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What is a DKL mount?


brian_godfrey

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<p>A mount for lenses for the Voigtländer Bessamatic:</p>

<blockquote>Die Kamera verfügt über einen "Synchro-Compur"-Zentralverschluss (1-1/500 s., Bulb) der Firma Deckel, nach dessen Hersteller der Bajonett-Anschluss der Bessamatic als Deckel-Bajonett (DKL) bezeichnet wird (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessamatic)<br /><br /> well sort of :<br /><br /> The camera has a "Synchro-Compur" shutter (1-1/500 s Bulb) from the Firm Deckel--from the manufacturer of the Bessamatic bayonet connection, the mount is called a Deckel-bayonett (DKL)</blockquote>

<p>The lenses, as you may have seen, are esteemed and fairly pricey.</p>

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<p>The most expensive DKL mount lenses I have seen are the ones made by Rodenstock. The Voigtlander ones aren't cheap either, but not at the level of the Rodenstocks. The Schneider lenses made for Retinas and a number of other cameras are quite inexpensive. Steinheil made some, Enna too.</p>
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<p>Also note that there are two types of DKL mounts, the one for SLR cameras that has aperture ring on the mount, and the other that's exclusively for rangefinder cameras, where the aperture ring is on the lens. I'm only aware of two camera bodies for the second type, the Voigtlander Vitessa T and the Braun Colorette. Retina IIIs is a rangefinder body, but it uses the same mount as the Retina Reflex SLRs. As is the case for a few other rangefinder cameras from Iloca and Balda. And the SLR type DKL mount should be called a group, not a single mount, since different camera manufacturers used different shapes of cutout on the flange to intentionally make their lenses not interchangeable. For example, Voigtlander Bessamatic lenses can't be mounted on Retinas, and vice versa. However, the adapter for the SLR type DKL mounts works for all types of lenses that belong to the first category. The two rangefinder type DKL mount cameras do match each other so their lenses are interchangeable.<br>

<br /> Take a lens made for Retina Reflex and one for Retina IIIs, there are still differences between them. The lens for the rangefinder camera has the rangefinder coupling cam, the one for the SLR does not. I'm not sure how strictly enforced this rule was by Kodak, but at least the 180mm Schneider lens for Retina Reflex definitely does not have the coupling cam, since its long focal length makes it unfeasible to be used on a rangefinder body and achieve accurate focus. However, shorter focal length lenses may have the coupling cam so that they can be used on both the Retina Reflex and the Retina IIIs.</p>

<p>You can search for "Bessamatic adapter" on eBay to find the adapter for the SLR type of DKL mount. You can see an aperture ring on it. Search for "Vitessa adapter" and you'll find the adapter for the rangefinder type of DKL mount. There's no aperture ring on the adapter.</p>

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<blockquote>

<p>He said : I'm not sure how strictly enforced this rule was by Kodak, but at least the 180mm Schneider lens for Retina Reflex definitely does not have the coupling cam, since its long focal length makes it unfeasible to be used on a rangefinder body and achieve accurate focus.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>The 200mm lens made for the Retina Reflex SLRs (and Instamatic Reflex) did not have the rangefinder coupling lever thingy because the Retina IIIs had already been discontinued. Later lenses made in all focal lengths would have been made without the extra lever since only the reflex cameras were being produced but the earlier lenses would have had it so this explains why both types of lenses are being found. There is also the original Retina Reflex that did not have a DKL mount because it used C lenses from the Retina IIc and IIIc.</p>

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