An un named 1930's German Folding Camera with some up-dates 15.7.2025

At first glance this camera could be a typical small 35mm folding camera from the late 30's, Compur shutter, 50mm Radionar lens, all good quality fixtures and fittings of the period.

But look again, have you ever seen a viewfinder like that before on this type of camera, a high quality cast alloy viewfinder? I have not, and I have been collecting and using old cameras from 16 years of age, I'm now 64 ! I have never seen anything like it.

Look again, hang on a minute, it's got a back with the red window facility, so it's not 35mm at all, it's a 127 roll film camera, but it has only a 50mm focal length lens, not 75mm as you would expect for a 127 roll film format camera. On top of this it has two red windows. This is when the light bulb finally switched on in my mind. I've seen this feature before, I think it was on an early Foth Derby or something very similar that my foreman had at work back in the early 1980's when we were both avid camera collectors. You wind the number 1 on to the first picture, take it, then wind number 1 on again to the second window and take your next shot ! Yes this is16 exposures of a 4x3cm image on 127 film camera. So 16 4x3cm shots instead of the normal 12 frames of 4x4cm or 8 shots of 4x6cm. So if you take the 4x6cm image as normal, them this is a half frame camera, taking 2 images on the single marked 4x6cm frame.

I opened the camera back and found this frame inside, an upright portrait frame, which confirms I think, the half frame set up. The flashy alloy viewfinder is masked as an upright portrait view as well.. So this is a half frame 127 film camera! We think of Olympus popularising 35mm half frame cameras in the 1960's and 70's, well it looks like someone in Germany had the same idea in the 1930's using the then popular 127 film format. But who ?

Who made this camera, and when?

Lets go back a couple of days ! My wife was in Germany, Bavaria in fact, Memmingen to be precise, she saw that there was a flea market going on the next day, so got up early and had a good look around. She sent me a picture of this camera, was it of interest? Oh yes definitely, I had no idea what it was or who made it, there was no makers name on it that she could see, only that it had a Compur shutter and a Schneider - Kreuznach Radionar lens. To cut a long story short it came back to the U.K. in her hand luggage safe and sound, but not before creating a security alert at the airport when its odd shape was picked up when scanning the bag!

So who made it? Why no body numbers, or a makers name or even a model name ?

I think we can safely say it was made in Germany, it has the German style of the mid to late 1930's. The Compur shutter from F. Deckel of Munchen and the Schneider - Kreuznach Radionar lens would back this up, but by whom? Why no name, model or body numbers?

I have a theory! I think it is a prototype of some description, a camera that was made up with new features to try out. The viewfinder casting is a nice bit of engineering, the alloy is seen again on the strange tripod bush and the little stand lever on the opening door. Most of the other metal is nickel plated, a small amount of chrome and the already mentioned alloy. If it was a production item would they have had three different metal finishing's on the same camera? I mean this is not a cheap amateur lash up, this is factory quality engineering using a top quality lens and shutter.

Who made it ? I think it was made by Welta. Why? Well it is the bottom of the struts, the squared off bottom half where they fasten to the opening door that to me are a typical Welta shape. But that's all I have to go on! That and just a hunch! Welta were a quality maker at the time, for example, I was once told Leitz even supplied them with lenses at some point, so they were no fools. Anyway, that is my guess, Welta!

So, that is my little theory, a mid 1930's Welta Half frame 127 prototype! Can anyone tell me what it really is?

Take care and thanks for looking.

Phil

15.7.2025 Post Up-Date

We have been doing lots of research into who produced this camera, and have been asking some of the well known vintage camera vloggers and bloggers what they think.

Analogue Insights, one of the best vloggers on the subject of using vintage cameras, are based in Germany and Max of Analogue Insights thinks it is likely to be produced by Balda or maybe Welta.

Check out Analogue Insights channel below, very slick and informative if you like using film cameras.

Leica II Review - A Gentleman's Camera

So, with this information, we have started looking very closely at examples of late 1930's Baldas. Many of their models of that period have these unusual struts, also we found out that Balda started off producing camera parts for other manufacturers, which could possibly explain the use of very similar struts on some Welta cameras?

Balda also use this round pressing in the make up of the front lens panel door. Lots of Balda models right through the 30's ,40's and even into the 1950's have a version of this door, so it is looking quite likely that Balda produced this mystery cameras. The East German Beltica which is basically a 1930's Balda in 35mm form, also has this circular pressing in the camera door.

There have been a couple of Balda 127 folding cameras for sale on the internet recently, (sadly out of my budget!) that are very similar to the unknown camera. But all marked with makers name and with body numbers, though they do not have the alloy viewfinder.

A dealer in the Netherlands (wish-4-vintagecamera) has what he describes as a Balda Baldi Herlango Renox 3x4cm 127 camera (see image below) which looks to have the same basic camera body, though there are lots of other detail differences, it of course does not have the alloy viewfinder but the body does indeed look the same, also the half frame 127 format is the same.

So Balda is looking more and more likely as the mystery cameras manufacturer.

Balda Baldi Herlango Renox 3x4cm 127

But why this unusual viewfinder and why no name anywhere on the camera? Why no body number? At the moment I can't find that out! Hopefully I will !

Luckily the new 127 film has arrived from China !

New Shanghai GP3 127 Black & White Roll Film ISO 100 B/W

No, I have no idea of what they are like, but at least it has arrived, I'm usually very hesitant when buying from China, but 127 film is difficult to get hold of so lets give it a go and see how this new Shanghai film and the camera test out! The seller on e-bay was called yikeeb, the cost of the film £10.69 but with post, VAT and e-bay taking their huge cut the final price was £14.02. It took about two weeks to arrive from China, so not too bad. I have read somewhere that the new Shanghai film emulsion is based on the old East German Orwo film emulsion, which if that is indeed the case should be okay, I used Orwo film a lot years ago and liked it.

All we need now is for some fine weather, and lets see what the camera and the film can do, oh and if the photographer is any good of course!

I have recently put a video on You Tube regarding this camera, it is a bit basic, but it is a first attempt and done in one take, but it maybe of some interest, please take a look if you are interested! Link below! You may need sub titles with the strong Yorkshire accent!

Unknown Roll-film Camera from the 1930's

Hope you found this up-date of some interest.

Take care,

Phil