Near Mint! 1934 Voigtlander 6x9 Folder, CLA’d, Freshly Serviced!

Cleaned, Lubricated & Adjusted. Ready for immediate use

This is a rather hard to find Voigtlander camera. This camera is sometimes referred to as a ‘Bessa’ and sometimes as the ‘Inos I’. But regardless of the name, this model in the direct predecessor to the Inos II. As such it fits into design philosophy shared by the prewar Voigtlander Prominent, the Inos I and the Inos II. All of them were high end 6x9 medium format cameras that used 120 roll film. The lens serial number located inside the camera,  indicates that it was produced in Germany in 1934. Additionally if you have a reduction mask in your collection (or make one) this camera can also produce 6x4.5 negatives.

It’s one of the prettiest 6x9 cameras from the prewar era and popular with collectors and it’s easy to see why. It features a 1930’s Science Fiction, Flash Gordon look. It’s covered with very attractive knobs and buttons and a complex looking depth of field chart. And an especially nice touch are the three knobs which look like the electrical insulators from a 1930’s Frankenstein film. These ribbed knobs lift up and lock, allowing easy access to the film spools. The pierced dial is used to advance the film. It has a fine gripable texture while at the same time providing the camera with a unique look. It's a look that reflects the era in which it was designed and built. And at that time Zeppelins and aircraft design was the cutting edge of technology and that technology was obsessed with losing weight and mass with lightening holes and grooves.

A very unique feature of this camera is that when opened, the front lens stand, lens, shutter and bellows all extend automatically along a sliding track. This mechanism is powered by a spring driven wheel and what looks like the world’s smallest bicycle chain.  The spring powers the lens forward and is rewound when the lens is pushed back into the body just prior to closing. A magnificent bit of engineering!

This Voigtlander is in near mint condition and is the finest example I’ve ever seen. (I’ve been collecting cameras for nearly 50 years.) It’s safe to say that it would be extremely difficult to finer example.

It comes complete with a lovely brown leather case.

This camera has been fully serviced and is ready for immediate use. The real leather body covering is beautiful. The bellows are soft, supple and completely light tight. The shutter works as it should and all speed work as they should.

The lens is a 4.5/105mm Skopar, (a top quality four element lens similar in design and performance as the Zeiss Tessar). The lens looks virtually like new. There are no scratches or cleaning marks and it’s capable of producing lovely photos with modern color and B&W films.

All in all, it’s a true gem. A perfect addition to your collection and a perfect companion in the hunt for that perfect photo. You know the one… the one with the Ansel Adams light breaking through the dark storm clouds that leaves you wishing you had a classic camera with you.

Search terms: Skopar, 105mm, 10,5cm, Compur shutter, medium format, prewar, pre-war, vintage camera, 120 film, authentic, original, WWII, WW2, reenactor, re-enactor, signal corps, USAAF, war correspondent, combat photographer, German, made in Germany