Franka Solida II with F/3.5 Isconar lens

[Dr. Strangelove]

I just purchased a Franka Solida II (6x6 or 4x4 scale focusing folder with Pronto shutter) to accompany my Nettar. It has an F/3.5 Isconar lens made by Isco-Göttingen. I have not found any real information about this lens with Google, but it appears to be a fairly standard Cooke triplet. Has anyone used it and perhaps could tell me what to expect and how does it compare to other triplets (if it indeed is a triplet)?

I will shoot a test roll soon, but in the mean time I am interested to hear about your possible experiences with this camera.

 

[Mark Wood]

I have the same camera in very nice condition with an Isco Göttingen Westar lens, again f3.5. (I've no idea what the hierarchy is amongst these lenses but I assume it's also a triplet.) I've put one film through it and the results were a bit difficult to interpret as they were on transparency film (Agfa RSX200) and with the shutter being a bit sluggish, they're all approaching a stop overexposed.
First impressions would suggest that the lens contrast is quite low (it is coated) but it's sharp enough and a slight curve to the edges of each frame makes me suspect that the film wasn't quite flat against the gate/pressure plate.
The rangefinder also reads significantly different distances depending on whether you approach the point of focus from infinity of the near distance end!

 

[raid]

I have a different model, the Solida III. It has a Schneider Radionar lens that is quite good when stopped down a little from the f 2.9 max aperture.

 

[shadowfox]

So where's the shot of the camera itself? 🙂

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

So where's the shot of the camera itself? 🙂

Here you go:

(yes, the picture from the front is not sharp. I ran out of batteries while taking it; the macro mode eats batteries like there's no tomorrow. However, I will still try to take better picture tomorrow.)

 

[shadowfox]

Thanks, Dr.

Wow, it can shoot 6x6 AND 4x4 just by flipping a switch? that's radical 😛

I almost ask how do you rewind the film without a rewind dial, then I realize you don't rewind with 120 films 🙂

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Thanks, Dr.

Wow, it can shoot 6x6 AND 4x4 just by flipping a switch? that's radical 😛

In fact you can't. You would also need the 4x4 insert, but of course it has been lost. I am thinking of modifying the camera to shoot 645 instead, since it would only require me to modify the 4x4 window in the viewfinder, and of course I would have to make the inserts. 4x4 with 120 film is waste of film in any case.

 

[shadowfox]

4x4 with 120 film is waste of film in any case.

But it'll give you a nice, big, black borders for free 😀

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Here you go:

(yes, the picture from the front is not sharp. I ran out of batteries while taking it; the macro mode eats batteries like there's no tomorrow. However, I will still try to take better picture tomorrow.)

So, here are some better -- or at least sharper -- pictures of my Franka Solida II. I really have to get out with this thing and take some shots with it next...

 

[tahmasib]

franka solida II isconar 3,5/75

Recently has bought precisely such the camera. It is the first film from it. Fuji 800Z

 

[jnoir]

As far as I know, ISCO and JSCO are the same (has to do with I and J and the german language).

JSCO means J. Schneider & Co. Schneider lenses were made in Kreuznach and Isco/Jsco lenses in Göttingen factory.

Lenses with (supposedly) less quality and, therefore, more affordable, were rebadged JSCO/ISCO instead of Schneider-Kreuznach.

Solidas, apart of being a pain to identify (I have identical cameras which only difference is that one is labeled II and the other is III) came with some lenses and shutter combinations. Actually, the "dual format" Solida is most commonly known or seen as Franka Solida Record. I have seen these cameras with lenses from JSCO, Schneider-Kreuznach, Enna Werk (even their own Frankar) with Pronto, Prontor-SVS or Synchro-Compur shutters.

But, it's a funny camera indeed. And I love that Radionar's big chunk of glass.

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