Welta Weltix 4.5 X 6cm 120 folder

[peter_korzaan]

<p>Vell, me friend loaned me a Welta Weltix 4.5 X 6cm 120 folder, he never shot it, and never will, as it sits high up on a display shelf, but it garbed my attention being what seems a 4.5 or 6x6 folder. Butkus has nothing on it, but wondered can you mix the shots, and how would you do it?<br>

The view finder has a little slider that allows ya to set it for 4.4 or six, as it narrows or opens as you adjust it.<br>

It has the two windows for the film advance notations. One for 4.4 x 6 and one for 6x6, and my thought is if you did change, form 4x5 to 6, you would have a wider gap between the shots. one to the other, but if you went from 6x6 to 4.5, would the shots overlap each other. <br>

Shutter sounds good, but will give it a test tomorrow before I put film in it. </p>

<p> </p>

[tgh]

<p>I suspect it's a <strong>Weltax</strong> rather than a Weltix. The Welta Weltix is a 35mm folder. Most dual 4.5x6/6x6 format cameras take a mask that fits into the film gate. So you commit yourself to one size or the other when loading the film.<br>

A quick search found this site with a good, general description of the camera:<br>

<a href="http://www.jnoir.eu/en/cameras/welta/weltax/">http://www.jnoir.eu/en/cameras/welta/weltax/</a></p>

[peter_korzaan]

<p>Ah ha.. Yeap its a Weltax ... and thank you for the site reference..<br>

yep no mask, so its 120 or nothing at all... ;-)</p>

 

[winfried_buechsenschuetz1]

<p>I also have a Weltax, together with the mask for 6x4.5. It's a very solid camera. If you find one with a post-war (coated) CZJ Tessar you are the lucky one, this version of the Tessar probably was one of the best ever made. The post-war ones mostly come with the Meyer-Goerlitz Trioplan - not a bad lens either, better than most other triplets but it has its limitations when used wide open. <br>

BTW some of the post-war Weltax are marked "Rheinmetall". Rheinmetall was an east-german company manufacturing office equipment, and they also assembled cameras for a while (there is also a version of the Exakta SLRs made by Rheinmetall). </p>

[q.g._de_bakker]

A note about Rheinmetall being an East German manufacturer of office equipment: Rheinmetall is a German company founded in Düsseldorf as an arms manufacturer towards the end of the 19th century, making ammunition and weapon systems. They were prohibited doing that at the end of WW2, so their Berlin branch ("Rheinmetall Sömmerda", first seized by the Sovjets, later returned to the then GDR and turned into a VEB) switched to other metal products, among which office equipment and, for a while, cameras. They still exist and still are what they were founded as, an arms manufacturer, with head offices in Düsseldorf.

[peter_korzaan]

<p>Yes, how about that, it is a coated CZJ Tessar! <br>

The bellows looks light tight, but will try first shot in B&W, to see what the rest of the story is, cut down to fit from some left over Efke 3x4. </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>More about the camera (one with the mask still with it, which makes it a 'rarity') at<br>

http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00YUPh<br>

and some details on the nature of camera production in the DDR, too.<br>

The camera is decent for what it was and for the time.</p>

<p>Although it's hard to believe now, in the early post-WWII environment, the East German camera production had trouble keeping up with demand. Rheinmetall made a whole bunch of cameras originally produced by other VEBs, etc. Perhaps the most (in)famous is the Rheinmetall "System Exa" ( http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00XJcz )</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Oh, here is what Rheinmetall made at other times in its history.<br>

http://albumwar2.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/38433.jpg <br>

I think it had a better reputation in its particular circles than their cameras did.</p>

[allen_gara]

<p>Peter, you should convince your friend to sell it to you. I have the mentioned Rheinmetal version, and it's a really great and super compact MF camera. I have the 645 mask but only ever shot it 6x6.</p>