Near Mint! 1950 Balda Baldini, with beautiful original Leather Case, Freshly Serviced, CLA’d

Cleaned, Lubricated & Adjusted. Ready for immediate use!

This is a circa 1950 Balda Baldini folding camera. This model was originally introduced in Germany in 1935 and that's what gives it ithe look that today would be termed as "retro".  Actually though it's the real deal. This particular model is a post-war example of the original design and it's one of the last ones ever produced. It’s a fine German camera in near mint condition. The condition of this nearly 70 year old camera is truly exceptional and it's  certainly the nicest one I've ever seen (and I've been collecting cameras for over 40 years.) By the way, in case you're wondering, it uses normal 35mm film. So you can have a lot of fun with it and easily have your photos processed without having to resort to your own darkroom.

The Balda Baldini was very popular in Europe and helped spread the popularity of the 35mm format. Small, light,  reliable and capable of excellent performance it will easily slide into a pocket. Unfolded it’s an enjoyable classic camera that gets a lot of pleasant attention and provides a lot of fun. I personally like the textured leather covering, the slanted vintage Jubilette script and the complex looking depth of field chart.

This camera has been carefully cleaned, lubricated and adjusted. Everything works as it should. The shutter fires smoothly. All speeds (T, B & 1 sec.-1/300th) are appropriate. The slow speeds buzz along smoothly and the faster ones are clean and snappy.

The lens is a coated 3.5/50mm Baldanar. It’s based on the classic Cooke triplet and has three lens elements in three groups. This lens is well known in Europe and the design allows it to produce attractive photos combined with a pleasant background bokeh.

The lens is exceptionally clean and clear and looks like new. There are no scratches, separated elements, crystallization or other problems and it is capable of producing lovely photos with modern color and B&W films.

It comes complete with a very lovely brown leather case.

All in all, a very lovey and enjoyable classic camera. The perfect gift for yourself or a photographer with a historical interest.