Near Mint! 1925 Camera with leather case & plate holders. Freshly serviced, CLA'd!

Cleaned, Lubricated & Adjusted. Ready for immediate use!

Rolleicord not included

This is a large unknown, unmarked camera in exceptionally fine condition. It’s a high quality, double extension camera, fitted with a high-end shutter and lens and covered with real Moroccan leather. The double extension feature is a valuable feature because it allows the bellows to extend substantially and allows the lens to focus to very close distance. It also enabled the camera to work well with a wide variety of focal length, if the owner was inclined to change the lens. It also features knobs to adjust the rise and fall of the lens, as well as shifting it side to side. Based on the design characteristics and my experience as a camera collector and repairman, I’d feel comfortable dating it to the early 1920’s. This camera appears to be a so called “Postcard Format”. The film gate measures approximately 10x15 cm.

It comes complete with a vintage leather case, ground glass back & plate holders. .

It’s fitted in a dial set Compur shutter which was the best shutter for its era. This shutter has been carefully cleaned, lubricated and adjusted. All shutter speeds (T, B, 1 sec – 1/200th) work well and all speeds are appropriate. The slow speeds buzz along smoothly and the faster speeds are clean and snappy

The lens on this camera is a big high-end 4.5/16.5 cm (165mm) Steinheil Doppelanastigmat Unofokal.  The lens looks virtually new. It’s clean and clear. There are no scratches, no cleaning marks. Steinheil was a highly regarded manufacturer from Munich, Germany. The Unofokal lens is a dialyte design with 4 elements in 4 groups, (similar to the design used in the modern Apo-Ronar). The Unofokal is very sharp and blessed with a beautiful bokeh. Its described by Wilkinson & Glanfield in their reference work Vade Mecum as “… brilliant and contrasty and give even illumination and have especially good color correction.”

All in all, a very lovely vintage camera with a legendary lens. It’s enjoyable to use if you’re so inclined but alternatively you can easily fit the lens and shutter to your favorite view camera.