Superb
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| Superb image by willboy2010 (Image rights) |
The Superb is a well-engineered but somewhat quirky metal-bodied TLR for 6x6 cm pictures on 120 roll film, made by Voigtländer. The camera was introduced in 1933. This was six years after Franke & Heidecke made the first Rolleiflex; however, the Rolleiflex is derived from the stereo F&H's Heidoscop, which is itself a copy of Voigtländer's Stereflektoskop, so it is probably unjust to describe the Superb as a copy of the Rolleiflex. This first model of the Superb can be identified by cast-metal strap lugs which extend outwards like ears; later models have nickel-plated lugs, as illustrated here. Early cameras also have a rigid focusing hood;[1] in later examples, the hood is the familiar TLR style, with the front panel folding to form a frame finder.[1]
The Superb has Voigtländer's own lenses (a Skopar in all examples seen) and a Compur shutter, customised for the camera in that the shutter speeds on the rim are engraved in reverse, so that they read correctly when seen from above in a small mirrored prism, in normal camera use. This can be seen in the lower picture here.
The camera is focused by turning the viewing lens, which is coupled by external gearing to a helical thread behind the taking lens (so that the taking lens and shutter move without turning); the gearing can be seen in the lower picture here. The focus scale is around the viewing lens. The viewing lens tilts with the focus, giving automatic parallax-error correction, at least in later cameras.[1] Parallax-error correction is also possible with the frame-finder, by a moving mask for the eyepiece window.[2]
The film passes horizontally across the camera, with an advance lever positioned for the left thumb.[2] There is a frame counter, allowing film advance without using the red window once the film is set to frame 1. However, according to the notes at Early Photography, the film advance does not incorporate 'auto-stop' (i.e. the lever does not lock once the film has advanced a full frame).[1]
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| 1934 Superb image by Nikita B (Image rights) |
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Superb with 7.5 cm f/3.5 Skopar taking lens, f/3.5 Helomar viewing lens and Compur shutter with speeds to 1/250 second, at Early Photography.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Superb serial no. 599627, sold at the December 2010 Westlicht Photographica Auction; several excellent photographs of the camera.
| German TLR () | |
|---|---|
| 35 mm | Contaflex | Flexilette | Optima Reflex |
| 3×4 | Pilot Reflex |
| 4×4 | Baby Rolleiflex (1931) | Baby Rolleiflex (1957) | Karma-Flex |
| 6×6 | Altiflex | Amplion Reflex | Brillant | Flektar | Flexo | Flexora | Flexora II | Flexora III | Foth-Flex | Ikoflex 1 | Ikoflex II | Ikoflex Ia | Ikoflex Ic Ikoflex Favorit | Karma-Flex | Mentorett | Montiflex | Peerflekta | Perfekta | Photina Reflex | Plascaflex | Reflecta | Reflekta | Reflekta II | Rica Flex | Rocca Automatic | Rocca Super Reflex | Rolleiflex | Rolleicord | Rollop | Superb | Superflex | Trumpfreflex | Vitaflex | Weltaflex | Wirgin Reflex | Zeca-Flex |
| 6×9 | Superfekta |
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| Superb showing reverse-engraved shutter speeds which are reflected in the small prism image by Geoff Harrisson (Image rights) |
