Leitz : Leica I (A)

When: 1925
Why: First mass-produced camera which popularized 35mm format.

There were several attempts to introduce 35mm format (which was used in movie cameras) to the still cameras market, but they all remained in shadow until "Leica I" made it's way out of Ernst Leitz company. Oskar Barnack, camera designer, created a first prototype in 1914. It was called "Ur Leica" and was not sold on the market. Second prototype was "Leica 0-Series", but it took more than 10 years to start a commercial production of these cameras. Early models had Anastigmat f3.5/50mm lens. You may find other varieties of Leica I A on camerapedia. As far as why this camera became so popular, there are several theories:

• The lens quality was outstanding. Leitz company was already well-known in optical and microscopes industry;
  
• Size of the camera was really small comparing to other quality cameras;
  
• Mechanics precision was really good. You can still use some of these early Leicas;
  
• Some historians suggest a high price of this camera as a "prestige" attraction.
  

Out of all previous 35mm cameras, there was only one commercially produced model: Tourist Multiple by Herbert & Huesgen. I'll cover it in the next post.

New Ideas (Herbert & Huesgen) : Tourist Multiple

It did not gain a lot of popularity like "Leica I", but New Ideas Manufacturing (part of a Herbert & Huesgen, American company) produced almost 1000 cameras. And... Hold your breath: it was capable of taking 750 exposures per one film load. Body looked like a movie camera.

Several months later, the first 35mm stereo camera was manufactured by Jules Richard (France). It was "Homeos" which will be covered in one of the next posts.

Polaroid : Land Camera Model 95

This is the first Polaroid model, and an instant hit on the market. Camera was easy to use, black/white (actually brown/white) photo was ready in one minute, almost automatic (only 8 settings of shutter/aperture) usage. It's not the first instant camera, by no means, but it's the first successful and mass-produced camera. You can find a remarkable description of the camera at The Land List web-site.

The first instant photo camera was actually the "Patent Camera Box" (1857) by Bolles & Smith, also American company. It was a wooden-box, wet plates camera, but it was not very successful on the market.

Dycam Model 1 (Logitech FotoMan)

• It produced only black/white photos with 256 gray levels;
  
• It had only 1Mb internal RAM;
  
• It had fixed focus f4.5 lens;
  
• It did cost $980 (£499)!
  

Still, it was fully digital (not analog like Sony Mavica)! You can find a nice hand-on experience description on John Henshall web-site.

P.S. Kodak's DCS100 appeared half a year later.

VEB Zeiss Ikon : Contax S

Pentaprism allowed non-reversed direct viewing from behind the camera, opposing to older SLRs top-view and reversed image. Pentaprism (or cheaper version: pentamirror) became an industry standard for modern SLR cameras. M42 mount, which was introduced for this camera, became an industry standard for 35mm cameras too. Later, M42 was called as "Pentax thread mount", "Praktica mount" and "Universal Screw mount" and was used on lots of SLR cameras.

Very detailed description of this camera can be found at the Rick Oleson's web-site.

Konishiroku : Konica C35 AF

Welcome to the modern world of autofocus. Konishiroku used a Visitronic AF system designed and manufactured by Honeywell. It was expensive camera with passive system (comparing to active infrared ones) and only two photocells, nevertheless it started a significant change in the cameras world. Today it's almost impossible to find a new camera/lens without autofocus feature.

Also, this camera was almost fully automatic. The only manual thing you'd need to do is rewind.

You can find several samples of camera output on Zeno Felkl C35 AF page.

Tokyo Kogaku : Topcon RE Super

Though TTL was already on the market with non-SLR "Mec 16 SB" camera, Topcon came in with several nice features: SLR (of course), interchangeable lens, interchangeable viewfinders, motor drive option. Currently, TTL is very important for SLR cameras mostly because of different interchangeable lens and different lens filters.

Very detailed camera description can be found at The Casual Collector web-site.

Ernemann : Ermanox Historical Camera

Ermanox is mostly known for its Ernostar 100/2 and 85/1.8 lenses. Even now, 100/2 lenses are considered as extremely fast, but in 1924 they were revolutionary, allowing previously impossible low light photography without a flash. A couple of years later, Ernemann introduced Ermanox Reflex which is highly sought by collectors and fetching really high prices.

Zeiss Ikon continued production of Ermanox after merger with Ernemann. Later, Ermanox lenses became a base for Contax Sonnar fast lenses line.

Kodak: No.3A Autographic Special

While rangefinders (or "telemeters") were introduced in the beginning of 1900s, they were used as optional accessories and were not linked to the taking lens (non-coupled). Their measured values had to be transmitted to the focusing scale manually.

Coupled rangefinder was "automatic" if I can say so. "Kodak Range Finder" (you can see it as a rectangular box under the lens) had three vertical mirrors in place (camera had to be held horizontally), and image in the middle one was shifting up or down when focusing was changed.

The whole new era started with this camera introduction. Rangefinders became an industry standard until SLR cameras didn't push rangefinders out.

Franke & Heidecke: Rolleiflex Original

1929


Why: First rollfilm TLR (Twin-Lens-Reflex).

Also it's a first medium format Franke & Heidecke camera. Franke & Heidecke manufactured a couple of stereo TLR camera models before (Rolleidoscop), but again, those were stereo cameras, not exactly suitable for the regular job. Rolleiflex Original was an instant success, and became a parent of many more TLR models which are still produced. You can find detailed specs of this camera on the Rollei Club web-site.

Gamma Works: Duflex

1947


Why: First SLR with instant return mirror.

This is the Hungarian camera, designed and built in Budapest, by Jeno Dulovits. Unfortunately focusing and viewing were separate operations but "Asahiflex IIb" came out on 7 years fixing this inconvenience. Since there were only about 800 Duflex cameras manufactured, the Asahiflex IIb one is usually called the first mass-produced SLR with instant return mirror. Currently, this feature is "a must" in any modern SLRs.

Duflex was also the first SLR to implement metal sheet focal plane shutter. Novacon site is a great source of information about this camera.

Eastman Company: Kodak (Original)

1888


Why: First "point and shoot" camera for non-professional photographers.

Also, this is the first camera by George Eastman, inventor of transparent photographic film. "Point and shoot" relates to one of the best known slogans in photographic industry: "You press the button - we do the rest". And that was true. Photography enthusiasts had to press button (100 times for 100 photos on the roll) and send camera back to "The Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company" which developed film, printed photos, reloaded camera, and sent it back to customer for $10. In 1888 this pre-loaded camera was offered for $25 (kind of a high price back then), and currently it can go for up to $5000. Check out the Eastman's patent for this camera.

UPD: As it appears, George Eastman was not the "first" inventor of transparent film, nevertheless he popularized it, starting a huge change in the photography history.

Hasselblad 1600F

1948


Why: First trully modular SLR camera.

Hasselblad cameras are still used by professionals (mostly) and they still have the same modular design - interchangeable everything: lens, back, viewfinder. 1600F was the first camera by Hasselblad (excluding military aicraft models) in their long line of medium format SLRs. These cameras are somewhat expensive, but they offer excellent flexibility. These days you can even get a digital back that attaches to the same film body.

The most comprehensive collection in the world

OTC, previously known as Oldtimer Cameras, has been supplying instruction manuals for over 30 years and has over 500,000 satisfied customers from all over the world.

Our aim is to supply a printed manual for every camera and accessory ever made, new or old. We now have more than 17,000 different manuals in stock - the most comprehensive collection in the world.

Who buys camera manuals from us?
People who have lost the manual for their original film or digital camera.
People who have bought a second-hand camera without a manual.
People who have bought a new digital camera to find the manual is only supplied on disk. Do you really want to read the manual on screen or print out 100-200 loose sheets of paper, use up all your expensive toner and be left with something you can't carry around with your camera?
Our reprints are made directly from the original manual using advanced high-tech equipment and printed and stapled to a convenient size. We also have thousands of original manuals available for many models of camera.
We can also supply every test report ever written in Amateur Photographer since 1887 (over 9,000 reports) and all test reports written in What Digital Camera. Most reports are available for immediate download as a PDF file. We also offer the largest supply of repair manuals in the world - over 2,500 different manuals.
We offer an exceptional service. Orders received in the morning will be despatched the same day. Orders received in the afternoon will be despatched the following day.
To find what you are looking for use the search boxes on the right and search by either the manufacturer and/or model of your camera or accessory.

ANSCOFLEX IIc1954

It's my opinion that the Anscoflex and Anscoflex II are the most stylish cameras ever produced.

These Camera are introduced Almost in middele

---