Primarette
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| Bentzin Planovista image by opalpics (Image rights) |
The Primarette is a twin-lens camera made by Bentzin in the 1930s, taking 4×6.5cm pictures on 127 film. It was also sold as the Planovista. It is effectively a folding twin lens camera, but not a TLR, with two lenses and bellows, one for viewing and one for taking. There was a choice of taking lens, including a Meyer Trioplan 75mm f3.5, set in a Compur shutter with speeds from 1 to 1/300 second, or a f3.8 Zeiss Tessar in the same shutter, or a f2.7 Meyer Macroplasmat in a Compur-Rapid shutter with self-timer. The viewing lens projects an image onto a ground glass screen set in a hood on the back of the camera, designed for use at eye-level. Since there is no reflex mirror, the image would be upside-down.
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| Article about Planovista in The Amateur Photographer image by John-Henry Collinson (Image rights) |
 
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| Leaflet by British distributor Seeing Camera. Scan by rebollo_fr (Image rights) |
  
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| Curt Bentzin, Primarette 4x6.5㎝, Hugo Meyer Makro Plasmat f2.7/7.5cm lens, Compur-Rapid shutter Images by yalluflex. (Image rights) |
Links
- Primarette with an f/3.5 Trioplan in a 2001 Christies auction.
- Primarette serial no. 1101, with an f/3.5 Trioplan, sold at the first Westlicht Photographica Auction, on 15 November 2002.
- Planovista serial no. 676, with an f/3.5 Trioplan, sold at the sixteenth Westlicht auction, on 5 December 2009.
- Planovista serial no. 721, with an f/2.9 Trioplan, sold at the second/third Westlicht auction, on 23 May 2003.
