Welta
| Camera industry in Dresden |
| Balda | Certo | Eho-Altissa | Eichapfel | Ernemann | Feinmess | Heyde | Hamaphot | Huth | Hüttig | ICA | Ihagee | Kochmann | Kerman | KW | Eugen Loeber | Ludwig | Mentor | Merkel | Meyer | Mimosa | Pentacon | Richter | Sommer | Stübiger | Unger & Hoffmann | Werner | Wünsche | Zeiss Ikon | Zeh |
| Camera distributors in Dresden |
| Stöckig |
| Camera industry in Freital |
| Beier | Pouva | Stein & Binnewerg | Thowe | Welta |
Welta was a German camera maker based in Freital near Dresden. It was founded by Walter Waurich and Theodor Weber in 1914 as Weeka-Kamera-Werk and became Welta-Kamera-Werk in 1919.[1] It made a number of medium-priced folders before World War II, and its camera production was quite comparable to Balda and Certo. It also introduced two folding TLRs, the 6×6 Perfekta and the 6×9 Superfekta, which did not sell too well.
After the war, Welta continued production as a state company (VEB Welta-Kamera-Werk), with a range evolved from the prewar models. It absorbed Kamera-Werk Tharandt (the former Richter) in 1950. It became a part of the large VEB Kamera- und Kinowerk Dresden in 1959, a state owned conglomerate of East-German cameramakers that was to become VEB Pentacon in 1964.[2]
Contents
35mm film
Folding
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Rigid
- Belmira
Half frame
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120 film
Folding
Viewfinder
Rangefinder
Folding TLR
- Perfekta (6×6)
- Superfekta (6×9)
Normal TLR
- Reflecta, actually made by Richter, later continued by Welta as Reflekta.
- Reflekta II
- Reflekta III
- Weltaflex
- Peerflekta, Peerflekta II
127 film
- Gucki (3×4)
- Gucki (4×6.5)
129 film
- Perle (5×8)
116 film
- Perle (6.5×11)
Film plates
- Rak
- Tux
- Watson
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| Catalogue by the Japanese retailer Photo News for Welta cameras, April 1936. (Image rights) |
Notes
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).
- Photo News Sha. Catalogue of Welta cameras, dated April 1936. Document reproduced in this Flickr album by Rebollo_fr.
Links
- Welta at Frank Petermann's site
- Company history at dresdner-kameras.de
- Welta page at Collection G. Even's site
- Welta cameras at www.collection-appareils.fr
- Welta section at Retrography.com by Simon Simonsen, Denmark
