The Wonderful Werra

<p>Some cameras get picked up more regularly by friends and visitors than others, and this interesting little camera gets more than it's fair share of attention. It's the Carl Zeiss Werra.</p><div></div>

<p>The Werra is an unusual camera, both in appearance and operation. Personally, I think it's a great, timeless design, but critics find it a little minimalist and alien. The two dominant peculiarities are the method by which the film is advanced, and the highly distinctive lens shade/cover. The knurled ring at the base of the lens is revolved 90 degrees clockwise to both cock the shutter and advance the film; the well-sprung mechanism works beautifully, quickly and smoothly. The lens cap is ingenious but fragile, and it's unusual to find an example that isn't cracked, or the fine mounting threads ruined by cross-threading or general brutality. Here's the device in it's two guises:</p><div></div>

<p>Historically, the Werra is interesting, in that it's one of the very few cameras to bear the Carl Zeiss name. According to the Leitz museum, the Werra project was created in the early 1950's to provide employment for Carl Zeiss technicians who were finding their way back home after having been commandeered to Russia. The camera was a totally new concept, and was designed and constructed in the Carl Zeiss Jena factory in the town of Eisfeld, besides which flows the river Werra. The observation has often been made that the Werra is a brainchild of a group of designers and engineers, ingenious and futuristic for it's time, but not a particularly enjoyable camera to use, but I don't subscribe to that point of view. I appreciate the spare, no-frills appearance, the solid feel and the smooth operation of it's components, all a product of engineering excellence.</p>

<p> The top of the camera is devoid of controls other than the shutter release, and film counter and rewind handle are positioned on the base of the camera, along with the body release for film loading. The black central disc performs this function with an intermediate position that disengages the film drive sprockets for rewinding. Ingenious. The film counter on this model is a poor feature, being almost illegible without a good strong light and, (in my case), reading glasses. Flash synchronisation and self-timer are visible on the base behind the lens.</p><div></div>

<p>The camera comes apart for film loading, revealing a superbly simple and well-finished interior. I had to do a little dismantling to free up the film wind mechanism which had been jammed by a small plastic tab falling from the front control rings back into the interior of the camera, and I was totally impressed by the neat construction and logical placement of the components; no springs leaping into oblivion or tiny ball-bearings somewhere under the table. The Prestor RVS shutter is noted for it's reliability and smooth release, with speeds from 1 to 1/750th, plus B, and while the focusing ring appears to utilise a front-cell movement, in fact the whole lens moves internally. Ingenious, again.</p><div></div>

<p>The Werra range expanded to include a variety of cameras, all basically the same build but ending in 1965 with rangefinders, exposure meters and three very nice interchangeable lenses. It all becomes a little confusing; while this one is branded Werra 1 it's actually a Werra 1E from 1965, preceded by a variety of other Werra 1's of different styling. The original Werra was finished in a rather drab olive green vulcanite, but the black versions proved to be more popular. The original lens was a 50mm Carl Zeiss Novonar f/3.5, but this was upgraded to the ubiquitous 50mm Tessar f/2.8, fairly early in the camera's development. The shutter and aperture rings are latched and rather small for large fingers; one sets the required exposure by rotating both rings and then re-setting the aperture, the two rings then retaining that relationship in subsequent adjustments to exposure. Overall, I find it a great little camera, providing one is good at guesstimating distances for the focus; it's small but not too small, with a bright viewfinder with framelines, and a nice solid weight in the hand.</p>

<p>I took a few shots on Arista 100 developed in Perceptol and scanned on an Epson V700, and Fuji Superia 200 scanned on the Fuju Frontier, and found the lens up to expectations. I post a few samples. I'm keeping an eye open for further examples of this interesting camera...</p><div></div>

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<p>Another nifty example of a camera from days gone by. It's a different way of advancing the film for sure. The "latched" shutter speed and aperture ring is something I find handy. I have it on my Diax L1 also and it does allow for faster shooting. Nice pics too.</p>

<p>Excellent presentation. I've always wanted a Werra. Especially in that awful green color.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

My olive green Werra is at the top of the list of cameras I wish I had never sold. Tessar 2.8 lens, Compur Rapid shutter. What was I thinking of. :(

<p>Wonderful Work with the Werra.</p>

<p>But, dang, another East German camera I don't have. This sets up a condition of cognitive dissonance. :P</p>

<p>Just recently I picked up an olive Werra, which I always found more lovely than the blacks. One of the most beautiful cameras ever made IMO. Unfortunately it wasn't working quite well. I didn't manage to load film, the transport mechanism made ugly sounds (needed some lubricants I guess) and the viewfinder window had a crack. I sold it as defective again, but I'm pretty sure I will give the Werra a second chance.</p>

<p>Nice example and sharp results. I remember seeing an ad for this camera in some of the old Popular Photography magazines that belonged to my dad. </p>

<p>Nice camera and nice photography Rick. Anytime I see your name, I shouldn't read your post because I often want to find the cameras you show. I want a Werra now.</p>

<p>Thankfully they don't have a built in rangefinder. Otherwise, I'd be looking for one! They are a very sleek and beautiful camera.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>Such a streamlined, modern looking machine. Great pics and post...as usual, Rick! </p>