Technika III but which one?

[rybolt]

Not exactly a RF Large Format camera but I couldn't find anywhere else to ask this question.
I just picked up this camera with the mounted 150mm Xenar and a 270mm Tele-Arton. There is a 90mm Ilex Acugon in the kit as well.
The Head Bartender has a great page on this camera and the variations that were made.
This appears to be a Technika III V2.0. It does have the U Shaped standard and the other parts look correct. However, the serial number is only 4 digits. Is it possible that Super Technikas and Technikas used two different serial number ranges?
The camera is a strong 9. Good bellows and all of the controls and locks are tight and smooth.
Thanks for any help.

[/url]PRT12499 by Paul Rybolt, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url]PRT12500 by Paul Rybolt, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[rolfe]

There are at least two distinct versions of the Tech III, the early one like this one which has a box style body and a later one which has the angular body of the Tech IV and later versions. I believe there are some differences in movements as well. If original bellows, check carefully, don't expect to find cams for rangefinder use unless they are included in the kit, and the lens boards are a bit scarce. Replicas are on eBay however.

Rolfe

 

[rybolt]

You can't see the other side in this picture but there is no rangefinder so cams are irrelevant. Part of the tip off on the version is that the back control knobs are on the side rather than the top.
There are at least four and possibly five different variations of the III. I think this is a Version II. Probably early 50's.

 

[Shac]

Does this help - from The Head Bartender's site
https://cameraquest.com/tech3pic.htm

 

[rybolt]

Thanks Shac. That helped a lot. I had seen the other III pages but not that one.

 

[embdude]

A little late but I have been studying the Technika III variants and can answer some of your questions.

The III did have 2 sets of serial numbers. 1 for those with rangefinders and one for those without.

For the non-RF cameras there were 3 blocks of serial numbers.
The first set of serial numbers began 5000 and lasted 1946-1949
The second set began at 6000 and ran 1950-1954
The final set began with 15,000 in 1955 and ended in 1960 above 16,000

Your camera is one of the 6k series cameras which appeared from 1950 - June 1954

This model stands out as unique to other Technika III cameras. This style, only on cameras without the rangefinder, has an exterior wrapped in leather much like its pre-war Technika predecessors. The body housing itself is also slightly thinner than the other Technika IIIs.

Otherwise it resembles the styling of the other 1950 Mid Century models with a lever friction lock large lensboard clip, and had rear standards in chrome and later anodized black.

The early ones had the lock knobs still on the side but later models had them up top. Black vertical lines showed up on the front standard for the final year of production.

A very nice looking example!

-Chris