1950s compact interchangeable lens cameras

[mich rassena]

I should make a better case for the Argus C3. You can put together a well-preserved camera, 35, 50, 100, and 135 for not much more than $100 if you shop carefully. All of the lenses and the camera would fit in a small camera bag and leave room for film. It won't win awards for looks or ergonomics, but it's a solid system, then lenses are pretty good, and best of all it's neither rare nor expensive.

 

[Greyscale]

The Argus C3 is in no dimension smaller than the Leica IIIf, which is the very first thing that the OP mentioned as a requirement.

 

[johannielscom]

The Akarelle is as big as a Barnack: it's small. Few millimeters deeper, few millimeters less wide, just as high and with a 50mm lens, it's just as big as a Barnack with its 50mm Elmar extended.

And it has a nice heft and feel to it, German precision engineering.

I'm a fan.

 

[peterm1]

The Braun Paxette is a nice little leaf shutter camera. Some models (the Super Paxettes) had interchangeable lenses and a rangefinder (but this was not coupled). I do not fancy the very last ("electromatic")models though, which in common with many German cameras of the late 1950s and early 1960s were electro mechanical, probably not reliable today and pretty "boxy" looking to boot. The earlier cameras though were very nice. The one with the "camel's hump" seems to be regarded as more reliable. The better lenses sold with this line of cameras seem to perform well but some research is needed as some of the cheaper ones apparently did not. I admit I have not looked into it in depth, though years back, I regularly drooled over one that had sat in an old camera store for years. While I was considering if to buy it it was sold to someone else. I do however have a turret finder for the Braun Paxette. It is built like a brick outhouse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEDpQWYDynY

http://retinarescue.com/paxettehistory.html

https://www.lomography.com/magazine/12326-braun-paxette-a-dignified-old-gentleman

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93223

https://www.flickr.com/groups/braunpaxette/

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

The Akarelle is as big as a Barnack: it's small. Few millimeters deeper, few millimeters less wide, just as high and with a 50mm lens, it's just as big as a Barnack with its 50mm Elmar extended.

And it has a nice heft and feel to it, German precision engineering.

I'm a fan.

Size comparison AkArelle vs. M, from Simon's thread «AkArette / AkArelle lenses and what to do with them»:

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

The Braun Paxette is a nice little leaf shutter camera. Some models (the Super Paxettes) had interchangeable lenses and a rangefinder (but this was not coupled). […]

There is also the (scarce?) «Paxette Automatic Super III», cf. e.g. http://www.emtus.ch/braun_paxette_automatic_super_iii.html — a coupled RF, and a cross-coupled (hence «automatic», I suppose) exposure meter, having a peculiar bayonet with the aperture ring as part of the camera; unfortunately it's not a «Deckel», but a (AFAIK unique) generic «Gauthier» bayonet.

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

There is also the (scarce?) «Paxette Automatic Super III», cf. e.g. http://www.emtus.ch/braun_paxette_automatic_super_iii.html — a coupled RF, and a cross-coupled (hence «automatic», I suppose) exposure meter, having a peculiar bayonet with the aperture ring as part of the camera; unfortunately it's not a «Deckel», but a (AFAIK unique) generic «Gauthier» bayonet.

Addendum/Corrigendum: hm, perhaps, that weird «Gauthier» bayonet of the Paxette Automatic Super III is not totally proprietary?

cf.: http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Photavit_36

 

[Robert.M]

Why not the Leidolf Lordomat… ?
Lordonar 2.8/50
Schacht Travenar 4.0/135
[FONT=&quot]Travenar 3.5/35

With the 135mm

and with the 50mm

[/FONT]

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

Why not the Leidolf Lordomat… ? […]

Thank you, I did find your pics here: http://www.rangefinderforum.net/index.php?threads/leidolf-lordomat-review.153270/

🙂

 

[mich rassena]

The Argus C3 is in no dimension smaller than the Leica IIIf, which is the very first thing that the OP mentioned as a requirement.

My eyes just skipped over that part of OP's post. Good luck to OP in finding a smaller interchangeable lens camera from the 1950s than a Leica IIIf.

 

[Dwig]

... Good luck to OP in finding a smaller interchangeable lens camera from the 1950s than a Leica IIIf.

Quite true, especially when limited to 1950s tech.

You can't get a 35mm FF camera with a focal plane shutter significantly smaller than a Barnack Leica or clone. The size of the cassette, necessary space for the takeup spool, space for the supply and takeup spindles for the shutter, and the film gate set hard limits, limits that the Barnack design approaches rather closely.

The only significantly smaller 35mm FF cameras, new or old, use a leaf shutter and usually a fixed lens. Leaf shutter + interchangeable lenses = problems. You either need to have a body mounted shutter (e.g. Argus C3), which makes the body thicker, or one in each lens, which add linkage complexity (read: body bulk) and adds size and weight to each lens.

There's no point in having a smaller body if the lenses are larger. If you need interchangeable lenses you need to consider the bulk of the complete kit.

You can beat the linkage bulk and lens bulk with 1990s tech (only shutter blades in the lens and all electronic linkage), but you can't do it with the purely mechanical tech of 60 years ago.

 

[KnipsOmat]

How about a King Regula IIId / IIId Automatic or a Super / Super Automatic?

The IIId is a very beautiful and well-made camera; the Super is a bit less nice in design, but has the advantage of having frame lines for 90 and 135mm selectable in the viewfinder.

These Regulas have a very similar lens mount to the bayonet versions of Braun Paxette and Bolta Photavit 36, but lenses are not interchangeable between Braun, King and Bolta cameras. Pins and levers for rangefinder and aperture are in different locations for each system.

Regula interchangeable lenses, particularly the good ones, are not common and difficult to obtain. Patience required...

 

[skucera]

I've always dreamed of having a Ducati Sogno camera. I saw one at the Ducati factory museum in Italy, and it was just really small and cute, and exquisitely made. Unfortunately for me, their prices are way too high for me to ever afford one.

Scott

 

[David Hughes]

How about those cameras with two focal lengths but without taking the lens off? Like the "twins" of long ago or the Ricoh R1, which is really slim and small.

Regards, David

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

How about those cameras with two focal lengths but without taking the lens off? Like the "twins" of long ago or the Ricoh R1, which is really slim and small.

Dear David,

I'm surprised to see how many different models of them were made:

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Category:Dual_focal_length_cameras

 

[Fixcinater]

Futura is another option but it is likely larger than your Leica.


Frieburg Futura-S Rangefinder + Evar 50mm f/2.0 by Anthony Gross, on Flickr

 

[David Hughes]

Dear David,

I'm surprised to see how many different models of them were made:

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Category:Dual_focal_length_cameras

Hi,

No Pentax? That seems odd to me.

Regards, David

 

[dmr]

No Pentax? That seems odd to me.

I never heard of Pentax making anything like a scale focus or a RF camera. AFAIK they started with some SLR models in the 1950s and grew from there.

 

[lynnb]

Futura is another option but it is likely larger than your Leica.

There's a Futura S + three lens set on eBay at the moment

 

[someonenameddavid]

What about a Corfield Periflex