Feinmess
| 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 |
|
| Heyde's Photo-Telemeter, a precision rangefinder image by IOW runner (Image rights) |
Feinmess is a German optical company based in Dresden. It was founded by Gustav Heyde in 1872 under his own name, and made optical and mechanical precision devices.
History
Founded in 1872 as Gustav Heyde - Mathematical-mechanical Institute & Optical Precision Workshop.
|
| Heyde's Aktino-Photometer, several variants (see Actinometry) image by Simon Spaans (Image rights) |
In the decades of the 20th century the Heyde company produced its highly sophisticated Heyde refractor telescopes.
The Gustav Heyde GmbH made the HEYDE Photo-Telemeter, an accessory rangefinder with a wide measuring range, and lightmeters as shown on the right.
It became nationalized by the East German state in 1949. Then it was named VEB Feinmess.
The company still exists today, recently (2014) renamed from Feinmess Dresden GmbH to Steinmeyer Mechatronik GmbH, as part of Steinmeyer group since 1992, no longer a "VEB". It makes various measuring instruments, positioning systems and optical devices.
Lenses
Only two Feinmess camera lenses are known: the 105/4.5 Bonotar and the 105/6.3 Bonar, both made to help equipping the user-friendly Belfoca folding camera series of Belca with approriate lenses. Designer of the Bonotar was Claus Lieberwirth. It was also used for Beirax cameras of Beier.
 Bonar lens on Belfoca camera |
 Bonotar M42 screw mount portrait lens |
|
From 1954 to 1959 the Bonotar was offered as M42 screw mount lens (see 42mm screw lenses), as Exakta bayonet mount lens (see Exakta lenses), and as Praktina bayonet lens.
Other camera optics of Feinmess were the pentaprisms it made for Exa and Exakta cameras.
Feinmess also made the slide-projector lens Pronar 2,8/85.
Links
|
| Clamp pod for cameras image by Uwe Kulick (Image rights) |
Clamp pod for cameras
by Uwe Kulick (Image rights)
In German:
- Company history at Steinmeyer Mechatronik
- Illustrated history at Steinmeyer homepage
- Product history at Steinmeyer homepage
- The refractors at Steinmeyer homepage
- Company history at dresdner-kameras.de
- German Wikipedia page about the Bonotar lens
