Super Colorette
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| Super Colorette IIB w/ Steinheil lenses, 50mm Cassarit (mounted) and 35mm Culmigon image by Tommaso Giorni (Image rights) |
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| Super Colorette IB image by mondays child (Image rights) |
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| Super Colorette IB. View of the top plate, showing the meter. The red scale is the high range, used with the hinged cover shut; the black scale is the low range. image by Nikolaus Piccolotto (Image rights) |
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| Braun Colorette Super IIL (without a meter) image by Christoph Batz |
The Colorette Super (or Super Colorette) is a line of coupled rangefinder cameras made by Braun in Nuremberg from about 1956 to 1959. There are several models, with fixed or interchangeable lens, and with or without a lightmeter. Some of these are marked only Colorette on the camera. According to McKeown, the body design is based on that of the Gloriette viewfinder camera of about the same time.[1] All the models have lever-wind film advance, with a frame counter on the hub of the lever. All have a synchronised shutter, with a PC socket on the front, and a cold shoe on the top plate. The shutter release is threaded for a cable release.
The system of naming of the models is similar to the Paxette:
- Colorette Super I: rangefinder, fixed lens (45 mm f/2.8 Steinheil Cassar S or Cassarit), no lightmeter.
- Colorette Super I B: rangefinder, fixed lens and uncoupled lightmeter, with a slotted cover giving dual range.
- Colorette Super I BL: rangefinder, fixed lens, uncoupled lightmeter (without a hinged cover) and brightline finder.
- Colorette Super II: rangefinder and interchangeable lens, no lightmeter.
- Colorette Super II B: rangefinder, interchangeable lens and uncoupled lightmeter with hinged, slotted cover.
- Colorette Super II L: rangefinder, interchangeable lens, brightline finder with frames for 35 mm, 85 mm and 135 mm lenses, but no lightmeter.
- Colorette Super II BL: rangefinder, interchangeable lens, uncoupled lightmeter (without a cover) and brightline finder with frames for several lenses.
All interchangeable-lens models have a Synchro Compur shutter and a Deckel bayonet mount. The mount is exactly the same as the Voigtländer Vitessa one, so lenses for that camera can be mounted on it, in addition to those listed below.
All fixed-lens models have a Compur Rapid shutter. The 'L' models, with a brightline finder, were introduced in 1958.[1]
Interchangeable Deckel mount lenses
- Steinheil:
- Culmigon 35 mm f/4.5
- Cassarit 50 mm f/2.8
- Culminar 50 mm f/2.8
- Schneider:
- Radiogon 35 mm f/4
- Radiogon 35 mm f/2.8
- Xenar 50 mm f/2.8
- Tele Arton 85 mm f/4
- Rodenstock:
- Eurygon 35 mm f/4
- Ysarex 50 mm f/2.8
- Rotelar 85 mm f/4
- Rotelar 135 mm f/4.0
Rebadged cameras
- The Super Colorette IB was sold by Wittnauer in the USA as the Captain.
- The Super Colorette II was sold by Wittnauer in the USA as the Continental.
- The IIB was sold by Wittnauer as the Professional.
- There is a version of the Super Colorette marked only Tower, suggesting it was made for Sears. It has a fixed 45 mm f/2.8 Cassar lens, and a Synchro-Compur shutter. McKeown lists the camera (under Sears), and shows a photograph of it. He and states that he is aware of only two examples of it. These were both seen in Canada, and McKeown suggests this version may have been made specially for a Canadian department store, whose mail-order was handled by Sears. Following the naming system above, the camera would be a model IL (it has a fixed lens, a brightline finder, and no meter); McKeown states that this specification was not offered as a Braun model.[2]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 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). p166-7.
- ↑ McKeown 12th edition, p876.
