Plaubel Aerial camera AK 1/03

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The AK 1/03 is an aerial camera made in about 1955 by Plaubel of Frankfurt. It makes 6x9cm exposures on 120 roll film in a detachable filmholder. It has a focal-plane shutter with speeds 1/20 - 1/1000 second, plus 'T' (marked as such on the speed dial; but perhaps 'B' shutter). The examples seen have a 100mm f/3.5 Anticomar lens. The camera has a frame finder; the rear part folding, the front a simple wire 'set of goalposts' that pulls up. There is also a big shoe on the top left for mounting a zoom Galilean viewfinder, adjustable from 100-600mm as in the second example linked below. The camera and film-holder are painted with pale green crackle-finish paint. The camera has leather hand-straps on each side, and there are some folded brackets either side of the lens which might serve to fasten the camera to a frame in an aircraft. There is a bipost flash synchronisation terminal on the left side.

Examples

• Serial number 103, with film back and lens-hood, sold at the 34th Leitz Photographica Auction, in June 2019: several excellent photos of the camera.
• Serial number 104 with two film backs, hood and optical finder, sold by Auction Team Breker in October 2020.
• Serial number 105, with film-back and hood, optical viewfinder mounted, and with yellow and orange filters, sold by Christie's in 2003.
• Serial number 114, with two film-backs, hood, optical finder, yellow and orange filters, a swivel-mount (?) and leather outfit case, sold by LP Foto Auktion in December 2018. The auctioneer's notes state that sixty units of the camera were made, for the Swedish air force: several excellent photos.