949: Finetta III D: tube lens Anastigmat Finetar 1:4/43mm, wide aperture range, distance selectable
- 1950: Finetta IV D: as III D, but with variable speed shutter
- 1950: Finetta IV D: version with exchangeable lenses for 27mm lens mount, four lenses available
- 1951: Finetta Super: First camera with hot shoe
In 1951 Rudolf Trentsch, former camera constructor of Korelle, Dresden, camera constructor Karlheinz Reich from REKA-Kamera, Jena, and camera constructor H. Höhlemann entered the Finetta-Werk.
In 1952 the camera developments reached a peak with the Finetta 99, with wind-up spring, fast focal plane shutter, bayonet mount, hot shoe, and 3 new lenses (45mm, 70mm, and 105mm). In the U.S. the camera was sold as Ditto 99
In 1953 the camera production reached industrial dimensions.
In 1954 the company began a cooperation with Jacques Bogopolsky alias J. Bolsey which resulted in the exciting miniature 8mm cine filmcamera Bolsey 8.
In 1956 the company got into insolvency. The factory was closed in 1957.
