brrr, not another classic camera!

I think $30 is about right. Of course that''s what I paid for mine and I need the validation.

Everything functions on mine, it's just dusty and gummy and needs a couple of body screws. In theory it should be about equally functional as a pre-war Retina with this same lens. However, the styling is much nicer.

I've used a 4.5 X 6 Welta rangefinder since the 1960's. It was my first medium format camera. One of the Welti models is an exact miniature duplicate of this medium format folder. One of these days I hope to find a working one at the right price.

For those of you who have never heard of thgese cameras, Welta didn't survive WWII. I think the factory was in or near Dresden and never went back into production after the Soviet occupation.

-Paul
 
pshinkaw, I didn't know that. I always assumed they did for a while, but that was just based on seeing some (mine included), that had the depth of field markings in English. The original one I inherited from my father, everthing was in German.

As to the $30, that is quite a bit less than the usually go for on eb*y. Usually it seems the go for $70 to over $100. If mine functions well I am not worried about the looks and I will be very happy.
 
The fact that the lens doesn't jump out is not a bad sign - you should never let them snap out anyway.

As for film flatness, I've not had problems with either the Moskva 5 or Franka Rollfix or even the newly acquired Century Graphic (2x3). I unfold the camera, decide I'm actually going to take the shot, then wind, cock shutter etc. Also make sure that there is sufficient tension when the film is wound on.

Now, grab some Velvia and have fun. But....since it is soooo grey at the moment in the flatlands, maybe a tripod, a roll of Efke 25 and some static subjects (this is the combo I used to test the Graphic).

Good luck

Paul
 
I read just today that Welta manufactured for a awhile after 1945. Being in the Eastern Zone of occupation, I can see where if they did, not much of their product made it to the West. I think a lot of German cameras made in the late 1940's may have been together from pre-war components. When those ran out, there wasn't much else to do but shut down.

I have a Retina 1 that is probably a post-war PX camera. (Retina 1 (Model 010), 50/3.5 Schneider Xenar, SN-74183/738727. However, when I looked up the lens serial number on the Schneider website it came out with a pre-war lens manufacturing date.

In short, some Weltas probably were made after 1945.

-Paul
 
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