Heliar - with a question

[Emil Schildt]

hi.

Just got hands on a beautiful Heliar 30cm 4.5.
according to the serial number it is from about 1956.

fitted in a big, very well working comound shutter.

All is good.

BUT

it is also fitted on a HUGE cirkular front plate, made of metal, stating the Voigtlander and the braunschweig names.

This front plate is 22 cm in diameter (!!)
Question: which camera has this been fitted on? Or it that plate a "show case"?

(the lens was first bought in crete (Greece), and then to me.. for a very resonable price - it IS still christmas....)

emil

(The set is FAR more beautiful than the images show)

[Arne Croell]

That plate is the lensboard for a 13x18cm (5x7") rare monorail view camera Voigtländer made for a few years in the 1950's.

[Emil Schildt]

That plate is the lensboard for a 13x18cm (5x7") rare monorail view camera Voigtländer made for a few years in the 1950's.

wow - what a big front that camera must have had...

It is far too big for most of my cameras...:rolleyes:

PS: do you know the name of that camera?

[Arne Croell]

wow - what a big front that camera must have had...

It is far too big for most of my cameras...:rolleyes:

PS: do you know the name of that camera?

I don't think it had a specific name, as there was only one model, but I will check again when I am back in Germany on January 6.

[Emil Schildt]

thanks.
I'll ask the guy, that sold me the lens. he talked about a big camera down in Greece, but it was to heavy for him to bring up here... Maybe it was one of those cameras.. who know.

[Ken Lee]

That plate will make an excellent piece of memorabilia. And the lens is super too !

[Tim Deming]

This is the "studio camera", which is quite hard to find. I managed to track one of these down recently, see photo. It is a very heavy, and cumbersome camera, which takes 13x18cm single film/plate metal holders, but is a great conversation piece.

The lensboards are also quite hard to find, if you cant find the camera that goes with this and wouldn't mind parting with the board, please send me a PM!

cheers

Tim

[Emil Schildt]

This is the "studio camera", which is quite hard to find. I managed to track one of these down recently, see photo. It is a very heavy, and cumbersome camera, which takes 13x18cm single film/plate metal holders, but is a great conversation piece.

The lensboards are also quite hard to find, if you cant find the camera that goes with this and wouldn't mind parting with the board, please send me a PM!

cheers

Tim

hi Tim
thanks for this information. It is an impressive front plate for such a "small" camera...

And it makes sense (about the weight), that my friend who bought the lens board/lens didn't think he could carry the whole thing back from Greece...

(but if this was the only lens board for the camera, then a now incomplete camera is now sitting somewhere on Creete... which is a shame)

I was thinking about keeping the lens board, but if I change my mind - you'll be the first to know!

Best regards
emil schildt

[Armin Seeholzer]

So Emil now you are also a Member of the club!
Its cold the Heliar club;--)))
Have fun with it!

All the best Armin

[Emil Schildt]

So Emil now you are also a Member of the club!
Its cold the Heliar club;--)))
Have fun with it!

All the best Armin

oh - Think I have been a member for some time now ;-)

Heliar's are the type of lenses I have most of... in many sizes.. (but STILL needs some more....):D

[Peter K]

It is an impressive front plate for such a "small" camera...
It's the right size for a "Grundner" behind-the-lens shutter ;)

Peter

[Armin Seeholzer]

oh - Think I have been a member for some time now ;-)

Heliar's are the type of lenses I have most of... in many sizes.. (but STILL needs some more....)

Oh so sorry Emil I din't know this, it looks like you are the president of the club
;--)))
Cheers Armin

[Tim Deming]

hi Tim
thanks for this information. It is an impressive front plate for such a "small" camera...

And it makes sense (about the weight), that my friend who bought the lens board/lens didn't think he could carry the whole thing back from Greece...

(but if this was the only lens board for the camera, then a now incomplete camera is now sitting somewhere on Creete... which is a shame)

I was thinking about keeping the lens board, but if I change my mind - you'll be the first to know!

Best regards
emil schildt

Thanks Emil!

These cameras were reported to have been made from 1950-1954, which is about the right time frame for your lens, which is likely original to the camera. The 4.5/30cm Heliar was one of the standard lenses for the camera (which also included the 4.5/24cm and 4.5/21cm Heliars, 4.5/21cm apo-lanthar, and 9/30 Apo-skopar). the lenses were available mounted in shutter, or with a front-mounted zettor shutter (as mine has, with a 24 cm lens -photos of my camera below). Mine came with a universal iris lens mount on the one lensboard that came with it, so thankfully I'm not too desperate for another board (but wouldnt mind having one for larger lenses that wont fit in the iris!). The standard bellows for the camera is 650mm extended, so the 30cm Heliar is easily accommodated. It appears the camera is best suited for portraiture, due to the long bellows, which prevents using short focus lenses since it is pretty long and stiff when compressed (a 170mm bellows was also available, presumably for the 115mm ultragon). I've recently been able to track down some single-sided 13x18 metal film holders, and have also made a new bellows for the camera. Now I just need to source some 13x18 film! I was lucky that my camera has a tripod adapter, all the others I've seen were mounted onto a extremely heavy, studio stand pole, set on wheels. I dont think there are many users of these cameras, as I've only seen 3-4 of them in the past ~10 years.

cheers

Tim

[Peter K]

Now I just need to source some 13x18 film!
Ilford (http://www.ilfordphoto.com/products/productlist.asp?n=6&t=Consumer+%26+Professional+Films) has sheet-films also in the size 13x18 cm.

Peter

[Emil Schildt]

I have a Zettor shutter too - nice big one.

Your camera looks great - Like looking at an old Volvo Amazon.. heavy but beautiful!

I know you can get films every where, but I ALWAYS buy FOMA films (MUCH, MUCH cheaper than Ilford et al... and equally good!)

best regards
emil

[Arne Croell]

Tim already answered all the questions and with some excellent pictures to boot! As an addendum, the fine focusing is done by a threaded rod inside the base tube that moves one standard (the front standard I think), useable from both sides, whereas the initial focusing is done by shifting the other one on the tube. To appreciate the solidity, the lens plate in question is a solid 4mm of aluminum - more than enough for the heaviest Universal-Heliar.

[Tim Deming]

The fine focusing does move the front standard (about 50mm). The standards are easily removable from the mounts, so it is possible to flip them so the fine focusing would be on the rear standard. Most pictures I've seen do have the fine focusing on the front.

Regarding film, I have used Foma in 5x7 (and like it), but I cant find 13x18 in the USA. Also, it appears the Ilford dealers dont stock 13x18 in the USA, only 5x7... As others have mentioned, 5x7 film falls out of the 13x18 holders.

Anyone know a good source of 13x18 B&W film in the US? Otherwise, I'll have to pick some up on my next trip to Europe

cheers

Tim

[Emil Schildt]

The lensboards are also quite hard to find, if you cant find the camera that goes with this and wouldn't mind parting with the board, please send me a PM!


Tim

still want it?

cleaning out so...

[Tim Deming]

still want it?

cleaning out so...

Yes!

Tim

[Emil Schildt]

Yes!

Tim

ok then.. ;-)

Pm me with an adress..

[Tim Deming]

Hi Emil,

Please clear some space in your pm inbox

Cheers

Tim

[Emil Schildt]

will do