Tessina

Tessina image by Rick Soloway (Image rights)

The Tessina is a range of subminiature cameras made in Switzerland by Sigrist, and distributed by Concava S. A, from c.1960 for around four decades. For a subminiature, it has three unusual features: it uses 35mm film in special cassettes, running across the bottom of the camera - at a right-angle to the lens axis; it has spring motor film advance, and is a TLR. There are there models, the 35, 35 Auto and 35L. The L model has the lens mounted on the top, in place of the finder, perhaps intended for use covertly.

The camera body is metal, with rounded ends, and measures 69×56×27mm (2½×2¼×1 inch). The camera has a Tessinon 25mm f2.8 lens, set in a flash-synchronised shutter with speeds 1/2-1/500 second, plus 'B'. The lenses have a sliding cover for protection.

On the top is the focusing screen, with a mounting for interchangeable viewfinders. One option is a combined waist-level focusing hood and frame finder, as on any full-size TLR camera. This does not have a loupe: one was available as an accessory. A prism finder also exists.

Also on the top are the focus and aperture dials. The aperture dial has the frame counter fitted on top, while there is a depth-of-field indicator on the focus dial. There is also an exposure table. An accessory lightmeter exists, which mounts on top of this table.

The shutter speed is set on a dial at the back, where there are also the film advance and rewind knobs, and the PC socket.

The image size is 14×21mm - smaller than a standard half-frame camera, but larger than many subminiatures. A daylight loader was available to load the cassettes with 14-20 inches of standard 35mm film, giving between 20 and 30 exposures per cassette.

Links

• Tessina on subclub.org
• Tessina on Cameraquest
• Tessina on Submin.com
• Tessina, by John Lehman
• Austrian Patent (in German) from 1966 seems to refer to the Tessina.