Difference between revisions of "Futura"

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(Added information on "S variant" lens mount; added lens.)
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==History==
 
==History==
Futura Kamerawerk GmbH was founded in 1950 or 1951 by Fritz Kuhnert in Freiburg in Breisgau, Germany. Fritz Kuhnert was already manufacturing cameras and optical equipments during WWII and created in 1947 the Efka camera.
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{{Flickr_image
Futura marketed from 1950 to 1958 four different 35 mm rangefinders with interchangeable lenses, all with the same threaded mount.
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|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/heritagefutures/6816797706/in/pool-camerawiki/
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|image= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6816797706_1b65471f5a_m.jpg
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|image_align= right
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|image_text= Aussie ad of 1953
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|scanned_by= Dirk HR Spennemann
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|image_rights= wp
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}}
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'''Fritz Kuhnert, Optische Anstalt''', an optics factory, had been producing optical equipment for the German Luftwaffe<ref>In 1944 his workforce comprised of 142 men and 91 women of which 41 (39 men and 2 women) were forced labour from various parts of Europe. Source: Bernd Spitzmüller  (2004) ''Aber das Leben war unvorstellbar schwer. Die Geschichte der Zwangsarbeiter und Zwangsarbeiterinnen in Freiburg während des Zweiten Weltkriegs'' . Freiburg : Stadtarchiv Freiburg im Breisgau. P. 106.—The factory was destroyed in the Allied massed bomber attack on Freiburg 27 November 1944.</ref> in the Lehener Straße of Freiburg/Breisgau, and had been destroyed in WWII.
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After the war its founder Fritz Kuhnert built a new factory nearby in Gundelfingen. In 1947 he introduced the [[Efka 24]], a viewfinder camera for 24&times;24mm frame format. The Futura rangefinder camera became his flagship product, introduced at the first [[Photokina]] in 1950.
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The Hamburg ship-line owners Ernst und Eduard Komorowski took over the company an renamed it to '''Futura Kamerawerk GmbH'''. Futura marketed from 1950 to 1958 four different 35 mm rangefinders with interchangeable lenses, all with the same threaded mount.
  
 
Later production (specifically the [[Futura S]]) had a modified, functional, light baffle between the flange and the shutter leaves, which serves to allow the 50mm to couple with and drive the longer lenses (see esp. the [[Futura Tele-Elor 5.6/90]]).
 
Later production (specifically the [[Futura S]]) had a modified, functional, light baffle between the flange and the shutter leaves, which serves to allow the 50mm to couple with and drive the longer lenses (see esp. the [[Futura Tele-Elor 5.6/90]]).
  
In 1958 Futura stopped its production.
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The camera system offered two of the fastest lenses of its time, a [[standard lens]] and a [[portrait lens]], both of the f/1.5 lens construction named [[Futura Frilon]].
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In 1958 Futura stopped its production. Most Futura cameras were produced for export.
  
 
== Cameras ==
 
== Cameras ==
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{{Flickr_image
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|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/32113303@N07/6547779957/in/pool-camerawiki/
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|image= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6547779957_e82c30c4ca_n.jpg
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|image_align= right
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|image_text= Futura and Futura-S
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|image_by= Pete Naylor
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|image_rights= wp
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}}
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===viewfinder cameras===
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* [[Efka 24]]
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====rangefinder cameras====
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* [[Futura (Standard)|Futura]]
 
* [[Futura (Standard)]]
 
* [[Futura (Standard)]]
* Futura P
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* [[Futura P]]
 
* [[Futura S]]
 
* [[Futura S]]
 
* Futura S III
 
* Futura S III
  
 
== Lenses ==
 
== Lenses ==
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Lens calculations were done by lens maker [[Schneider]]'s optician Werner Giesbrecht for Futura. All lenses except Schneider's original Xenar were of Futura's own production. The lenses were named like Kuhnert's family members: Elor like his wife Eleonore, Evar und Petar like his children Eva und Peter.
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*Futura Ampligon 4.5/35
 
*Futura Ampligon 4.5/35
 
*Futura Futar 3.5/45
 
*Futura Futar 3.5/45
 
*Schneider Xenar 2.8/45
 
*Schneider Xenar 2.8/45
 
*Futura Frilon 1.5/50
 
*Futura Frilon 1.5/50
*Futura Evar 2.0/50
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*[[Futura Evar 2.0/50]]
*Futura Elor 2.8/50
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*[[Futura Elor 2.8/50]]
*Futura Frilon 1.5/70
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*[[Futura Frilon 1.5/70]]
 
*Futura Tele Futar 3.8/75
 
*Futura Tele Futar 3.8/75
 
*Futura Tele Elor 3.8/90
 
*Futura Tele Elor 3.8/90
*[[Futura Tele-Elor 5.6/90]]
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*[[Futura Tele-Elor 5.6/90]] (needs Futura S/SIII)
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==Optical accessories==
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{{Flickr_image
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|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/pattayawan/5056271179/in/pool-camerawiki/
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|image= http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4084/5056271179_aef56d1ee3_n.jpg
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|image_align= left
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|image_text= Universal Finder, bright frame finder with<br/>parallax correction, adjustable for focal lengths 35 to 100mm
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|image_by= Woradate Pattayawan
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|image_rights= wp
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}}{{br}}
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==
*[http://www.ukcamera.com/classic_cameras/fut1.htm UK Cameras]
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*[https://www.futuracollector.es/442689888 Futura at Futuracollector.es]
*[http://kr.blog.yahoo.com/chosh1953/1840 Futura camera images] in a Yahoo blog
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*[https://web.archive.org/web/20180403222419/http://www.ukcamera.com/classic_cameras/fut1.htm Futura page at UK Cameras] (archived)
 
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*[http://www.butkus.org/chinon/futura/futura.htm Butkus' Manual and Brochure]
 
[[Category: German camera makers]]
 
[[Category: German camera makers]]
 
[[Category: German lens makers]]
 
[[Category: German lens makers]]
 
[[Category: Futura|*]]
 
[[Category: Futura|*]]
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== Notes ==
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<references />

Latest revision as of 05:48, 25 October 2022

History

Fritz Kuhnert, Optische Anstalt, an optics factory, had been producing optical equipment for the German Luftwaffe[1] in the Lehener Straße of Freiburg/Breisgau, and had been destroyed in WWII.

After the war its founder Fritz Kuhnert built a new factory nearby in Gundelfingen. In 1947 he introduced the Efka 24, a viewfinder camera for 24×24mm frame format. The Futura rangefinder camera became his flagship product, introduced at the first Photokina in 1950.

The Hamburg ship-line owners Ernst und Eduard Komorowski took over the company an renamed it to Futura Kamerawerk GmbH. Futura marketed from 1950 to 1958 four different 35 mm rangefinders with interchangeable lenses, all with the same threaded mount.

Later production (specifically the Futura S) had a modified, functional, light baffle between the flange and the shutter leaves, which serves to allow the 50mm to couple with and drive the longer lenses (see esp. the Futura Tele-Elor 5.6/90).

The camera system offered two of the fastest lenses of its time, a standard lens and a portrait lens, both of the f/1.5 lens construction named Futura Frilon.

In 1958 Futura stopped its production. Most Futura cameras were produced for export.

Cameras

viewfinder cameras

rangefinder cameras

Lenses

Lens calculations were done by lens maker Schneider's optician Werner Giesbrecht for Futura. All lenses except Schneider's original Xenar were of Futura's own production. The lenses were named like Kuhnert's family members: Elor like his wife Eleonore, Evar und Petar like his children Eva und Peter.

Optical accessories


Links

Notes

  1. In 1944 his workforce comprised of 142 men and 91 women of which 41 (39 men and 2 women) were forced labour from various parts of Europe. Source: Bernd Spitzmüller (2004) Aber das Leben war unvorstellbar schwer. Die Geschichte der Zwangsarbeiter und Zwangsarbeiterinnen in Freiburg während des Zweiten Weltkriegs . Freiburg : Stadtarchiv Freiburg im Breisgau. P. 106.—The factory was destroyed in the Allied massed bomber attack on Freiburg 27 November 1944.