Sonne
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The Sonne cameras are a series of Leica copies made by Antonio Gatto in Pordenone, Italy from about 1948.[1][2] Gatto had been an employee of Officine Galileo, and used factory facilities disused by Galileo during the War.
Sonne IV
Despite the name, the Sonne IV is the first camera made by Gatto.[3] It has a body broadly similar to a Leica, but with a hinged back, not a removeable base. The coupled rangefinder is in a small superstructure fastened to a flat top plate. The rangefinder and viewfinder have separate eyepieces, and the viewfinder is small, like the Leica II. The camera has shutter speeds 1/20 - 1/1000 second, plus 'B', all on a single speed control arranged around the shutter release button. There is an accessory shoe on top of the rangefinder unit, but the shutter is not synchronised for flash. Film advance is by a winding knob, with a mechanical frame counter around the knob. The lens is a 5 cm f/3.5 Adlenar,[2] or Anastigmat 'T' Elionar, made for Gatto by Galileo.[1] This is similar to the collapsible Elmar. The camera has a ⅜-inch tripod bush in the base.
Sonne V
The Sonne V is similar to the IV, but has shutter speeds to 1 second, with a slow speed control behind the main speed dial, and the shutter is now synchronised.[1] An example sold at Westlicht has a PC socket on the front of the body,[4] while one shown at the 'Mistermondo.com' site has a Vaccublitz socket, and a synchronisation-delay selector.[5] The rangefinder unit is profiled, its sloped ends surrounding the shutter release and the short rewind knob. In addition to the camera name, and 'Patent', the rangefinder unit is engraved Germany.
Sonne C
In the Sonne C, the main rangefinder window is much larger, and both the RF windows and the eyepieces are rectangular. The viewfinder, still with a separate eyepiece from the rangefinder, is not changed.[6][5] Again, it is engraved 'Germany' on the rangefinder. The succession of the models was fairly quick; the C was made in 1950.[1]
Sonne C4
The Sonne C4 has its rangefinder built into a one-piece top housing,with several steps in height. The controls are somewhat restyled. The viewfinder and rangefinder are now combined in one eyepiece.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Danilo Cecchi (2002) L'Industria Fotografica Italiana: Terza Parte: Le 35mm dal dopoguerra ai giorni nostri (The Italian Photographic Industry: Part 3: 35 mm from the Second World War to the Present Day). Article hosted at Nadir magazine; text in Italian.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 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). p338.
- ↑ Sonne IV serial no. 343, sold at the May 2007 Westlicht Photographica Auction in Vienna.
- ↑ Sonne V serial no. 60164, sold at the May 2004 Westlicht auction.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sonne cameras (Sonne IV, Sonne V with Vaccublitz flash synchronisation, Sonne C and C4) at Dario Mondonico's Mistermondo.com site.
- ↑ Sonne C serial no. C531, sold at the November 2008 Westlicht auction.
