Voigtlander Rollfilm w/Compur Dial-Set and Skopar 10.5cm f/4 (not 4.5)

<p>I'm looking to purchase a 1920s era rollfim Voigtlander with a lens I haven't come across before, nor can I find it in on-line and available literature.</p>

<p>I know the 10.5 Skopar 4.5 is very common... but this camera has me stumped. It's rollfilm, not plate, and has dial-set Compur shutter. Lens clearly says 1:4 not 1:4.5.... and there's no aperture selector to be found. </p>

<p>Camera back has single red window, key-turn film advance.. no knobs of any kind. At present moment I have not seen camera in person closeup; the seller needs to find key for curio cabinet ! </p>

<p>Any thoughts about camera model name and if there is such an animal as a 10.5cm f/4 (NOT 4.5) Skopar in a dial-set Compur shutter ?? <br>

No Inos I or similar 1926-31 rollfilm Voigtlander looks quite like this one. It has a white focus scale like a VAG plate camera, no up-down movements, though.... I think wire frame viewfinder is missing or broken.<br>

There is a mention of a "Beatrix" model, but can't find any pictures of this specimen.</p>

<p>This is my first post on photo.net... most of the time my questions have already been answered... great site !!</p>

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<p>The Beatrix (1925-1927) doesn't offer an f 4. Among other lenses, it can be found with a 4.5 Heliar. It does have a Compur shutter. I don't see any f4's on any Voigtlanders in my McKeown's.</p>

<p>There is some mention of 4.5 lenses being marked 4.0 when they used Jena Glass. Maybe that's one of them.</p>

<p>So this is rare, yes? I can't read the lens serial # ... the white letters have crud on them or paint is worn.... can the camera's age/identification be told from the SN of the shutter ; 258646 ?<br>

Jena Glass meaning from a particualr optical plant.... who owned it at this time ??</p>

<p>Until I can get my hands on this specimen I'm only certain it's rollfilm, not sure of the size... looks like 6x9 . I'll send pics when I can. </p>

<p>There's certainly something that can be said about the addictive qualities of Voigts.... it all started with a Prominent itch that I just can't seem to scratch.</p>

<p>BTW : who's the best Prominent repair-person these days?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Most likely a 6x9.</p>

<p>Is the camera actually marked Voigtlander, or is it just the Badge on the shutter?</p>

<p>OK, here's a pic ( lo-res, as fortune would have it !) It is, indeed, a Voigtlander - marked Voigtlander Braunschweig on the gate . Shutter face only says Compur, and has appropriate dials for slow and fast shutter speeds. No sign of aperture adjustment lever to be found... and it's 1:4 10.5cm lens...<br>

Stamped into the leatherette is the V'lander script ... can't tell yet, but i think some viewing frame metal is missing.<br>

<em></em> <em><br /> </em></p><div></div>

<p>It sure looks like an Inos to me. The aperture looks like its wide open. The little silver dot at the lower left is the front of the lever you move and there is an indicator pointer on the top of the shutter.</p>

<p>I was wondering how you could tell which f-stop is selected... not the usual scale on other V'landers, huh?</p>

<p>Yes, it looks like an Inos... just the "f/4" deal befuddled me. For all intents, then, the lens is actually rated at 4.5 ? Nothing terribly special here, huh? Usual price for an Inos in fair condition, I suppose?<br>

Many thanks for all the swell responses.</p>

<p>It also looks like there is a black blob over the spot on your photograph where the lens focal length is shown. It might be a f4.5 for all we know. And yes it should have a wire frame finder, but that is easy to replace as long as the rear finder is still on the side. </p>

<p> <em><strong>"I was wondering how you could tell which f-stop is selected"</strong></em></p><div></div>

<p>A million thanks to ebryone who helped solve this mystery!</p>

<p>If I pick this camera up I'll put a few rolls of FP4 through it and post the results. I'm sure it'll be a bit better than my Ikomat with 10.5 Novar f/6.3 .</p>

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<p>OK, this settles it : here's a closeup of the lens.... it is 4.5 .... looks like "4, x" ... whether or not it had a "5" I can't be certain... looks like there might have been a 5 , but maybe not. A speck of white paint could be the tail of the 5, but it looks pretty clean compared to the rest of the white lettering.<br>

The aperture selector on top has a faded 4.5 marking adjacent to the f/6.3</p><div></div>

<p>The comma after the "4" would be the European decimal point, so you know there's a number following the "4" -- most likely it was "5", so 4.5.</p>

<p>Something happened there to obliterate or blot out that part of the number.</p>

<p>The number 258646 is the patent number for the Compur shutter.<br>

I have just aqquired a simmilar camera, though the lens i marked Anastigmat "Skopar" 1:4,5 . F=11,4cm. When removing the shutter for cleaning, it had a pencil writing on the back 115, I guess it's the "real" focal length. The shutter was fitted to the camera with a rubber ring between shutter and standard, maybe to allow adjustment of focal point for infinity.<br>

My camera has a wire frame around the lens for use with frame finder on side, also it has the same brilliant finder, which can be turned to the side for portrait or landscape views.<br>

Film size is 116 - 6.5x11cm. From what I found on the net, the camera could be 1927-1929.<br>

Pics recorded of and with the camera will be up in short time.<br>

Regards<br>

Morten</p>