Info about Werra/Werramatic

[markbono]

I am wondering about these cameras and the ones I would be interested in have the interchangeable lenses. The info I have found on this website http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/werramatic is very informative but when I go to the auction site and ask sellers if the werramatic they have up for bid uses interchangeable lenses they say no. I know that the Werra 3,4,5 use the interchangeable lenses but according to that website I referenced it also talks about the Werramatic also using the interchangeable lenses. If anyone has any info or opinions pertaining to these cameras I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks Mark

 

[Folderholder]

Info about Werra/Werramatic

I had one briefly. What I liked the best about it was the rangefinder patch clarity. The separation of images was fantastic, which made focusing very easy. The camera seemed sturdy and well made, but the controls would take some getting used to. The combination lens cap and lens hood was clever. Twisting the lens base to cock the shutter was an odd procedure. This does eliminate the wind lever, which contributes to the Bauhaus look. The finish was quite decent, but not as refined as some western brands. There was nothing objectionable, just not as sophisticated. I think the lens was a coated Zeiss Tessar, but I'm not sure. In retrospect, it's an interesting camera and I wish I had kept it longer.

 

[Folderholder]

Info about Werra/Werramatic

I should have added that my Werra had either interchangeable lenses or lens elements, a la Zeiss Contaflex. I am not sure which. The extra lenses are supposed to be very hard to come by.

 

[ZeissFan]

Ivor Mantanle wrote about the Werra in the 27 March 2004 edition of Amateur Photographer (a U.K. publication). A very good piece, as usual. The Werra uses true interchangeable lenses with a behind-the-lens Prestor leaf shutter.

Some of the later shutters offered a top speed of 1/750, quite remarkable given that most leaf shutters topped out at 1/500. I believe one or two Copals hit 1/1000, but I can't remember which camera that was.

I have a very nice Werra 3 that I bought last week. The camera is a nice small size, and the design is very unique with a clean top deck and very few visible controls. I just ran a roll of Orwo through it -- haven't yet processed it.

Mr. Mantanle had an interesting story about the Werra. The story is that after the Kiev factory had been set up in the Ukraine, some of the German engineers were allowed to return to Germany. Carl Zeiss Jena, he wrote, now had an abundance of people, and some were allowed to work on side projects. The Werra is the result.

The rangefinder system is unique in that there is no secondary image. The central image overlays the primary viewfinder, and when focusing, you must align the central image with the surrounding image. It's not a coincidence rangefinder. That means horizontal and vertical alignment of the rangefinder is very critical with this camera.

Great little camera, and if you ever disassemble one, you can tell that this is a camera that was designed by engineers first and not with easy of assembly as a primary goal.

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I've always lusted after one of these due to the size and the build quality. The lenses are really good, too. I should find one sometime.

 

[iggers]

Instructions for Use

http://yandr.50megs.com/carl/werra/werra.htm

 

[ZeissFan]

I just wrote a small review of my impressions of a Werra 3 that I acquired two weeks ago. Also, some photos. You need to be running a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768 to see the photos.

http://elekm.net/zeiss/werra_3.html

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I just tested and you're okay down to 800x600.

(And, if I may say so, for a Frontpage document, the source is rather clean.)

 

[europanorama]

i have the werra oliv. shutter-cocking by turning massive near-body-ring is amazing. you turn counter-clockwise and it slips back then. mine makes a strange noise. exposure and f-stop-rings can be attached togehter to set exposure-value. so if light does not change, one can easily change speed of f-stop without exposure-changings. selen-lightmeter is defective. unfortunately the lens does not focus accurately. focus is too near. 2.5m instead of 3m(e.g.) in have instructions how to open the mechanisme. very complecated. i would not open as non-specialist. there are 35, 50 and 100 zeiss-lenses. jena-flektogon 35mm/2.8, tessar 50/2.8, and cardinar 100mm/4. a highly interesting camera, but at least as heavy as my slr. sunshade(i do not have) is also a clever lens-protection. for every lens? there is a german site listing all werras. sorry i cannot offer you the link at the moment. my shots look great. link from above-second link with images is dead.
http://yandr.50megs.com/carl/werra/werra.htm

shutter-scale looks strange. i do not understand all settings. from right to left i see 500 down to 1, then 2B,4,8,15,30,60. i could not find out how these exposure times are used. no manual found.
update: i have found out. slowest position is 2B-meaning B. the scale down to 60(in red) is referring to exposure value(shutter/fstop-combinations). only the black exposure times-right side-can be used. exception: B is shown as 2B, with 2 in red and B in black. since built in exposure-meter does not work i must referr to an external meter how to use these "unuseable" red exposure times, or exposure-values: look which exposure time fstop 8(or whatever you like) is related to and move the ring. then change the combination to whatever position(same exposure-value).its hard to explain but easy to understand in praxis.

 

[ZeissFan]

2B means 2 seconds using the Bulb setting. It's just a way for you to set longer exposures with the EV scale. Yes, these are nifty cameras.

 

[europanorama]

right if you explain like this. but its the same i already explained. 2 is a fictive figure wheras B is a real setting. as long as i push the shutter-button, shutter stays open. only the black exposure charactars can be set and used.

 

[wyk_penguin]

If you need something like f5.6 1s, the rings would then line up at f8 2B, f11 4s, f16 8s, f22 16s and so on, so it is kind of an exposure table. Also, you can twist the 2 rings together and control the DOF while keeping the same EV.

What I don't like about the Werramatic (which is also the reason I turned down a USD100 Werramatic with a working meter) is that you finger can block the window which illuminates the meter needle and renders the meter patch black. It is a detail, but I find it bugs me.

 

[MatthewThompson]

To resurrect a dead thread, do the Cardinar and Flectigon lenses come in black and olive? I've seen a couple 100mm lenses come and go, but in black. I'd love to pick up an early Werra3 in olive, but my conceited side would like to find lenses with a matching finish.

 

[JasonC]

Yes, they do come in either black or olive.

Jason.

To resurrect a dead thread, do the Cardinar and Flectigon lenses come in black and olive? I've seen a couple 100mm lenses come and go, but in black. I'd love to pick up an early Werra3 in olive, but my conceited side would like to find lenses with a matching finish.

 

[Krg]

... Cardinar and Flectigon lenses come in black and olive ...

The lenses followed the bodies: successively green (first Werra 3 & 4, Werra 5), black (WerraMatic), then black squared (Werra E).

http://krg.pagesperso-orange.fr/werra/werra.htm

 

[MANFRED]

Can anyone advise me about fixing a jammed shutter-release on my superb Werramatic E?

Apropos Werras - I've had quite a few of various models. I've found that many have had fungus in the lens. I wonder whether their unique lenscap-hood thingy may trap moist air around the lens for long periods. The alloy setting rings are frequently a bit corroded too.

 

[Muggins]

No promises, but when you say jammed shutter release, did you wind on with a finger on the shutter release?

If so, there is a little cam on the release shaft that will have jammed. If you unscrew the strap lugs(!) the top cover should lift off (beware the shims that will undoubtedly fall out of the shutter release), and if I remember rightly it should just pop back into place.

If not... if the problem is in the top cover, it should be easy to find. If it isn't, the button just presses down a rod with a lever that releases the shutter mechanism, that mechanism is unique to the Prestor shutter, and needs care to fix (guess how I found out). You should find instructions in the arhcived Classic Camera repair forum, as I remember following them myself.

Hope that helps,

Adrian

 

[vnukov_pk]

Does anyone have repair manual for werras? The links in classic repair section seems to be dead. We need links for anyrangefinder model

 

[mconnealy]

The links in the old repair forum archive seem to work ok if you access it through Google Search. Try this search phrase from the Google Search page or the address bar in your browser:
werra site:www.rangefinderforum.com/classics/forum

 

[deontic]

Hi! I have just acquired a werra matic with a tessar lens (1:2,8 50mm) , and I also bought the two exchangable lenses (flektogon 1:2.8 35mm and cardinar 1:4.0 100mm). The camera itself looks and feels very good, even though it is a bit on the small side for my hands (it is easy for my hands to shadow the lightmeter). I find the fact that all the controls are in the lens very interesting. The lens-twist to forward the film and load the trigger is very cool.

I have yet to shoot a film with it. The rangefinder is off (by around 30%), thus I am currently investigating how to adjust it, but struggling...