Wittnauer Professional
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Manufacturer: Wittnauer
Film type: 35mm film
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The Professional is a 35mm coupled rangefinder camera, sold by the New York company Wittnauer, better known for watches, from around 1958.[1] Like many of Wittnauer's cameras, it was made by the German Braun company, best known for its Paxette rangefinders: the Professional is a rebadged Super Colorette IIB.
The standard lens is a 50mm f2.8 Wittnauer Chronostar coated lens. This has the same bayonet mount as some other cameras, including the Voigtländer Vitessa T. The lenses available for the Super Colorette in this mount range from 35 mm to 135 mm lenses by Rodenstock, Schneider and Steinheil. It seems probable that the Chronostar is one of the 50 mm options from this range, rebadged: a Rodenstock Ysarex, Schneider Xenar or Steinheil Cassarit or Culminar.
The lens mounts in a Synchro-Compur shutter fixed in the body, giving speeds 1 - 1/500 second, plus 'B', with a self-timer. The shutter settings have the Exposure Value system, which locks the aperture and shutter-speed controls together, to allow easy adjustment between different exposure combinations giving the same exposure. The camera has a built-in uncoupled selenium light meter in the top housing, with a slotted cover (to give it high and low ranges, with the cover open or closed; the two EV scales are visible in the pictures). The meter allows film speeds from 10 to 1000 ASA to be set. There is a cold shoe on the top housing, and a PC socket at the bottom of the front panel. Film advance is by a compact winding lever.
Notes
- ↑ 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). p1015.
