Difference between revisions of "Primarflex"
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Several models were produced: McKeown describes three pre-War versions, and three post-War, the last being the '''Primarflex II''' of 1951 (some of these are identified as '''Primar-Reflex II''' on the front plate, like that pictured here; the front of the hood is impressed ''Primar'', and the plate on the side of the body reads ''Feinopt. Werk Görlitz''<ref name=W>[http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.Object?inC=WLPA&inA=8&inO=686 Primar-Reflex II] of about 1951, sold at the [http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.ObjectList?inSiteLang=&inC=WLPA&inA=8 eighth Westlicht Photographica Auction], in November 2005.</ref>; the cameras was also sold in the USA as the Astraflex II<ref>[http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.Object?inC=WLPA&inA=13&inO=642 Astraflex II] with 10.5 cm f/3.5 [[Tessar]], sold at the [http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.ObjectList?inSiteLang=&inC=WLPA&inA=13 thirteenth Westlicht auction], in June 2008.</ref>); he states that VEB Feinoptiches Werk planned to make a prism viewfinder for this model, but never did.<ref name=McKeown></ref> The focusing hood is removable, however, to allow alternative finders to be fitted. | Several models were produced: McKeown describes three pre-War versions, and three post-War, the last being the '''Primarflex II''' of 1951 (some of these are identified as '''Primar-Reflex II''' on the front plate, like that pictured here; the front of the hood is impressed ''Primar'', and the plate on the side of the body reads ''Feinopt. Werk Görlitz''<ref name=W>[http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.Object?inC=WLPA&inA=8&inO=686 Primar-Reflex II] of about 1951, sold at the [http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.ObjectList?inSiteLang=&inC=WLPA&inA=8 eighth Westlicht Photographica Auction], in November 2005.</ref>; the cameras was also sold in the USA as the Astraflex II<ref>[http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.Object?inC=WLPA&inA=13&inO=642 Astraflex II] with 10.5 cm f/3.5 [[Tessar]], sold at the [http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.ObjectList?inSiteLang=&inC=WLPA&inA=13 thirteenth Westlicht auction], in June 2008.</ref>); he states that VEB Feinoptiches Werk planned to make a prism viewfinder for this model, but never did.<ref name=McKeown></ref> The focusing hood is removable, however, to allow alternative finders to be fitted. | ||
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A very large number of lenses, including some of the highest quality, were made for the camera: McKeown lists 23 German lenses, up to 40 cm in length, and states that others were made in France and England. It is hardly surprising that [[Meyer]], also in Görlitz, made some of these lenses.<ref>[http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2453061 1935 Primarflex] with a 10.5 cm f/2.8 Meyer Trioplan and an 18 cm f/3.5 Meyer Primotar, in a 2006 auction by Auction Team Breker in Cologne.</ref> The first version of the camera has a simple screw lens mount. The mount was changed, first to a broken thread (which works like a bayonet) in the second pre-War model<ref>[http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/1971068 Primarflex] (second version), with 13.5 cm f/3.5 Tessar, in a 2006 auction by Auction Team Breker in Cologne; listing mentions the new interrupted thread-mount.</ref> and then to a true bayonet mount, in later models. | A very large number of lenses, including some of the highest quality, were made for the camera: McKeown lists 23 German lenses, up to 40 cm in length, and states that others were made in France and England. It is hardly surprising that [[Meyer]], also in Görlitz, made some of these lenses.<ref>[http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2453061 1935 Primarflex] with a 10.5 cm f/2.8 Meyer Trioplan and an 18 cm f/3.5 Meyer Primotar, in a 2006 auction by Auction Team Breker in Cologne.</ref> The first version of the camera has a simple screw lens mount. The mount was changed, first to a broken thread (which works like a bayonet) in the second pre-War model<ref>[http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/1971068 Primarflex] (second version), with 13.5 cm f/3.5 Tessar, in a 2006 auction by Auction Team Breker in Cologne; listing mentions the new interrupted thread-mount.</ref> and then to a true bayonet mount, in later models. | ||
| − | + | In 2010 the Görlitzer Anzeiger wrote about the theory, that Victor Hasselblad himself spied in former East-Germany's successful photo industry and his Hasselblad 6x6 SLR are simply robbed techjnology <ref>[http://www.goerlitzer-anzeiger.de/goerlitz/wirtschaft/4572_auf-dem-mond-mit-kamera-technologie-aus-goerlitz-.html on the moon with technology from Görlitz] in Görlitzer Anzeiger</ref> | |
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 09:17, 5 November 2013
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| Primar-Reflex II of about 1951 (identical to the Primarflex II) image by Gerard Vogels (Image rights) |
The Primarflex is an SLR camera made by Bentzin in Görlitz, Germany from 1935 (McKeown points out that this was more than ten years earlier than the Hasselblad[1]), and continued after the War, when the company was reorganised as part of the state-owned system, eventually being part of VEB Feinoptisches Werk. It makes 6×6 cm exposures on 120 rollfilm, and can also accept sheet film or plates.
The camera resembles earlier, larger wooden SLR cameras such as the Soho Reflex to some extent (and Bentzin had made cameras of this type), but the Primarflex is metal-bodied, and uses lenses with helical focusing instead of a bellows. It has a similar focal-plane shutter to those cameras, with speeds 1 - 1/1000 second, plus 'B' and 'T'. It has a folding focusing hood, with a built-in folding loupe. The early models have a folding frame finder mounted on top (when folded) of the hood; in the last models this was replaced by the more familiar arrangement of a folding panel in the front of the hood to form a frame-finder.
Several models were produced: McKeown describes three pre-War versions, and three post-War, the last being the Primarflex II of 1951 (some of these are identified as Primar-Reflex II on the front plate, like that pictured here; the front of the hood is impressed Primar, and the plate on the side of the body reads Feinopt. Werk Görlitz[2]; the cameras was also sold in the USA as the Astraflex II[3]); he states that VEB Feinoptiches Werk planned to make a prism viewfinder for this model, but never did.[1] The focusing hood is removable, however, to allow alternative finders to be fitted.
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| Primarflex image by John Nuttall (Image rights) |
A very large number of lenses, including some of the highest quality, were made for the camera: McKeown lists 23 German lenses, up to 40 cm in length, and states that others were made in France and England. It is hardly surprising that Meyer, also in Görlitz, made some of these lenses.[4] The first version of the camera has a simple screw lens mount. The mount was changed, first to a broken thread (which works like a bayonet) in the second pre-War model[5] and then to a true bayonet mount, in later models.
In 2010 the Görlitzer Anzeiger wrote about the theory, that Victor Hasselblad himself spied in former East-Germany's successful photo industry and his Hasselblad 6x6 SLR are simply robbed techjnology [6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 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). p128.
- ↑ Primar-Reflex II of about 1951, sold at the eighth Westlicht Photographica Auction, in November 2005.
- ↑ Astraflex II with 10.5 cm f/3.5 Tessar, sold at the thirteenth Westlicht auction, in June 2008.
- ↑ 1935 Primarflex with a 10.5 cm f/2.8 Meyer Trioplan and an 18 cm f/3.5 Meyer Primotar, in a 2006 auction by Auction Team Breker in Cologne.
- ↑ Primarflex (second version), with 13.5 cm f/3.5 Tessar, in a 2006 auction by Auction Team Breker in Cologne; listing mentions the new interrupted thread-mount.
- ↑ on the moon with technology from Görlitz in Görlitzer Anzeiger
Links
- Primarflex (first version, 1935), with 10.5 cm f/3.5 Tessar, at Early Photography.
- Primarflex (second pre-War version), with 13.5 cm f/3.5 Tessar, at Collection d'Appareils by Sylvain Halgand.
- Primarflex (second version), with 10.5 cm f/3.5 Tessar and a 32 cm f/6.3 Tele-Tessar, sold at the November 2005 Westlicht auction.
- Primarflex (third pre-War version), with silver front and side plates, and 10 cm f/2.8 Meyer Trioplan, in a 2000 auction by Christies in London.
- Primarflex (1948 version), with 10.5 cm f/3.5 and 16.5 cm f/3.5 Tessars, in a 2006 auction by Auction Team Breker in Cologne.
- Primarflex II with a 105 mm f/3.5 Tessar, in Oldguysphotos2, Old Man Dick's blog.
- Primarflex at Kurt Tauber's Kameramuseum
- Primarflex II at Industrie- und Filmmuseum Wolfen
