...with the happy exception of the Kodak combination holders, which (1) don't need a sheath at all, and (2) fit Voigtlaender cameras (and the various compatible ones) nicely.
I have the Kodak combination holders in both 6,5x9 and 9x12, and while the do fit Voigtländer cameras the film plane is tilted by 0,3 mm or so, so I find them unusable.
No obviously we won't know for sure if Xenar's were re-branded as Kodak Anastigmat's for Kodak's US market. However many of the Recomars were actually finished in the US where they had the Rangefinders fitted and Kodak Anastigmat lenses were being made in Rochester. Schneider weren't a well known lens manufacturer outside of Europe before the war, unlike Zeiss, so re-badging for Kodak in the US would not be a major issue, but all European sold Kodak camera's fitted with a decent Schneider lens were branded as such.
I have a list of 9x12 cameras & lens/shutter details that I've been adding to occasionally and all the big manufacturers top models have lenses from Zeiss - Tessar, Schneider - Xenar, Goerz - Dagor, Rodenstock - Eurynar or Voigtlander - Heliar/Skopar. Of those the Eurynar is possibly the weakest lens due to it's higher number of air/glass surfaces, unless you're lucky like Ole to have a coated lens
Some of the best pre-war triplets were excellent performers stopped down past about f8, I had a superb Zeiss Triotar on an early Rolleicord, and the Trinar's aren't bad either. It's worth mentioning that I was using a 1932 135mm Zeiss Tessar on a Crown Graphic until recently but found the edge sharpness was quite soft until stopped down to at least f16.
However many of the Recomars were actually finished in the US where they had the Rangefinders fitted [...]
Cool---I didn't even know they sold them with rangefinders. Just what I need: Another flavour of cameras to lust after. :-)
I took a look at my 9x12 Fornidar last night, and found that I misremembered: The lens isn't labelled Nagel but Rexo, a name on which the Vade Mecum is resolutely silent. The shutter is a dialset Ilex (they're supposed to suck, but this one seems fine), though, which would vaguely support an American-made lens---why would a Nagel-branded camera have an American lens???---and I looked at reflections a little bit and ended up thinking it's a 2/2 lens of some sort, but I have no idea what. Could be a Dagor. Might not be the original lens, for that matter.
But we digress hugely---I still say they're nice cameras, not competitive with a Bergheil but not priced like one either, and some of them bearing good lenses.
On another note, I definitely haven't had the film-plane problem someone mentioned with the Kodak holders in 9x12. Is this a common problem, or maybe a matter of a specific camera or holder batch being misaligned? If it happens regularly, I'll stop looking for more of them!
Once Kodak bought Nagel in 1931 it's quite easy to see how a Nagel branded camera could end up with a Rochester lens/shutter. Cameras must have been shipped with no lens/shutter fitted possibly with no bellows either to allow the fitting of the optional rangefinder. (Link is a 6x9)
It's ironic that Kodak had their Kodak Anastigmat name put on the lenses when they sold some Triplets, mid range & high quality lenses marked similarly. Later they realised that mistake and named their own top lenses Ektars.
The best Recomar cameras fetch similar high prices compared to the best 9x12 Zeiss & Voightlander cameras, there isn't very much difference in quality between the cameras themselves, they all use the same Compur shutters and Tessar type lenses. Personally I would place a Recomar 33 with a range-finder top in my list of the most desirable & usable 9x12 cameras.
If I could find a pair of coated 135mm Tessar or Heliar cells from the 50's early 60's, or even in a shutter, I'd buy a Recomar with a rangefinder instantly. That would make a very useful, high quality, practical pocket size LF camera. Of course coated Xenar cells would probably be easier to find but the Heliar & East German Zeiss Jena Tessar lenses were better coated.
Feeling jealous of Ole and his coated Eurynar I got a quote today to have mine coated - $195 for each air glass surface there are 8 - so that's $1560 in total. I could buy quite a few modern Multicoated Symmars, S
I need some more info on The Voigtländer 9X12 filmholders if possible with pics.
I have been told there are two types, is this correct?
Are they plateholders with adapters?
Does sheetfilm only holders exist? Plates only?
Are the internal dimensions 9X12 cm exactly?
Which plate thickness will they accept?
Oh and btw I read something about a tele Dynar for the Bergheil................?
Kind regards
__________________
Søren Nielsen Denmark
Ok no more cameras until July 2009
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Plate holders are adapted for film, they often come in sets of three and are listed on ebay regularly, but usually it's difficult to tell exactly what fit they are. The way they are made would allow for a small variation in glass plate thickness.
Søren, I hope we will ba able to make one here. There's a lot of information on the web already, but much of it is scappered and hard to find.
Do a google search for "Tigin Cameras" - if it's still online, he's got one of the best lists. At least it's all in one place.
Ole, It seems he is not online any more, at least the page didn't work.
I found a page on woigtländer cameras. I'll post it later when I find it again.
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