Difference between revisions of "Kristall (Chinaglia)"
Hanskerensky (talk | contribs) m (Redirected Link URL to archived version) |
m (Updated LPA link) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
The '''Kristall''' series of cameras are [[Leica II]] copies, made in the 1950s by '''Domenico Chinaglia''' of Belluno in north-west Italy. The earliest cameras were made for sale by Guido Nomini of Milan, and are engraved with ''GN.M'' in a triangle on the rangefinder superstructure,<ref name=McK>{{McKeown12}} p201-2.</ref> as on the first example at Westlicht, cited below. Later cameras are engraved for Chinaglia, with ''CD'' in a rhombus. | The '''Kristall''' series of cameras are [[Leica II]] copies, made in the 1950s by '''Domenico Chinaglia''' of Belluno in north-west Italy. The earliest cameras were made for sale by Guido Nomini of Milan, and are engraved with ''GN.M'' in a triangle on the rangefinder superstructure,<ref name=McK>{{McKeown12}} p201-2.</ref> as on the first example at Westlicht, cited below. Later cameras are engraved for Chinaglia, with ''CD'' in a rhombus. | ||
| − | Strangely, the first camera is the '''Kristall 2a'''.<ref name=McK/><ref>[https://wlpa.auction2000.se/auk/w.Object?inC=WLPA&inA=20131004_0909&inO=360 Kristall 2a] serial no. 00887, sold (with a KMZ [[Industar-22]] lens) at the [https://wlpa.auction2000.se/auk/w.objectlist?inC=WLPA&inA=20131004_0909 24th Westlicht Photographica Auction], on 23 November 2013.</ref><ref>[https:// | + | Strangely, the first camera is the '''Kristall 2a'''.<ref name=McK/><ref>[https://wlpa.auction2000.se/auk/w.Object?inC=WLPA&inA=20131004_0909&inO=360 Kristall 2a] serial no. 00887, sold (with a KMZ [[Industar-22]] lens) at the [https://wlpa.auction2000.se/auk/w.objectlist?inC=WLPA&inA=20131004_0909 24th Westlicht Photographica Auction], on 23 November 2013.</ref><ref>[https://www.leitz-auction.com/en/Chinaglia-Kristall-2a/AI-30-34110 Kristall 2a] serial no. 976, with Steinar Anastigmat; lot 222 of the [https://www.leitz-auction.com/en/Cameras/Past-Auctions/Auction-30/ 30th Westlicht Auction], on 19 November 2016.</ref> It has a focal-plane shutter with speeds 1/20 to 1/1000 second, plus 'B', which is [[flash sync|synchronised]] for flash (except on early examples<ref name=McK/>), with a [[PC socket]] on the front of the camera, and a [[cold shoe]] on the top plate. The viewfinder and rangefinder have separate eyepieces. |
The lens is interchangeable, with a standard 39 mm thread mount. McKeown lists the camera with a collapsible f/3.5 Steinar (engraved Kristall, so Chinaglia's own-brand lens) or Schneider Xenon, or an f/2.8 SOM Berthiot lens.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171019171118/http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.Object?inSiteLang=ENGLISH&inC=FHR&inA=09052010&inO=63 Kristall 2a] serial no. 01347, with SOM Berthiot 50 mm f/2.8 anastigmat, offered for sale but unsold at the [http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.ObjectList?inSiteLang=ENGLISH&inC=FHR&inA=09052010 12th Photographica Auction] (archived) by [http://www.photographica-auctionen.de/eng/ Rahn AG], on 9 May 2010. The auctioneer's notes state that this example of the camera has a stainless steel top housing, and is stamped with a K2 symbol, in commemoration of an Italian expedition to that mountain.</ref> | The lens is interchangeable, with a standard 39 mm thread mount. McKeown lists the camera with a collapsible f/3.5 Steinar (engraved Kristall, so Chinaglia's own-brand lens) or Schneider Xenon, or an f/2.8 SOM Berthiot lens.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171019171118/http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.Object?inSiteLang=ENGLISH&inC=FHR&inA=09052010&inO=63 Kristall 2a] serial no. 01347, with SOM Berthiot 50 mm f/2.8 anastigmat, offered for sale but unsold at the [http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.ObjectList?inSiteLang=ENGLISH&inC=FHR&inA=09052010 12th Photographica Auction] (archived) by [http://www.photographica-auctionen.de/eng/ Rahn AG], on 9 May 2010. The auctioneer's notes state that this example of the camera has a stainless steel top housing, and is stamped with a K2 symbol, in commemoration of an Italian expedition to that mountain.</ref> | ||
Revision as of 20:13, 17 January 2024
The Kristall series of cameras are Leica II copies, made in the 1950s by Domenico Chinaglia of Belluno in north-west Italy. The earliest cameras were made for sale by Guido Nomini of Milan, and are engraved with GN.M in a triangle on the rangefinder superstructure,[1] as on the first example at Westlicht, cited below. Later cameras are engraved for Chinaglia, with CD in a rhombus.
Strangely, the first camera is the Kristall 2a.[1][2][3] It has a focal-plane shutter with speeds 1/20 to 1/1000 second, plus 'B', which is synchronised for flash (except on early examples[1]), with a PC socket on the front of the camera, and a cold shoe on the top plate. The viewfinder and rangefinder have separate eyepieces.
The lens is interchangeable, with a standard 39 mm thread mount. McKeown lists the camera with a collapsible f/3.5 Steinar (engraved Kristall, so Chinaglia's own-brand lens) or Schneider Xenon, or an f/2.8 SOM Berthiot lens.[4]
The Kristall 2s has a top shutter speed of 1/500 second, but is otherwise similar.
The Kristall 3s has slow speeds down to one second, on a separate dial, and the top speed of 1/1000 second. There are two types; the early one has a rangefinder supersturucture like previous cameras;[5] the later type has a shaped top housing.
The Kristall (or Kristall Standard, to differentiate it from the RF cameras) of about 1952, is a viewfinder camera. [6] McKeown states that it is Chinaglia's version of the Wega, made after he took over its maker AFIOM; however, Dario Mondonico states confidently that AFIOM was in operation until at least 1956.[7] McKeown notes that the camera body has the Wega's angular ends, whereas the preceding Kristall models are all round-ended.
  
|
| Chinaglia Kristall Standard, Staeble Trigon 2.8/50mm lens Images by Gareth Davies. (Image rights) |
The Kristall 53 (of 1953) has an enlarged viewfinder window, with selectable frames for six focal lengths from 28 to 105 mm.[8] [9] The rangefinder still has a separate eyepiece. It has the separate slow shutter speed dial.
The Kristall R of 1954 does not have the slow speed dial; it has speeds 1/20 to 1/1000 second, plus 'B', on a single dial. It has the RF combined with the viewfinder in the same eyepiece. It has a larger RF window, which is tinted, and a larger top housing to accommodate this.[10] The camera has both a PC socket and one for Vacublitz flash on the front.
Later examples of the Wega cameras may have been produced by Chinaglia. Dario Mondonico suggests that those engraved with Chinaglia's <CD> mark may simply have been what remained in AFIOM's inventory when Chinaglia took over the company.[7]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 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). p201-2.
- ↑ Kristall 2a serial no. 00887, sold (with a KMZ Industar-22 lens) at the 24th Westlicht Photographica Auction, on 23 November 2013.
- ↑ Kristall 2a serial no. 976, with Steinar Anastigmat; lot 222 of the 30th Westlicht Auction, on 19 November 2016.
- ↑ Kristall 2a serial no. 01347, with SOM Berthiot 50 mm f/2.8 anastigmat, offered for sale but unsold at the 12th Photographica Auction (archived) by Rahn AG, on 9 May 2010. The auctioneer's notes state that this example of the camera has a stainless steel top housing, and is stamped with a K2 symbol, in commemoration of an Italian expedition to that mountain.
- ↑ Kristall 3s serial no. 11244, with Steinar 50 mm f/3.5; the earlier type, with the RF in a simple box superstructure. Offered for sale but unsold at the 12th Rahn Photographica auction (archived).
- ↑ Kristall serial no. 12490, with Adlenar 5 cm f/3.5, offered for sale but unsold at the 24th Westlicht auction.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 AFIOM: notes on company history and pictures of a Wega and a IIa; and Chinaglia cameras, at Dario Mondonico's Mistermondo site.
- ↑ Kristall 53 serial no. 11999, with Steinar 50 mm f/3.5, sold at the 24th Westlicht auction.
- ↑ Kristall 53 serial no. 11728, also with Steinar 50 mm f/3.5, offered for sale but unsold at the 12th Rahn Photographica auction (archived).
- ↑ Kristall R serial no. 20166, with Krinar 50 mm f/3.5 (scaled in feet), sold at the 24th Westlicht auction.
Links
- C.D. Kristall cameras at Fotocamere Italiane (Japanese)
