Concava - Tessina Automatic 35mm

Tessina is a high quality camera, included in the reflex  subminiature range. 

Works with 35mm film and gives a format 14x21mm. with a clockwork movement 

Produced in Switzerland, Lugano, this camera  was made by high precision watch makers technology, with a superb finish.

This camera was designed by Arnold Siegrist to fit in a cigarettes packet.

A lot of accessories where designed and prepered to integrate this camera as a selenium exposure meter, Tessina 17 jewels mechanical watch , folding focusing , 6x pentaprism ...

Switzerland - 1957 - " Concava - Tessina Automatic 35mm "

sn.166054

0.3 to infinity

Speeds: 2 to 500 + B

lens 25mm  f 2.8

made in Switzerland

Flash synchro M/X

W. Watson & Sons Detective camera 1885-1890

W. Watson & Sons Detective camera  looks like a post office wood box covered by leather. It contains a mahogany bellow camera inside and a shutter attached to  the front face.

Below 2 buttons to adjust the focus discreetly. The front hole permits the lens view and the back to focus the image in the ground  glass. Both can be closed by  sliding a simple metal plate. Two eyes viewer  for Portrait or Landscape positions can also be closed by the same way.

Equipped with a fast rectilinear 5x4 lens dedicated to the 9x12cm plates

Apparently this specific model was produced to the french market  to the dealer 

 "made for H.Carette - Paris"

Dimensions 13x22x26cm no serial number detected.

Lens: W. Watson & Sons- 313 High Holborn , London -   5x4  f8 to f44  sn.1533

Most probably one of my oldest cameras ... but the must is when you open and realize the big gift you won.

Detective                                                      Inside

Back

Lens 5x4                                       French dealer 

 Shutter

Robot Junior double spring motor by Otto Berning

This is the last German Robot arrived to my collection.. I’m talking about the” Junior “ model with double spring motor, allowing 50 photos. Produced between 1954 and 60 were quite popular in the scientific research.

This camera arrived from England and was identified with a label IMTR/RES/2 1 66.
??? Could be. ..Institute for Meteorological Training and Research (IMTR), RES from research and 2 1 66 a date... ???

This models have robust German mechanism but when they don’t work is hardly to repair  by it self. This one was with shutter window frozzen in open position and shutter impossible to release.

After a couple of hours trying to fix it , finally I was able to access the shutter mechanism. Cleaning and degreasing was enough this time.

Here you have some photos from my repairing steps…and a final movie to listen the “melody”…

Repairing steps

1-Remove all top screws from top cover (1) , remove motor advance knob by rotating in anti-clockwise direction (2), remove advance knob by unscrewing the center with a special tool (3), finally remove the top plate cover taking care about the counter housing knob (4)

2- Remove carefull all free parts (1), and then the 4 screws that fix the motor (2). Be carefull, if the motor spring is in tension some parts can jump out. So, in the 4the and last screw take the motor with your other hand while pulling the motor out.

3- Once all removed you can have a small acess to shutter release button. You can try to smoothly force up  the small plate. I've profit to grease with a very thin oil.

4 - If you need to dismount the motor spring, to investigate if the spring is broken , here you have a picture from all set.

5- Now if you find your problem you can mount everything back and don't forget :

Be "patient" is the good word to reach a good result

Germany - 1954/60 "Robot- Junior 50 "
sn. J133490 
Lens Schneider Kreuznach Xenagon 30 3.5
sn.3260563

GEC Transistor-matic Radio Camera G822

G.E.C. is the most popular name for the company "General Electric Co.Ltd" , based in London , UK. Usually is called  GEC 

Transistormatic  Radio Camera, mod.G822,   is a combined portable radio with a no confirmed  Kodak Instamatic 100 integrated.

Combined devices were rare in these times. 

This model is from1964 and they were so expensive as a new  top smartphone nowadays.

England - 1964 - GEC " Transistor-matig G822 n°2"

Combined with a Kodak Instamatic 100

sn.00980(?8?)

Le "Cents Vues” from Mollier (1st model)

 The   “Cents Vues” de Mollier  is a 1909 patented French camera . Prepared for 35mm film , it could reach the 100 photos in a 18x24mm format.

Due to 1^st WW , this camera arrived to the market only in 1920 on a very low production scale.

Unfortunately the original  40mm  Hermagis optical lens  is not present. Someone change to a 35mm lens used in earlier 35mm movie cameras. In this case a rare  Voigtlander  & Sohn Braunschweig , BURYSCOP 55mm 6.3. The main reason could be to use this camera with a high deep field and never “missed”  a sharp photo…

 Shutter speeds announced from 1 to 4 and P & I position)

No serial number detected in the body. 5 faces in black cracked paint  except the front plate in polish metal finish.

E. DE VRIES & COURBET (E.V.C.) - Le Touriste

The 1st model of "Le Touriste"  arrived to market around 1916,  and presented by the manufacturer J.V. Paris (Jacques De Vries). Around 1919, De Vries joins Courbet and both found E.V.C ( Etablissement Jacques De Vries & Courbet ). As usual, all this informations are not easy to prove, but for me is the most convincing hypothesis.

 

 

With this introduction, we can  say that this camera is a 2nd  model , already with the new logo, from 1919. This small camera measures   90x60x30mm , and we can place it  in the pocket camera category. It was equipped with a rotating diaphragm with 6 apertures  ,  2 shutters positions and  Achromathique lens .

 

Serial Number 2/831

Plates 4 x 6½

 

 

Lancaster & Sons - Le Merveilleux -1886

Produced in England,  Birmingham,, the 1st model were presented on the year of 1886 .
This one is probably one of the 1st serie. Imported from England to Portugal by the trader J.J.Ribeiro , from Lisboa, probably changed the front label to their own name. However all stamps from Lancaster & Sons are visible.
I've found it last week during my holidays in Oporto, in very poor condition. After  3 nights of work this beautiful camera is ready for a second life.

Plates 4 1/2  x 4 1/2 inch ( 11x11cm)