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German§
21-Apr-2011, 23:10
Hallo,

this is my first posting. I hope, that my English is acceptable.

Some years ago I found this camera on a flea market in Dortmund.

I think it is a very old air camera. Older than WW I. It seems completely handmade. The still working Rouleau-shutter has only one time. Itīs roll-film size is 1,75 x 3 in. It came with a not so old lens, but both fits not together. So the lens is only like a dust cover.

Is there anybudy who knows these equipment?

dsphotog
21-Apr-2011, 23:59
I don't know about the camera, but I have one of those lenses.
They were used for air recon, WW2, or later, likely made by Dallmeyer, for the Air Ministry.
I use mine on an 8x10 camera.
To find more info on the lens, try a forum search for Air Ministry Dallmeyer under lenses.

IanG
22-Apr-2011, 01:42
I've seen no camera remotely like that in UK publications like British Journal (Photographic) Almanacs, and I have a number of pre-WWII copies now.

You'd need to scour through German publications as that's where the camera was most likely manufactured.

Ian

Sevo
22-Apr-2011, 03:26
Positively no aerial camera, as it is a SLR - with a waist level finder, these were useless for that purpose.

It looks very cobbled-up, with blocks that look like culled from different cameras, and a suitcase lock for the rear. It may have a long history of modifications and repairs, and could by now contain parts of several cameras from different makers. Or it might be home or small workshop built - in the twenties and thirties, many amateurs and camera shop owners tried their hand in the ongoing invention of the modern SLR.

Ash
22-Apr-2011, 03:35
Looks like a 6x7 slr? There were cameras made like that. I'm sure I've seen a few online somewhere.

Have you searched http://www.collection-appareils.fr for similar items?

Dan Dozer
22-Apr-2011, 07:22
As David noted, the lens is most likely a Dallmeyer Serrac. They made a lot of them for aerial work for the military in WW II and don't have the Dallmeyer name on them. I have the 14" Serrac that looks just about identical to yours. Strange that the camera came with this lens because the lens is made for much larger film size than the roll film size for this camera. Does the lens actually mount to and fit this camera or was it just in the same box with it?

German§
22-Apr-2011, 11:07
Thank you for your tip. Iīll look about in the forum.

German§
22-Apr-2011, 11:20
I also have many German publications from the early time of photography. I found nothing. But I think it is an English one. See the pictures with the spoors of the repair.

German§
22-Apr-2011, 11:33
Itīs probably correct what you wrote. But I think it is a very old one, older than 1900. Perhaps it is a ballon camera. For a design of the twenties or the thirties it is definitely to simpel. A used camera was in this period much more sheaper and extremly better. I give some more pictures. See also the picture in my answer before. There you can see the older fin in the leather where the original belt was connected first. It shows that the lens points to the ground originally.

German§
22-Apr-2011, 11:34
Thank you! Iīll looking there.

William McEwen
22-Apr-2011, 11:36
I don't have any idea what this is. But it sure is cool, and I want one!

By the way -- your English OK, and you communicated your message just fine.

Ash
22-Apr-2011, 11:46
I think it is newer than you are saying. Roll film that size is 1900 at the earliest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roll_film

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/120_film

German§
22-Apr-2011, 11:50
I bought it in this connection, but it donīt works together. It is not possible, because the mirror knocks against the lens and there is not possibility to set the range.

German§
22-Apr-2011, 11:56
What you wrote is probably ok! But Kodak sells itīs fist roll-film about 1888 for 100 round picture.

IanG
22-Apr-2011, 12:27
What you wrote is probably ok! But Kodak sells itīs fist roll-film about 1888 for 100 round picture.

Kodak were quite late with their roll film, 1888 was Kodak's paper negatives, Perutz and other companies were selling cellulose based roll film much earlier.

There's something about the build quality of this camera that isn't right, the workmanship isn't up to the high standards of British or German manufacturers.

I'd hazard a guess that this is a home made hybrid camera put together after WWII. In the UK after the war there was a huge shortage of cameras into the 1950's, imports were almost non existent and what few heavily taxed, the German camera trade was in a poor state. So it's quite possible someone cannibalised parts.

Ian

German§
22-Apr-2011, 12:55
Kodak were quite late with their roll film, 1888 was Kodak's paper negatives, Perutz and other companies were selling cellulose based roll film much earlier.

There's something about the build quality of this camera that isn't right, the workmanship isn't up to the high standards of British or German manufacturers.

I'd hazard a guess that this is a home made hybrid camera put together after WWII. In the UK after the war there was a huge shortage of cameras into the 1950's, imports were almost non existent and what few heavily taxed, the German camera trade was in a poor state. So it's quite possible someone cannibalised parts.

Ian

Thank you for your quick answer.