Futura S

[Jan Van Laethem]

My father has a Futura S that he used in the late 50s, 60s and 70s. It comes with a standard 50mm lens, Evar f/2.0. As far as I have been able to find out, it was made by a German company named Futura Kamerawerk. It has a central Synchro-Compur shutter, with speeds between 1 second and 1/500 second, plus a B setting. Viewfinder frames for 35, 50 and 100mm. I haven't seen the camera yet, but he told me he would give it to me on his next visit (we live in different countries). He bought it second hand in Congo in 1958 while on military service.

I'd like to ask you a few questions before I receive it. Apparently it has been stored at home, but hasn't been used since approximately 1978, which is almost 30 years. I have no idea if it still works or not, but I would like to use it. What should I look out for when I receive it? Would you advise me to send it in for an overhaul, and if so, where could I send it to? I'm having a hard time finding information about this camera or any other cameras made by this manufacturer, so I guess they haven't been produced in large numbers. Any information is welcome.

Thanks.

Jan

 

[jlw]

Futura Kamera Werke's parent company was Fritz Kuhnert of Freiburg, Germany, and your S was one of three camera models they made. The original Futura and your Futura S had Compur shutters, and the Futura P was presumably a lower-cost version with a Prontor shutter with speeds to 1/300. (I presume that the difference between the Futura and the Futura S is that the latter had flash sync, but that's just a guess.) They came with a choice of three normal lenses, all made by Kuhnert: an f/2.8 Elor, your f/2 Evar, or an f/1.5 Frilon.

Although I've never owned one, I've handled them at camera stores and shows, and you'll find it's a solid, nicely-made camera(although a bit slow to operate.) When in good condition, the rangefinder is clear and contrasty, and the Compur shutter is a quality piece. I have no idea how good the lenses are, so I'm sure a lot of us will be looking forward to any sample pictures you might post!

It seems to be quite a straightforward camera, so I can't think of any obvious "gotchas" you'd need to watch out for once you receive it. I wouldn't send it out out for an overhaul right away -- instead, do some basic checks to see how it's working "as is." You'll want to make sure the lens focuses smoothly and that the aperture blades open and close easily without any sign of binding. Then test-fire the shutter and see if the blades open and close freely. At slow shutter speeds, the gear train should produce an even buzz, and at high speeds it should click without hesitation.

If everything seems to operate more or less correctly, put a roll of film in it and give it a try. That should give you an idea of what, if anything, needs to be done to it.

If there is a problem, it's most likely to be with the shutter, since that has the most moving parts. The good news is that while your camera is unusual, the Compur shutter was very widely used on a large variety of cameras, and lots of people know how to work on them. If you find it's sluggish or needs cleaning, post back here again and I'm sure you can get some advice from our European members about places that do good work on Compur-shuttered cameras.

Good luck!

 

[Jan Van Laethem]

Thank you JLW for a very informative post.

There is a user manual on the following link

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/futura/futura.htm

which features a total of 8 lenses. I guess it will be difficult to find additional lenses for it, though. The 70mm f/1.5 Frilon looks extremely interesting. I remember my father used coloured filters for black and white, I hope he still has those. Included with the camera are a camera case, a handheld light meter and a light weight tripod, although I need to confirm the manufacturer and model of the last two items.

I will get the camera around mid January and will post a follow up with my first impressions, some pictures of the actual camera and lens and (hopefully) some pictures taken with it.

Jan

 

[john_van_v]

I would really like to see some Futura S pictures

 

[Bill58]

If it were mine, I'd replace the foam seals and get it CLA'd by a competant technician, then use it.

 

[xayraa33]

here is one for sale.

http://cgi.ebay.com/German-Rangefin...ryZ15234QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[photovdz]

if the futura is still in Belgium, you can have it CLA ed by PhotoClinic in Hannut (hannuit), he is quite good with compurs... and not too expensive...