Weha plate folders
The Weha (ウエハー) plate folders were certainly distributed in the early 1930s by Yamamoto Shashinki-ten, owner of the Weha brand. Yamamoto later distributed the Weha Chrome Six and Weha Six made by Ehira, but the plate folders were probably not made by the same company.
Wooden body
The early models have a wooden body. Two surviving examples have been observed so far, recognized by the name WEHA embossed in the leather handle, but they have a different body.
The presumably earliest one has split folding struts, vertical and horizontal movement ability, a small focusing wheel on the photographer's right, a folding brilliant finder and a wireframe finder attached on two points.[1] It has an Ibsor shutter (1–125, T, B) and a Heliostar Anastigmat München 130mm f/4.5 lens. The focal length probably indicates that it takes tefuda (8×10.5cm) plates.
The presumably later one is in 6.5×9cm format.[2] It has plain folding struts, no movement ability, a focusing wheel on the right, a rigid brilliant finder and a different wireframe finder attached on one point. It might have the same handle lugs as the previous example. This particular example has a rim-set Compur shutter (T, B, 1–250) and an Anastigmat Trioplan 10.5cm f/4.5.[3]
One lens and shutter unit has been reported as coming from a "Weha Light" plate folder made around 1930, presumably a wooden model.[4] It consists of an Anastigmat Wekar 10.5cm f/4.5 lens made by Kenngott mounted on a Pronto (25, 50, 100, B, T) shutter.
Metal body
The later models have a metal body. Three surviving examples have been observed so far, and they seem to have the same body in 6.5×9cm format. The plain folding struts have a peculiar shape, the brilliant finder has a bubble lever on its side and the wireframe finder has a plain rectangular eyepiece. The simplest example has a Vario shutter (25, 50, 100, B, T) and a lens reported as a Weha-Aplanat 105/6.8; no focus control is visible and the camera is perhaps focused by manually moving the front standard.[5] Another has a Neuheil shutter made by Neumann & Heilemann and a Heliostar Anastigmat München 105mm f/6.3 lens; again no focus control is visible.[6] The third has a Lidex shutter (T, B, 5–200) by Molta, a Heliostar Anastigmat München 105mm f/4.5 lens and a focusing wheel on the photographer's right.[7]
Notes
- ↑ Example observed in an online auction.
- ↑ Example pictured in Sugiyama, item 1264.
- ↑ Shutter speed and lens name reported in Sugiyama, item 1264.
- ↑ See this page at ksmt.com.
- ↑ Example pictured in Sugiyama, item 1265.
- ↑ Example observed in an online auction.
- ↑ Example pictured in this page at Asacame.
Bibliography
- 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). P.255.
- Sugiyama, Kōichi (杉山浩一); Naoi, Hiroaki (直井浩明); Bullock, John R. The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras. 国産カメラ図鑑 (Kokusan kamera zukan). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1985. ISBN 4-257-03187-5. Items 1264–5.
Links
In Japanese: