ANYONE RECOGNISE THIS UNMARKED 35MM RANGEFINDER

S

Snapped

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Does anyone recognise this camera , if not this specific camera but its styling ?
A 35mm rangefinder fitted with a Rodenstock Heligon 5cm f2 lens. The lens with its serial number dates tomid 1940s on into the 50s , the camera being made during or indeed after this period. Rangefinder optical system is unusual . Film loading is pretty standard but the rear door is opened by a circular button key to the back door itself -not to the baseplate as we have came to expect with most manufacturers .
This operates two prongs to the inner surface of the door - one goes up and the other down , both simply locking the door to the inner camera body.
Looks like a prototype fabricated as a pattern for a later manufactured model - but by whom , and for what ?
 

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Interesting and strange. I don't know but it resembles a Kodak Ektra or Kodak 35 prototype?

That shutter release button is in a strange location (if that's what it is).

Quite a curiosity.

Might be worth perusing this camera oddity index;
 
Thanks for the input . Yes agreed . it does look sort of chunky meat-loaf like Kodak ... have never owned a 35 nor Ektra but my Medalist does not win any prices for looks . The Rodenstock lens sitting in its , well a cradle of sorts, does shadow vaguely the look of the external lens assembly on the Kodak 35. The Release Button - unthreaded so no cable release . Despite this odd location , and because the distance from it to the grip ie where the palm of your hand rests to the side , you can manage to operate the button without blocking the optical path of the rangefinder . No flash shoe mount hankers back to pre-War cameras , yet the lens with a serial number starting with 2037 indicates post War 1945 on ( till about early 50s I think - sorry no nearly nowt about Rodenstock lenses ). As for film it takes regular rolls , no special ( ie early Leica /Robot ) cannisters
Wonderfully weird little camera .
Its cameras like this that put the fun back into photography !
 
Things like the klunky control levers make this look like a home made one-off, some skilled and enthusiastic machinist's pet project. "A high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die"

​

 
Looks like it shares nothing in common with a Kodak Ektra to me.

Ektar 50mm 1.9.jpg

Overall layout is similar to a Kodak 35 RF, but since that camera was specifically designed to utilize the body castings of the previous non-rangefinder equipped Kodak 35, having a prototype with a completely different body makes no sense.

kodak-35-rf_011.jpg


The shutter looks like a Compur Rapid which had flash sync added later, this shutter with the Rodenstock Heligon 50mm f/2 was a combination found on the postwar Kodak Retina II, so it's possible it was sourced from one of those, but other than that I see no Kodak connection.

What do the levers on top of the rangefinder housing do?
 
Nothing on the back or bottom plate? What is the identification on the front of the lens?
Edit: Never mind, I should have read your entire post prior to responding.
Some Retina model, perhaps?
 
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Hey Snapped,

I'm curious to hear the story behind how this camera came to you. And it would great to see more photos of it.
 
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Bbsteinle said:
Communist?
Click to expand...

No way. Not with a Heligon. Definitely a capitalist lens. Like all Rodenstocks. (Even the name spells $$$)

Somewhere in the depths of my archives at home I have a few 1950s German mail order catalogues from Photo (or Foto) Porst. When I can, I will dig them out and look for more info. These books have been invaluable resources to me in the past, to trace otherwise vague items produced in postwar Germany, often sold by post well into the '50s and even '60s as manufacturers cleaned out their warehouses.

Meantimes, to ease the tension, a few thoughts. To me, this isn't, as someone has posted, 'scratch built'. It's too well made for a home job. But then it doesn't look like an expensive camera, altho' if it has a reasonable lens. Many cheapies were made in Germany in the 1950s to satisfy the growing consumer market. Some were exported, at times under a different brand name. Many such examples in North America, especially the USA, where European brands were re-branded for American consumers. Leitz US and the Honeywell Rollei TLR come to mind here...

Does the top rangefinder come off? Some of those were accessory slip-ons. Try to remove it (gently, please, the thing is very old). There may be a name or details or even a serial number underneath. Or inside the camera. Somewhere there must be some info.

Also check the bottom plate for data. Surely there has to be a name somewhere. Or is the camera so worn that these have faded??

Anyway, just my top of head ideas. Others may have more definite thoughts to contribute. Please do!!

(Added later) I am now overseas. When I return home, I will go through my German camera books to see what I can find out. If this 'mystery' has not by then been solved...
 
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DownUnder said:
No way. Not with a Heligon. Definitely a capitalist lens, that. Like all Rodenstocks.

Somewhere in the depths of my archives at home I have some 1950s German mail order catalogues from Photo (or Foto) Post. When I can, I will dig them out and look for details. These books have been invaluable resources to me in the past, to trace otherwise vague items produced in postwar Germany, often sold by post well into the '50s and even '60s as manufacturers cleaned out their warehouses.

Meantimes, to ease the tension, a few thoughts. To me, this isn't, as someone has posted, 'scratch built'. It's too well made for a home job. But then it doesn't look like an expensive camera, altho' if it has a reasonable lens. Many cheapies were made in Germany in the 1950s to satisfy the growing consumer market. Some were exported, at times under a different brand name. Many such examples in North America, especially the USA, where European brands were re-branded for American consumers. Leitz US and the Honeywell Rollei TLR come to mind here...

Does the top rangefinder come off? Some of those were accessory slip-ons.

Also check the bottom plate for data. Surely there has to be a name somewhere. Or is the camera so worn that these have faded??

Anyway, just my top of head ideas. Others may have more definite thoughts to contribute. Please do!!
Click to expand...
Thanks for looking D.U. Paper ephemera - just so valuable in answering questions that keep cropping up !
To me if a camera works it works - its eclectic origins can only add to the fun but yes I agree 'scratch built' does not do this little camera justice .
I have owned and photographed with some right dogs in my day but this is in a word just ' different '.
There has simply been too much work gone into this - specifically at the design stage.
The rangefinder is a work of art , albeit at the cost of not having a flash shoe .
Then the post-design execution - the machining overall , but particularly the rounded mirror housing by the advance wheel is superbly done ( with many small crafted parts / glass etc etc ). Sure , some edges are a little 'heavy ' and pre-market ready , some the smaller camera parts a little workmanlike , but overall ...
As for the finishing ?
The addition of the inscribed data to the raw unfinished ally bodywork -distance scale to the rangefinder , DoF scale to the body , f- stops to the lens cradle would be unnecessary in a scratchbuilt unit ie a camera made simply for fun as a project .
I also cannot see any amateur engineer taking the time to hand apply lettering and numbers.
It could be reasonable to suggest that this camera was built and then 'finished' in such manner to test out an idea ?
The lack of any manufacturing data ie a name or brand anywhere ( and yes I have looked ) would tie in with this .
A little task will be to ascertain under a microscope if the lettering has been stamped ( doubtful as no surface deformation to the surrounding material is evident ) , or applied by acid etching .
 
ddutchison2 said:
Things like the klunky control levers make this look like a home made one-off, some skilled and enthusiastic machinist's pet project. "A high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die"

​

Click to expand...
What are you talking about - the control levers are the cutest thing abut this camera ! 😁
On a serious note actually - although unconventional , they are :cool:.
 
The lever on top almost looks like a manual frame counter except it has odd numbering for that. Stopping at 20 might mean it is a panoramic framing.

Or it is AI generated.

Shawn
 
shawn said:
The lever on top almost looks like a manual frame counter except it has odd numbering for that. Stopping at 20 might mean it is a panoramic framing.

Or it is AI generated.

Shawn
Click to expand...
The progression of the numbering in that lever looks like metric distance markings to me. To focus the rangefinder.
 
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