Bentzin Primar

[daniel_iggers]

A friend asked if I would try to find out what I could (what it was,

possible current value) about one of the cameras that was part of

her father's collection. It is an interesting looking camera,

seemingly in great condition, from the 1920s or 1930s I would guess.

Here is a link (on my Flickr site)to the photos that Susan forwarded

to me:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fortinbras/sets/72057594076163441/

[michael schub]

These wonderful cameras are similar (copies?) of the Kamera Werkst䴴en "KW" Patent Etui. The Patent Etui with the Tessar lens goes for US$25 to about US$75 on EBay (depending on luck and timing). I have purchased mint examples of both the 6x9 and 9x12 with Tessars within that price range (actually I think the top price was $50). If you search Ebay completed auctions worldwide you may get some idea.

[david_f._stein]

I don't know what your friend's is worth but I sure wouldn't let it go for $50. BTW: I see you had the Pentax UC-1. Not enough cameras like that made-super compact; great viewfinder; outstanding focus; more than adequate lens.

[daniel_iggers]

Thanks for the responses.

 

I apologize; I had not been monitoring the responses after the first one, thinking that was it.

 

Here is a response that came in elsewhere:

 

 

"Say, Dan, I see a link on that gallery to the Bentzin Primar, and you're looking for information.

 

The Primar was a rebranded KW Patent Etui; I believe Bentzin bought the rights to the patent and the design when KW changed hands around 1938 (the Jewish family that owned KW at that time fled Germany). As such, it's the physically smallest large format camera ever made. It should be compatible with KW plate holders, but very few plate camera accessories not specifically made for KW or Bentzin will fit; the plate holders have a slightly thinner edge than a Voigtlander unit, and are considerably shorter, so stuff that fits the very common Voigtlander back won't mount without damaging the KW or Bentzin back.

 

From my own experience, it's also a pain to try to change lenses, because there's no practical way to adjust the infinity setting; if (as I did) you get a lens that's got a few mm shorter back focal distance than the original, you'll be forever barred from focusing on infinity. However, the worst lens shipped in those, especially the late ones with the Bentzin name, was going to be a good triplet like a Radionar, and it'll be just fine stopped down a bit; most by the time of the name change had a Tessar.

 

If you can find some film holders that fit it, it's a nice walking-around large format camera; you can fit the folded camera in one jacket pocket and 5 plate holders in the other, focus by ground glass or scale, and even hand hold effectively. "

 

 

The Pentax UC-1 / Espio Mini is cool, though I don't think I'll use it much given the demands of old metal cameras. Here, off topic, is a link to my UC-1 shots:

 

[michael schub]

Sorry I haven't been monitoring this thread. I have a 6x9 that wont take any but the KW backs but my 9x12 must have been opened up as it takes Rollex and Rada roll film adapters yet still holds the GG back and the KW blank plate quite tightly .