Seagull 203 6x6 Best folder I ever had

[sevo]

P.S. wasnt the Werra compact / rangefinder camera built by VEB Zeiss Jena?

Sort of - it was built at their binoculars manufacturing plant in Elsfeld, but the reason behind that essentially was a matter of GDR corporate politics (Jena demonstrating their strength in the face of a future merger with Ikon/Kinowerke/Pentacon, after the latter refused to pick up the Werra concept study).

 

[Zopkuni]

By the way I have such a Werra rangefinder, its such a sophistacted little Rangefinder camera, Lens is crystal sharp! Anybody should try one! ;-)
A Leica doesnt have a better lens.

http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=...P9UJjMCYGZtAbLzoHYBQ&ved=0CDYQ9QEwAg&dur=5264

 

[skahde]

Back in 1990 my father gave me the above mentioned Rolleicord knockoff Seagull 4b1 - which was then available in large numbers in germany - as a christmas gift. I couldn't be happier.

He then told me he had to return it three times before receiving a working sample as all had defective shutters probably because of the above mentioned idiosyncrasy (which btw. compurs, even earlier ones, don't have. They wont break).

My sample worked fine but the lens was a disappointment. A three-lens Apotar on both of my lowly Agfa Record IIs blew it out of a water as well as the Radionar on another Record I have. I could easily exceed the resolution in the final print with a decent lens and FP4 in 35mm in a direct comparison i did.

In the end I traded it for a cheese cake which I still consider to be a good deal although some raisins in the cake would have made it even better [g].

Later on I had the chance to try the above mentioned 203. Same result optically.

Best wishhes

Stefan

 

[Zopkuni]

Hi,
there are lots of misaligned / mistreated Seagulls around...
my S111-2 lens is as sharp as any other quality folder lens I have,
you can see it in the Yemen pictures, maybe the later Seagulls used chinese / japanese glass and that wasnt up the former import Carl Zeiss lens elements,
my 4B TLR with Haaiou S85 lens also is as sharp as my rolleicord...
So same guess, old chinese lenses from cold war aera good,
post 1980 ones may be misaligned (dont think that lenses are the only reason)
I am sure rangefinders or even times (gummed up?) are off...

My friend in China also has a 203 folder, its sharp as hell (watch the results)
its a very early 203 from late 1960s... (even more Zeiss parts inside)

I ve seen defective compurs caused by adjusting time after cocking...
also Copal... Never change time when a leafshutter is cocked.

 

[Zopkuni]

I have learned that there was a very similar Japanese
1950s / 60 folding-camera with slightly different rangefinder housing....
Its also a very interesting camera calles NKK Super Wester S2.
Nishida Optical Co. Ltd --anybody familar with this???
Was this a modified version made by Seagull for Japanese retailers?

 

[Zopkuni]

The NKK looks very similar to the Seagull 203-I
( Mk2 "tourist version" with hot shoe)...
even the shutter is a 1/300 speed Compur copy.

Seagull 203-I ( MK2) final edition around 1986. (Most of them are not up to
the blueprint standards of the red party Seagull/Shanghai 203
full metal HQ version. (But have heard there are well alligned ones too)