Superb! 1936 6x4.5 Welta Perle, Freshly Serviced, CLA'd!

This is a 6x4.5 Welta Perle produced in prewar Germany in circa 1936. Prior to WWII Welta was a major German camera producer and the quality of its products placed it on equal footing with Zeiss Ikon and Voigtlander. The quality of this camera is high and it’s finished in real leather and chrome. The generous use of chrome indicates it was intended for well-heeled individuals. During the 1930’s Great Depression chrome was quite expensive which is why so many cameras of the era were simply painted black.

Folded up, this lovely camera easily slides into a jacket pocket. Unfolded it produces lovely photos on 120 roll-film. When it comes to film, bigger is better and this camera will produce a negative that’s more than three times larger than the average 35mm snapshot. So whether you’re interested in large prints, fine grain, rich tonal gradations or lovely colors, this camera will do all of that and may just become your favorite photographic companion on long hikes.

This camera has been carefully cleaned, lubricated and adjusted. The shutter is missing the self-timer button so if you want to take selfies you’ll need to look at something else. Other than that everything works as it should. The quality Compur shutter works smoothly and all speeds (T,B & 1 sec - 1/250th) are appropriate. The slow speeds buzz along smoothly and the fast speeds are clean and snappy. The bellows are supple and light tight. The viewfinder is clean and clear (it’s the version with red cross hairs). The bellows are soft and supple and completely light tight.

The lens is a sharp 7.5cm (75mm) Schneider Xenar. This four element lens is nearly identical in design and performance to the Carl Zeiss Tessar. Both lenses are well respected for their excellent performance and very lovely rendition. The glass in this lens is in exceptional condition. It’s clean and clean,  no scratches and it’s capable of producing lovely photos with modern color and black & white films.

All in all, a lovely little classic camera. Load it with your favorite film and keep it handy for that perfect shot you’ve been looking for. You know the one... the one with the perfect Ansel Adams light breaking through the dark storm clouds that leaves you wishing you had a classic medium format camera with you.