Unidentified/Ernemann Camera: informations.

[NicolaCasini]

Hi guys,
it's my first post here. This morning i found in a flew market this camera:






Looks to be a Ernemann H camera from the 1910-20. Looks in good conditions, and i would love to start to shoot in studio with it, but I have some questions (it's my first experience with a Large Format camera).

First of all, i measured the dimensions of the focusing glass, and it's 10x15cm. For what i know about it, it's a little bit a strange format, and i didn't find any film for it.. Am I right? What should i do, take bigger films and then cut them?

Second thing, i think i need some help to how to use the film holder, but we will speak about it later

Thanks.

[NicolaCasini]

[Dustin McAmera]

It's an unusual size now. FotoImpex in Germany list Fomapan 100 and Adox CHS100 II (though it's presently shown as sold out) in that size. These are both ISO 100 black-and-white. The Fomapan is listed at 41.41 Euro, inc. taxes but plus shipping, for 50 sheets.

The other thing is that the camera was probably built for glass plates. If what you have is plate holders, you need an insert for each holder (sometimes called a film sheath), which converts it to accept cut film. These are quite hard to find even in common sizes. I have made a couple for my own use, which look terrible but work ok; and I'm not a gifted craftsman at all.

The width of 4x5 inch film is 10.2 cm. I wonder if a 4x5-inch film sheath would fit in a 10x15 cm plate holder? I'd be surprised; but if it will, you have a large choice of film. Obviously, you'll have an empty space at one or both ends of the frame.

[NicolaCasini]

It's an unusual size now. FotoImpex in Germany list Fomapan 100 and Adox CHS100 II (though it's presently shown as sold out) in that size. These are both ISO 100 black-and-white. The Fomapan is listed at 41.41 Euro, inc. taxes but plus shipping, for 50 sheets.

The other thing is that the camera was probably built for glass plates. If what you have is plate holders, you need an insert for each holder (sometimes called a film sheath), which converts it to accept cut film. These are quite hard to find even in common sizes. I have made a couple for my own use, which look terrible but work ok; and I'm not a gifted craftsman at all.

The width of 4x5 inch film is 10.2 cm. I wonder if a 4x5-inch film sheath would fit in a 10x15 cm plate holder? I'd be surprised; but if it will, you have a large choice of film. Obviously, you'll have an empty space at one or both ends of the frame.

Hi Dustin,
thanks for your reply.
Yes, i have plate holders. What's the difference? And how can i convert them?
Meanwhile, I'll look for some films. And what about cutting down 5x7" film sheets? Do you think is possible?

Nicola.

[Steven Tribe]

These lightweight german folders were made in 9x12, 10x15 and 13x18cm sizes. 10x15 size was a less popular size!
You can see it is an Ernemann because of the + hole in the rear shade! Ernemann (And its big competitor ICA) produced a huge range of almost similar folders. I have catalogues for both 1910 and 1917 and can't find your model, although some details are present on other cameras. I recall there is a website on Ernemann folders.

These were sold with leather pouches containing 3 plate holders. Sometimes, these contain adaptors for cut film if they were used post WW1. The use of roll films tended to make these obselete post WW 1, however. 10x15cm is a very useful size and cheaper to buy (from Berlin) than than 5x7. Cutting film to size is not easy. If you need cut film sheaths, post a "wanted" in the right thread.

[NicolaCasini]

These lightweight german folders were made in 9x12, 10x15 and 13x15cm sizes. 10x15 size was a less popular size!
You can see it is an Ernemann because of the + hole in the rear shade! Ernemann (And its big competitor ICA) produced a huge range of almost similar folders. I have catalogues for both 1910 and 1917 and can't find your model, although some details are present on other cameras. I recall there is a website on Ernemann folders.

These were sold with leather pouches containing 3 plate holders. Sometimes, these contain adaptors for cut film if they were used post WW1. The use of roll films tended to make these obselete post WW 1, however. 10x15cm is a very useful size and cheaper to buy (from Berlin) than than 5x7. Cutting film to size is not easy. If you need cut film sheaths, post a "wanted" in the right thread.

Hi Steven,
and thanks for your help!
The camera came with 3 of this holders (i think are plateholders):

[NicolaCasini]

And with this one, that i don't know what it is:


As you can see in the picture from the top, there's a gap close to the locking system and the volet, so i think I miss something to put in it. The other strange thing is that there's no way to put it fully in the camera instead of the focusing glass, a portion of the "holder" is not getting inside the camera! What is that?

Thanks for your help guys, I really appreciate.

Nicola.

[IanG]

Adding to Steven's comments these were made in smaller sizes as well down to 6.5x9cm, This looks to be quite an early model. it has a pneumatic shutter but it's not like Ernemann's usual Chronos shutter and the aperture opens in the opposite direction. It's an odd shutter with a cocking ad a release arm like a Compur, but it's not a n Ibso (pneumatic variant of the Ibsor) which has a combined cocking/release arm. I'll look in one or two BJP Almanacs later today see what Ernemann have listed, this series is the Ernemann Heag though, there were 5 versions before they merged into Zeiss Ikon.

With no rise and fall it's a lower end model coupled with the fact it doesn't use a Tessar lens.

When you've been a member here a month you can post in the Buy/Sell/Wanted section, The best place to look for film adapters is Ebay.de login is identical for all Ebay portals but searches don't port across to all, watched items and all your history etc do. Someone can give you an idea what terms to search for.

Ian

[NicolaCasini]

P.s.: it looks identical to this one: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Ernemann-Heag...wAAOSwZQRYarjw
The only difference is that my shutter have the scale in reverse, but also the shutter settings (until 1/300") are the same.

[Steven Tribe]

And with this one, that i don't know what it is:


As you can see in the picture from the top, there's a gap close to the locking system and the volet, so i think I miss something to put in it. The other strange thing is that there's no way to put it fully in the camera instead of the focusing glass, a portion of the "holder" is not getting inside the camera! What is that?

Thanks for your help guys, I really appreciate.

Nicola.

The "thick" plateholder is a film pack holder.
The back fitting was slightly different for certain makes, so the user back in the early 1900's may have bought the wrong type! Needless to say, these film packs have been unavailable for some time, but were available for standard 4x5 types until very recently.

Your shutter type is shown on the catalogues I have.
The lens is probably a detektiv aplanat F.6.8. The bellows extension is designed so that you can get longer focal lengths using the real lens cell alone.
Not all series offered all 3 sizes.