| Author |
Message |
    
Wernerjb
Tinkerer
Username: Wernerjb
Post Number: 40
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 11, 2006 - 05:53 am: | 
|
The Welta Weltix was my dad's camera I used as a child, and I still have it. This camera is lacking a flash connector, has no self timer and its lens is an uncoated Steinheil 2,9/5cm Cassar.
Now that I own several of these early 35mm cameras and can see minor variations in their make-up and design I have some questions which I hope can be be answered with the help of those who know more about the matter than me.
Does anybody know of other lenses or features (chrome body, coated lenses, etc) used in Weltixes, were they ever fitted with other shutters than the Compur, for example?
On most specimen the red focus indicator on the shutter front exactly matches with the Welta logo and the shutter plate's lockscrew, but on two of my cameras it is differently mounted, probably to achieve better visibility from above while the camera was dangling from the photog's neck, does anybody know any details about where the right place for the indicator is?
How do Weltixes, Watsons and Weltis go together?
Is there a Welta enthusiast among us who can provide info on the history (dates, figures and fate) of the Welta company (Waurich and Weber, Dresden, Germany)?
I hope there is someone out there who can help me, thank you in advance, W. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 100
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 11, 2006 - 12:23 pm: |
|
What I have is from CAMERA magazine reviews. The Welti was reviewed in May 1936; in July 1940 they reviewed a camera identified as the "Weltix-Watson", which they noted was NOT a newly released camera at that time.
In the Welti review the camera is fitted with a f/2.8 Tessar in Compur; they mention (but do not name) "other lens choices" but don't say anything about shutters.
The Watson is fitted with an f/2.9 Cassar in Compur, and the review mentions "lower priced lens and shutter equipment". My own Weltix is identical to the review's Watson, except for the name tooled into the leather and a "Made in Germany" badge on the back of the Watson. The review says the Watson is "made in Germany by Welta and named "Weltix" by them...." so it seems that 'Watson' was an export name for the Weltix.
My Weltix has the focus index centered on top of the shutter, slightly to the right of the logo and lockscrew.
In the May 1941 directory issue of Popular Photography, there is a listing for a "Welti" - clearly so marked in the leather - which looks like the Weltix rather than the earlier Welti. This listing indicates lens options of 50/2.0 Biotar(!), f/2.8 Tessar, f/2.0 Xenon and f/2.9 Cassar, all in Compur shutter. In that listing, all but the Cassar came in Compur Rapid shutters. |
Jim
Tinkerer
Username: Jim
Post Number: 2
Registered: 10-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 12, 2006 - 12:47 pm: |
|
McKeown's guide to antique&classic cameras 2005-06 edition has 11 pages on Welta cameras--toomuch for my 2 finger keyboard technique. The history is all there. briefly company begun in 1914 in Hainsburg near dresden making plate cameras,moved to Freital 1920's with name change to Welta cameraWerke GmbH. Rollfilm cameras in 1920's, 35mm cameras from 1935. In 1948 name change to VEB Welta (peoples company). In 1959 became part of VEB Pentacon. The camera youdescribe with uncoated Cassar is 1937 model. Lots of lens and shutter variation all listed per model. That help? |
Reiner
Tinkerer
Username: Reiner
Post Number: 16
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 13, 2006 - 04:31 am: |
|
In the past years I have collected a lot of information on the Welta company from the internet but mostly focussed on their 135 film format cameras. The first of them was the Welta Welti which appeared in 1935 shortly after the first Retinas. There were 5 different Welti models:
- the first one looked like the Retina 117 and 118 with two big wheels on top. The camera body was allways in black enamel.
- the second had a different foldable rewind grip, a black model too.
- the third and the most common version dates back to 1937 or 1938. It ressembeld the Weltix very much but had a chrom top and bottom plate. This model was allways in chrome and black. It featured allways Compur and Compur-Rapid shutters.
- the fourth model was the same as the third but it was the postwar version with coated lenses and different shutters: Compur-Rapid (rare and early), Cludor and Vebur.
- the fifth and lastest Welti was the 1c with an improved finder on top.
The Weltix was the low cost version of model three. The body was always painted in black. The metallic parts like the knobs were nickel plated and not chromed. The only shutter choice was the Compur. The top lens choice was a 4 element 1:3,5/50mm Xenar. This is an extremly rare combination. But most of them featured the Steinheil Cassar which is a triplet. The Cassar was combined with front lens focussing. I am not shure what kind of focussing was used with the Xenar.
Like Certo Welta used to do a lot of changes during the life cycle of a model. I have seen lots of Wetinis - the Welta's rangefinder model - with many different details.
Some of my information is based on a catalogue of Welta cameras of 1939. It contains also a price lists of all Weltix and Welti shutter and lens combinations. |
Wernerjb
Tinkerer
Username: Wernerjb
Post Number: 42
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006 - 03:34 am: |
|
Thank you for all that useful information which will put my interest in Weltas to a slightly different direction, thanks again, W. |
|
