voigtlander plate camera

[majicman]

I just found this voigtlander plate camera last week for $15.00 dollars. I thought it was a good deal for a camera this old. I guess it is from the early 1900's. If anyone has any other infomation on this model I would love to hear it. Overall It looks pretty good The bellows are not torn or rotted and the lens is clear, no fungus

[PeterW]

Hi,

Voigtländer made a number of models of plate camera like this between the end of WW1 and the early 1930s, all quite similar, with the names Avus and Vag. Sometines, but not always, the name was embossed in the carrying handle. I think a few other names were used on some export models because of franchising.

Most of them were available with a choice of lenses and shutters, and varied in details through the 1920s. The usual lenses were Skopar, Heliar and Voigtar, and the shutters Compound (on the early ones only) or Compur, both from Deckel, or Ibsor or Embezet, sometimes spelled Embezeit, from Gauthier. These usually had the logo of a three-bladed leaf shutter with the letters AGC, for Alfred Gauthier, Calmbach.

The most popular size was 9x12 cm, though they were also made 6x9 cm and a few with an odd size of 6.5x11 cm. There may also have been other sizes.

Judging from the slotted struts yours looks very much like an Avus, though I haven't come across one with that type of rise and fall lock. Most of them I've seen had a knob at the top of one of the arms of the U-shaped lens standard. Also, most of them I've come across had a folding wire frame finder on the lens standard with a sighting piece on the body.

The dial-set shutter looks like an Ibsor, I would guess at early to mid 1920s. If it is a dial-set Compur shutter, which would be pre circa 1929, it can be dated more accurately from the serial number on the side, but I don't have any serial number dates for Compound, Ibsor or Embezet.

Sorry I can't be more definite, you really need a Voigtländer specialist to sort out all the models. You could try on the Yahoo Vintage Voigtländer forum, though it's is not all that active, or the UK-based group Voigtländer Verein.

PeterW

[herron]

majicman:
I'm no Voigtlander specialist, but I think Peter's right, although my vote is definitely for the 9x12 Vag that was made about 1926-31. That folding strut looks just like the one on the Vag.

Early models ('26-28) were leather-covered wood. 28-31 looked similar, but had a leather-covered metal frame and added that folding wire-frame finder. The bellows on yours, as far as you can tell in a picture, looks remarkably supple!

[k38]

It looks a great deal like my Zeiss-Ikon Maximar. I think there were lots of plate cameras of this same basic type made. I wish there were some way to take pictures with the Maximar it has a nice uncoated Tessar in Compur.

Dwight

[mickeyobe]

k38,

If you have the basic necessities to process a sheet of enlarging paper, that is, a bathroom. 3 plastic dishpans, an anal or oral thermometer, an amber safelight bulb and some running water, then you can take excellent pictures with your Maximar.
Under your safelight cut some enlarging paper to the correct size to fit your camera. Place it in the focal plane and shut camera.
Take your picture rating the paper speed at about 10 ASA and develop, fix and wash under the safelight according to instructions on the pack of chemicals.
Put the resulting paper negative on your scanner and reverse it in PhotoShop and manipulate to your heart's content.
There. Congratulations. You have just made a masterpiece.

Mickey

[k38]

Great idea!

I have used paper negatives with a pinhole camera. At that time I made contact prints using the same paper. Using the scanner should give much better results.

Thanks,

Dwight

[kiev4a]

I had never thought of the scanner option but that's a great idea. Should produce much better results than contact printing.

[tinman]

Hello gentlemen, I found this group specifically because I have an old IBSOR that came out of the dark end of my father's closet after he passed.
This thing seems in good shape, and it has the ground glass and the film pack (Kodak Plus-X) is in place. Six of the tabs have been torn off, and I have no clue what shape the shutter/aperature is in, but if there is exposed film inside I'd like to take a crack at having it processed (and, of course, after that, using the thing if possible). Any ideas?

[Reiska]

Hi, tinman

There are six exposed sheets inside the pack. If I remember right, most of the sheet film packs had twelve sheets inside. It is marked somewhere in the pack. I think, that the unexposed sheet is ready for shooting. The common rule was first take a picture and then pull the tab. At least my father did so
You could try to take pictures on the remaining film sheets. Use bracketing so you could estimate the shutter accuracy from the results.

[tinman]

Hey thanks for your reply, Reiska! I may just give that a shot.

[ben]

Yup, that looks like a Vag, and a very clean one too. I've got a 6x9 Bergheil, that I use a Rada roll film back with. If you can find one, they should work with the Vag too.