Dunk
Established
This is not a rangefinder camera but it is of historical interest so I hope the moderators will allow this post.
This Franke & Heidecke stereo camera S/N 40531 arrived back yesterday after full service which included: twin iris diaphragm linkage CLA (was inoperative) ; stereo compound shutter CLA ( speeds were erratic); taking lenses & viewing lens cleaned (had internal marks and dust) ; central viewing lens' reflex mirror resilvered & mirror box cleaned; taking lenses' and viewing lens' coupled focusing mechanism CLA (was very stiff).
The knob on the side of the front is for focusing. All three lenses are coupled for focusing and they each "turn" as distinct from being on a telescopic panel. From left to right across the top of the lens panel are the aperture control ( f4.5, f6.3, f9, f12.5, f18 and f25 but without click stops), the shutter cocking lever, the time exposure and brief time control (M , Z and B) , and the shutter release including threaded cable release. The shutter speed dial is visible in the photograph below on the side of the camera. Shutter speeds are from 1 second to 1/300 second marked 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 300. Note the hinged lens caps.
Here is a close-up of the Heidoscop lens system:
Carl Zeiss Tessar (4 element) 7.5cm f4.5 taking lenses and the Carl Zeiss Suchar Triplet 7.5cm f4.2 viewing lens. The viewing lens is slightly faster than the taking lens but is only a 3 element design. The lenses are perfectly clear and clean ... reflections appear to make them cloudy.
And rear view of camera with back removed showing "stereo pair" film plane and the roll film mechanism.
Paul Franke and Reinhold Heidecke founded the firm Franke and Heidecke in Braunschweig, Germany in 1921. Six different Franke and Heidecke stereo cameras were manufactured from 1921 until 1941 all being designed by Reinhold Heidecke. Four were designated "Heidoscop" models and used glass plates or sheet film in a magazine back. Two others were designated "Rolleidoscop" and used 'roll' film backs. This particular model is probably a Heidoscop Type 2 which has been converted for 120 roll film by use of a roll film back ... unless it is an early Rolleidoscop some of which still bore the Heidoscop logo. Unfortunately there are no records of actual serial numbers for each model so positive identification of model and year of manufacture is not always possible It could have been made at any time between 1926 and 1941.
Franke and Heidecke subsequently manufactured their first "twin lens reflex" camera in 1929 and being a 'roll' film model called it the "Rolleiflex". Here is my 1929 "Original" f3.8 Rolleiflex.
Note the similarities between the original F & H stereo cameras and the legendary Rolleiflex eg the viewing lens' reflex mirror box and the collapsable viewing hood ; also the "sports finder" facility in the hood. Many different Rolleiflex and Rolleicord twin lens reflex cameras were subsequently manufactured from 1929 until relatively recently. Franke and Heidecke, although taken over several times, still exists. Rolleiflex TLRs were often the mainstay cameras of the 1960's professional photographers and many are still in use. They all use Zeiss or Schneider lenses. Rolleiflexes were/are also produced with wide angle and also telephoto lenses. Several times the Company has announced that production of TLR film cameras had ceased but then limited production recommenced. Currently the company still produces medium format film cameras and also medium format digital models.
Since 1929 the design has been cloned by many other manufacturers including Yashica, Mamiya, Ricoh and Minolta. Here is a comparison photograph showing a "modern" Yashica Mat-124G and the Original Rolleiflex. Apart from the 60 year age gap the only major difference is that the Yashica has a meter and coated lenses
Cheers
dunk
This Franke & Heidecke stereo camera S/N 40531 arrived back yesterday after full service which included: twin iris diaphragm linkage CLA (was inoperative) ; stereo compound shutter CLA ( speeds were erratic); taking lenses & viewing lens cleaned (had internal marks and dust) ; central viewing lens' reflex mirror resilvered & mirror box cleaned; taking lenses' and viewing lens' coupled focusing mechanism CLA (was very stiff).
The knob on the side of the front is for focusing. All three lenses are coupled for focusing and they each "turn" as distinct from being on a telescopic panel. From left to right across the top of the lens panel are the aperture control ( f4.5, f6.3, f9, f12.5, f18 and f25 but without click stops), the shutter cocking lever, the time exposure and brief time control (M , Z and B) , and the shutter release including threaded cable release. The shutter speed dial is visible in the photograph below on the side of the camera. Shutter speeds are from 1 second to 1/300 second marked 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 300. Note the hinged lens caps.
Here is a close-up of the Heidoscop lens system:
Carl Zeiss Tessar (4 element) 7.5cm f4.5 taking lenses and the Carl Zeiss Suchar Triplet 7.5cm f4.2 viewing lens. The viewing lens is slightly faster than the taking lens but is only a 3 element design. The lenses are perfectly clear and clean ... reflections appear to make them cloudy.
And rear view of camera with back removed showing "stereo pair" film plane and the roll film mechanism.
Paul Franke and Reinhold Heidecke founded the firm Franke and Heidecke in Braunschweig, Germany in 1921. Six different Franke and Heidecke stereo cameras were manufactured from 1921 until 1941 all being designed by Reinhold Heidecke. Four were designated "Heidoscop" models and used glass plates or sheet film in a magazine back. Two others were designated "Rolleidoscop" and used 'roll' film backs. This particular model is probably a Heidoscop Type 2 which has been converted for 120 roll film by use of a roll film back ... unless it is an early Rolleidoscop some of which still bore the Heidoscop logo. Unfortunately there are no records of actual serial numbers for each model so positive identification of model and year of manufacture is not always possible It could have been made at any time between 1926 and 1941.
Franke and Heidecke subsequently manufactured their first "twin lens reflex" camera in 1929 and being a 'roll' film model called it the "Rolleiflex". Here is my 1929 "Original" f3.8 Rolleiflex.
Note the similarities between the original F & H stereo cameras and the legendary Rolleiflex eg the viewing lens' reflex mirror box and the collapsable viewing hood ; also the "sports finder" facility in the hood. Many different Rolleiflex and Rolleicord twin lens reflex cameras were subsequently manufactured from 1929 until relatively recently. Franke and Heidecke, although taken over several times, still exists. Rolleiflex TLRs were often the mainstay cameras of the 1960's professional photographers and many are still in use. They all use Zeiss or Schneider lenses. Rolleiflexes were/are also produced with wide angle and also telephoto lenses. Several times the Company has announced that production of TLR film cameras had ceased but then limited production recommenced. Currently the company still produces medium format film cameras and also medium format digital models.
Since 1929 the design has been cloned by many other manufacturers including Yashica, Mamiya, Ricoh and Minolta. Here is a comparison photograph showing a "modern" Yashica Mat-124G and the Original Rolleiflex. Apart from the 60 year age gap the only major difference is that the Yashica has a meter and coated lenses
Cheers
dunk
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EcoLeica
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wow! what a lovely camera, so much nicer than the spuniks from russia. Are you planning on running some film through it? If so please post some on here, I love stereophotography!
Ronald_H
Don't call me Ron
Ooh, very nice. Have seen one similar to that at a camera show. The more I get into photography the more I learn and recognize. In two weeks the biggest camera show in the Netherlands will be held. I shiver in anticipation, spent a fair amount last time...
oftheherd
Veteran
Thanks for sharing that. What a marvelous old camera.
ZeissFan
Veteran
That stereo camera is awesome. I hope that you have a chance to use it.
Ahh, the Rolleiflex -- much copied and imitated through the years.
I can see how F&H adapted the hood from the stereo camera for their reflex camera. That makes a lot of sense, from a production standpoint.
Great cameras. I can understand the use of a triplet. You need a fast bright image, so no reason to put a huge amount of R&D money into the viewing lens.
Ahh, the Rolleiflex -- much copied and imitated through the years.
I can see how F&H adapted the hood from the stereo camera for their reflex camera. That makes a lot of sense, from a production standpoint.
Great cameras. I can understand the use of a triplet. You need a fast bright image, so no reason to put a huge amount of R&D money into the viewing lens.
