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David_nebenzahl
Tinkerer
Username: David_nebenzahl
Post Number: 127
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 07, 2010 - 05:03 pm: | 
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Today I spent a few hours with some friends at the Alameda Point "Antiques by the Bay" fair (in Alameda near San Francisco). The fair was much too big for us to see more than about a tenth of it. I did find just a few cameras for sale, nothing I wanted (except for a Clarus 35, which I do want, but they wanted too much for one in such crappy condition).
But I did score the cutest li'l light meter I've ever seen. It's a Bertram Chrolon, a little (2-3/8" diameter) round jewel with a lid that flips up when you push a button. But the coolest thing about it is the two little doors at the front that also open, revealing the selenium cell inside. Closing the lid also closes the little doors.
I got the thing for $15 and it works perfectly! I checked it against my main user camera (Canon A-1) and it's not even off by 1 stop.
Found a picture here (on someone's Flickr page).
I had never heard of this meter, nor this manufacturer (made in Germany). If anyone knows anything about it, I'm curious. |
Tom_cheshire
Tinkerer
Username: Tom_cheshire
Post Number: 256
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 07, 2010 - 06:28 pm: |
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Ernst & William Bertram of Munich, Germany. Circa 1954 to '56. |
Msiegel
Tinkerer
Username: Msiegel
Post Number: 173
Registered: 03-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 08, 2010 - 02:47 am: |
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Tom's right, it was manufactured by Ernst & Wilhelm Bertram of Munich. One of the first makers of lightmeters in Germany (est. in 1929). Maybe better known is their "Electro Bewi" (later Bertram Standard). The Chrolon cost a little bit over 50 German Marks in it's time which was about 20% cheaper than the Gossen Sixtomat 3x of that time.
You can also find some info about similar Betram meters here:
http://www.jollinger.com/photo/meters/meters/bertram_chronos.html |
Tom_cheshire
Tinkerer
Username: Tom_cheshire
Post Number: 257
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 08, 2010 - 11:48 am: |
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So you didn't find the big Bertram camera that goes with the meter?
Link: http://historiccamera.com/cgi-bin/librarium/pm.cgi?action=display&login=bertram |
Msiegel
Tinkerer
Username: Msiegel
Post Number: 174
Registered: 03-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 08, 2010 - 12:53 pm: |
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Of course I found it but did not mention it as it is no lightmeter. |
David_nebenzahl
Tinkerer
Username: David_nebenzahl
Post Number: 130
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 08, 2010 - 01:55 pm: |
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I saw that "kamera": boy, is that one ugly thing! Kind of the worst of 50s design.
The light meter, on the other hand, is quite elegant. Perfect for evening wear. |
Sevo
Tinkerer
Username: Sevo
Post Number: 53
Registered: 09-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 09, 2010 - 10:42 am: |
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The BCI is not that bizarre and ugly - it was something like the blueprint for the Mamiya Press and Koni Omega.
Being collectible, it is arguably overpriced for what it does (or rather, does not), apart from gracing cupboards - given a somewhat crude finder and requiring the equally crude Rada ("film curler") roll film holders, its not really worth twice or thrice the price of a Press or Koni by use value. |
