Werra V?

[matty]

Though I'd share this little beauty I found last week.






Came with the original case. The lens is the Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 2.8/50 (serial no: 5723307) and the shutter is the Prontor RVS with speeds up to 1/500. It has the coupled rangefinder, exposure meter and interchangeable lens mount so I think it is the mark 5 version. I would be grateful if someone could confirm my suspicions.

The camera is in lovely condition, it doesn't look like it has been used out of the case much If at all. Full of mad features, the lens cover reverses to make a lens hood, the film wind on mechanism took me a while to figure out, I was stood in the shop for a while trying to figure out if it was jammed and only found out when I put the lens cap back on that the base of the lens mount moved and that this was the wind on mechanism. Also, the olive green colour really stands out for a camera of that age.

Strangest thing about it is that there are no markings on the camera to say what it is, Werra is embossed on the lens cover on the case but that is the only marking. A bit different from this day and age when we go round with logos printed everywhere.

It was a nice find at the end of a day spent looking at fungused Pentax K mount lens and overpriced Canons and Minoltas.

Regards
Matty

[Stephen]

I think that is a Werra IV, in Olive green. The models are a bit difficult to tie down, there were variants in finish in each type, and various lenses

They were East German, made in Eisfeld, and were designed by the Zeiss (Jena) Lens factory. A very original design, it was an effort to re-start the Zeiss brand, but was bedeviled by the Zeiss East/West legal battles, and never achieved full acceptance in the West.

On orders from the East German State, they made export and home market versions, with a tiny mark on the lens for the export versions, which were better finished.

The Optics were always excellent, but the Werra had a reputation in the UK for being unreliable mechanically, and difficult to service.

Time has shown this not to be correct, they are usually reliable all round.

I have a couple of examples, both Tessar lenses, and used the optics from a junked one to make a Leica screw thread Tessar for a Periflex.

The interchangeable lens versions are now rare outside Germany, most export models were the fixed lens type to keep costs lower, at a period in the early 1960's when the Japanese were far cheaper. The far eastern cameras were the death of the Werra in the end.

If the lens is clean etc, it should work fine, the Zeiss Tessar optics were impressive.

Stephen.

[matty]

Thanks Stephen. The mark for export versions, is it like a Q with a number 1 through the top? There is one just by the Tessar mark on mine.
I forgot to put in my original post, the lens is clear and the shutter seems to work on all speeds. I need to check the light meter (just haven't had chance yet) but the camera looks like its ready to go.
Regards
Matty

[hansz]

1Q stands for Erster Qualität and was a quality nomination for the East German industry. Of course meant for foreign cash generating products...
The 1Q Tessar sign was introduced post war around number 3.675.000 and its meaning ended around Tessar number 8.500.000.

Some variants of the 1Q sign are known, like the 1-in-triangle shape.

Hans

[philbirch]

Jun 2, 2014 2:44:13 GMT -5 hansz said:

1Q stands for Erster Qualität and was a quality nomination for the East German industry. Of course meant for foreign cash generating products...
The 1Q Tessar sign was introduced post war around number 3.675.000 and its meaning ended around Tessar number 8.500.000.

Some variants of the 1Q sign are known, like the 1-in-triangle shape.

Hans

Ah, I have a few cameras with the 1 in a triangle embossed into the leather, I've been meaning to ask what it was. So am I right that this means the camera has been tested and meets the higher quality demands of an export market?

[hansz]

Well, originally it meant the item fulfilled the quality criteria set by the government for that industry segment.
For a cash-hungry country like the DDR I suspect it became more a sellingpoint than a real quality mark...
Hans