Heinz Kilfitt

Kilfitt Makro Kilar 4 cm f/2.8 mounted on Liechtenstein-made Rectaflex image by willboy2010 (Image rights)

Heinz Kilfitt was a marvelously prolific camera designer, as well as founder of the Kilfitt optical works, in München (Munich) Germany. His early success in designing the Robot camera was followed by the Mecaflex, produced to his design. He was designer of the Kowa Six and said to have had a hand in the design of the Kalimar Reflex. Kilfitt became known as an innovator in lens design, some produced by "Kamerabau Anstalt Vaduz," Liechtenstein, later as "Kilfitt München," (Munich, Germany) under the "Kilar" brand. His firm created the earliest macro lens designs, along with a range of well-regarded telephoto lenses in mounts for the Mecaflex, Alpa, Exakta, Pentacon Six, and others (including cine cameras). The pioneering Zoomar lens was manufactured for Voigtländer by Kilfitt. On Heniz Kilfitt's retirement his company was acquired by Zoomar designer Frank Back.

Links

• Kilfitt history at AlpaReflex.com (archived)
• Heinz Kilfitt prototype camera-watch at Wired
• Kilfitt zooms and Robot 1 at Stephen Gandy's CameraQuest