Certo Dollina II

[berlinhennig]

Hi,

 

I am new and I need your help. I just got my Certo Dollina II today and it is in a pretty good shape. On the

first view theres is absolutely nothing to critism. But on the second view there is a very little problem with

it.

I noticed on several pictures a very small lever on the right side (if you are looking on the camera) above

the 1/250 setting and under the rangefinder Window (bullseye), less than an inch away (to the right) from

the lens lid lock and just byside (left of) the view finder window.

This one is missing at my Certo. It has been there - sometimes - but it is gone now and for ever.

 

My question: is there anybody knowing what it was (is) good for?<div></div>

[bueh]

Maybe it's the lever for opening the folding mechanism?

[Dustin McAmera]

Two ideas.<br/><br/> (i) I looked up the Certo cameras in McKeown. That lever is there even on the models with no rangefinder, so it shouldn't be to do with that, even though it's so close to it.<br/><br/>

 

(ii) I have the post-war <i>Super</i> Dollina II. This doesn't have that lever in the same place, but there's a sliding button on the back, next to the wind-on knob. It cancels the double-exposure prevention. I find this handy for the times I try to take the picture without cocking the shutter (I do that up to 36 times per roll). Does your camera have that button? If not, maybe that's what the lever did.<br/><br/><div></div>

[berlinhennig]

@ Bueh B.

Good idea, but this lever is exactly in the middle just half an inch left from the red circle.

 

@ Pete Hobbis

There is no sliding button at the back but on the front side which works together with a

slider that probably secures the button if no use to move it. So I guess that is what you

discribed.

 

@ both, thank you so far for your assistance and suggestions, which I appreciate.

[wdavidprice]

I think Pete is right...I have a Certo 6 and it has the same button and it does just as Pete describes...great thing for those of us who need "fool proof" cameras...present company excepted of course!

[mark_wilson4]

Yes, it's the plunger to open the folding mechanism (which, by the way, focusses to the assigned distance even when folded).

 

Most are missing the finger disk (mine is)...I've never seen a complete one except in pictures. I just press the plunger stub with my finger-nail.

M

[berlinhennig]

So now we are on a 2:2 base. But I think that Bueh and Mark are wright. The knob is gone and

I am used to open the folder with my thumbnail so my first idea (when Bueh mentioned it)

was, it must be for somewhat else. But imagin a 1936 Lady should open this with her nails

only? Scandalous.

Therefore there is no other conclusion and I am glad that is not an important part I am

missing and that all of you are missing it too gives me a much better feeling. So thanks a lot

folks. Hope I can be helpful to you someday too.

[patric_dahl_n]

On my Dollina it folds the camera open.<div></div>

[bueh]

I win!

[berlinhennig]

Yeah buddy, your the winner!

[mark_wilson4]

You have a really fabulous camera there. The Dollina II is ugly, and often looks ratty, and is difficult for advancing the film (on mine, anyway)...also hard to read the film exposure number because of the rangefinder. But what a fun apparatus. Mine has a compur and a really nice Xenar. A contributor to the forum explained to me that the "Dresden '46" engraved on the rangefinder of many is a postal code rather than a year.

 

Patric, yours looks stunning without the rangefinder..does that make it a Dollina 1 or Dollina 0? What gorgeous condition. Does it have a reasonable lens and shutter?

[berlinhennig]

Mark, thanks. About the "Dresden 46" I don't think that this is a postal code. There were no

postal codes before 1941. Between 1941-44 it only exist a code from 1-24 for the parcel

post. And there it was the #10. Than nothing. Up from 1950 they started with a 2 number +

1 letter code again, but "46" is not for the area Dresden. The number for Dresden was 10. In

1964 the East-Germany startet their 4 digit code system. Now Dresden has the numbers

8000-8900. No "46" in this area. For me it sounds more like the year of sale/production to

devide the post from the pre war models for what reason ever. Don't forget, they had the

Russians at guests there at this time.

[patric_dahl_n]

Mark, it's a Dollina 0 with a perfect 2,9/5cm Steinheil Cassar. The leather and nickel are 100% ok, the paint 98%. The slower speeds are a bit too long, but otherwise the shutter is ok. I bought it because the very good condition and because I love the nickel/black design. The Cassar is ok, but not in the same league as the 2,9/5cm Xenar on my Balda Baldina of the same age.

[patric_dahl_n]

D.O. Hennig, two of my KW Patent Etui cameras are marked "Dresden-A1" and two "Dresden-A21". I have no clue what it stands for. City district maybe?

[mark_wilson4]

I have a 1930s Cassar on an Adox Adrette II (Edinex) that, when stopped down, yields some of the most stunning, sharp and characterful images from any 35mm camera I have. Love it.

[berlinhennig]

Ooops, my complete answer on the Dresden codes is gone.

I did submit it but it has not been posted. Sh** a lot of historical and geological research

work about the internal Dresden area codes and there special relationship on our cameras

for 0.

Ok., here is the short version.

 

MARK your dealer was not as wrong as I thought. 46 is the borrough of Dresden that

proofs, that your Certo must be made in or after 1947 since the 46 district was not before

1947.

 

PATRICK your A21 KW is around the 1920', before KW moved more downtown Dresden.

But the A1 is confusing because in the late 1930's they moved out of Dresden into the

suburbs but the A1 tells the opposite?!

 

P.S. If this post should overtake the first one and the first will also posted here later, don't

think I am gaga. Thx.

 

Just another P.S. Ok. my first post is gone, gone for ever. R.I.P. It was my fault, Bad bad

boy. I made a big, big mistake. I forgot that I had left Europe verbal, but I did use a word

with a "S" at the beginning followed by a "H" and an "I", before it comes to the end with a

"T". D***, no chance, never make a mistake twice.

[patric_dahl_n]

D.O. Hennig wrote: "PATRICK your A21 KW is around the 1920', before KW moved more downtown Dresden. But the A1 is confusing because in the late 1930's they moved out of Dresden into the suburbs but the A1 tells the opposite?!"

 

The two marked "A1" are older than the "A21" ones. Here's a pic of one with a 4,5/12cm Tessar from 1927-28, dial set Compur and marked "A1" and one with a 4,5/10,5 Tessar from 1929, rim set Compur and marked "A21".

 

Mark: Is the Adrette Cassar front cell- or unit focusing?<div></div>

[berlinhennig]

Patric, this A1 could be the first adress' area where they founded the company in 1919. But

this is out of my knowledges and I have no idea where it was.

[mark_wilson4]

Patric:

 

Not a front cell...helical focussing to 2.5 feet! I think this is the characteristic of the Adrette II. Compur works like a charm, as is so often the case.

 

Also have the Cassar on a Weltix, but that leaks light slightly so lens performance is not yet proven one way or the other. I'm a fan of Steinheil. All I need now is a Casca. Dream on.

[patric_dahl_n]

I asked and got this information from Dresden buergerservice:

 

"Dresden-A1", "Dresden-A21" etc. are old zipcodes (postcodes) respectively

post delivery areas of Dresden.

 

"A1" was formerly used for the city center of dresden, former "A21" is

now 01277 Dresden (for instance the territory "Altenberger Straߥ" and

"Altenberger Platz") and former "Dresden 46" is the territory

Dresden-Kleinzschachwitz (vis-୶is the castle "Schloss Pillnitz").

[berlinhennig]

Patric, this is exactly what makes me wondering. I didn't know that KW was ever in the center

of Dresden. But this is what your A1 one tells us. And in the case of Mark's Certo it also

shows us a kind of timestamp since parts of the suburbs came to Dresden very early or late

last centuries. The higher the number, the later they became a part of Dresden.

[patric_dahl_n]

Heureka! Found this page:

http://homed.inet.tele.dk/riess/kw.html

 

"1919

Paul Guthe and Benno Thorsch establish the:

Kamera-Werkstaetten Guthe & Thorsch

Zinzendorfstrasse 48

Dresden A1"

 

"1928

The company needs more space and moves to Baerensteiner Strasse 30 in Dresden Striesen, near the Ica-Werk of the Zeiss Ikon AG.

150 workers produce more than 100 cameras per day."

 

It fits perfectly. The "Dresden-A1" camera with a 1927 Tessar, and the "Dresden-A21" with the 1929 Tessar. :-)

[mark_wilson4]

Dontcha love when a mystery gets solved?