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Contarex a legendairy camera system. Made by Zeiss Ikon .

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At the time Contarex camera’s where a legend They where the most progressive and remarkable cameras available. No other camera was so well built and bulky , the finish was perfect.It was the biggest , heaviest and most lavish camera kind ever bult. The camera was built-up from 1100 parts and weighted 740 grams. There range of well built lenses and accessories is large. But due to there costs not for everyone. Zeiss Ikon made some beautiful lenses and even now adays many of the are in super condition. They made in 15 years about 55.000 camera’s and 120.000 lenses ranging from  15mm to 100mm and also 2 zoom lenses. In there range they made some Macro/micro  Luminar lenses that are also perfect lenses. So a outstanding range for collectors of quality German camera’s.

Kodak Retina, the poor mans Leica.

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Kodak Retina folding series camera’s.

Eastman Kodak entered the 35mm camera market during the slow recovery from the depression, and the Retina cameras were especially designed to attract costumers who couldn’t afford the Leica and Contax cameras. Eastman had purchases the Nagel Camera Werk in 1932 to provide good quality cameras at the more reasonable prices allowed by Dr August Nagel at the helm of the Stuttgart facility, now called Kodak AG. The responsibility of designing a low cost quality camera for Kodak’s 35mm debut was given to Dr Nagel, who had proven track record long before he sold his factory to Eastman Kodak. The Retina line included a variety of folding and non-folding 35mm cameras, including a single lens reflex series. The Retina camera’s where noted for their compact size and high-quality and good priced products compared to their competitors like Zeiss or Leica.

All of the Kodak Retina camera’s from 1930 to the late 1950’s were folding camera’s with a short self-erecting bellows, lens board, and folding metal door cover. During the production time from about 30 years there were a lot of accessories made for the different models. From lenses to stereo attachment and close-focusing items, including filters and shades.

We have a lot of these items in stock from which many with makers box.

Rolleiflex TLR the camera of the world.

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The Square idea that changed photographic History Without any doubt was the introduction in 1929, of the first Rolleiflex Twin Lens Reflex ( TLR ), a sensation: an as ingenious as simple principle that quickly made the Rolleiflex THE must have professional camera all over the world. Producing high quality 6×6 cm square negatives in a compact very easy to operate camera, with the best lens available. There was no photographer who would not master one, no apprentice who would not wish to own one. For the professional, the Rolleiflex was like a gift from heaven, it meant a radical change in his/her creative work. Being able to work fast with a large size negative, light weight and superior quality made the choice as simple as important. There was no newspaper, no magazine, no photographic book that would not have some Rolleiflex photos in their publications. For decades, Rolleiflex cameras would have a decisive effect on photographic history. Many world-famous images originated from that small piece of fine mechanical art made bij the factory from Franke and Heidecke in Braunschweig, Germany. It was the beginning of a technical evolution that would be imitated by many other manufacturers around the Globe with sometimes successful but often poor copies of the bench-mark Rolleiflex. Franke & Heidecke are proof of being the master in that field , with the nowadays massive switch-over to digital. Very few companies in the world can boost such a long record with one basic design which has been improved on a regular basis yet still so closely resembles the original invention.

The Leica R system.

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Leitz made 2 systems in there history that makes it worth collecting and using analogue camera´s.

The famous M system and R system. I am a fan of the R system, that started with the SL series.

Leitz produced more than a dozen different camera´s and around 50 lenses.

These where all of high quality even that e few where produced in Canada , Portugal and Japan.

It is always easy to state which models where the best, and that’s a matter of taste , Leitz started there production of the R3 the successor  of the SL2  in Portugal . A lot of costumers were unsure, thinking quality products should came from Germany. It is a fact that a R3 made in Portugal is still working to this day and age. So production elsewhere is not always a bad thing.

Leica Portugal has been manufacturing quality products for over 50 years,

and are still doing so today .Which shows that  Leica AG are happy with the

Portuguese standards used for Leica .

I was always amazed by the brightness of the viewfinder, this in combination with their well built lenses is a joy to use even today. The prices of the Leitz products where exceptionally high due to there well built design and performance. To built these lenses now would be very very expensive. Not only the camera´s and lenses are of a high standard, also the accessories they developed for this system. As a closure of the R system they designed the R8-R9 series which are a very well designed camera and of an extraordinary design.

We have a good selection of these products in stock which are cleaned tested and when necessary all seals replaced.

Please enjoy the selection.