Kaluacat_Camera
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This is a very early run (6 digit serial number as opposed to the later 7 digit models) of the world's first eye level SLR Camera. It is a very important historical piece that, in this condition, belongs in a museum or a luck collectors prized cabinet. The camera was recently CLA'd and had the focusing viewfinder with the porro-prism mirrors assembly has been restored so the viewfinder is clean and clear. The second veiwfinder with frame lines is clean and clear with sharp bright lines. This camera was the first to have an automatic return mirror which operateds perfectly and is in great condition. The metal shutter (another first) works perfectly. All shutter timing has been calibrated and tested and is working as intended. This is a very early serial number of the only 550 known to have been manufactured. The lenses and serial numbers do not match perfectly on any of the cameras and bodies, but are only a few numbers off. The leather on the camera is in excellent condition and complete. The case is also in excellent condition with the exception of the missing strap, which I have not seen on any other of the few examples out there. The lens is the earlier Artar 5cm 3.5 as opposed to the later more common Gammar 5cm. The glass is clean and clear and the aperture blades are free of oil and rust, they move smoothly as intended. Focus is also smooth. This camera was designed with an internal linkage to automatically return the diaphragm with the pushing of a small rod from the body that pokes a small button on the lens. The small rod performs as it should, but the internal spring or linkage for the diaphragm was not present. This can be fashioned by a technician if you wish it to be, it's not a complicated piece, but you would need to see another lens to recreate it I imagine.Other than that the camera is in 100% working condition and really the nicest example I have seen in my research. Given it's very early serial number it is possible that this was one of the early prototypes, in addition it has a removable/retractable film pressure plate which I believe is only found in the early prototype models. I am not completely certain certain however as I have not been able to find a starting and ending serial number list. Even McKeown's is vague on this. You can find it mentioned on Page 240 of the 2001-2002 price guide. Really an amazing camera that has a rich history, extremely rare. The majority of the examples I have seen sold were sold at Leica's Rare Camera Auctions. You will not find one as complete and in as excellent condition as this one is. Most of the exampled I have seen are dinged up, scratched, and corroded. No corrosion on this one and very little signs of use as pictured. Body Serial #149178, Lens Serial #149182.
History of the Gamma Duflex:
Jeno Dulovits, born 1903, was a famous photographer in Hungary, shooting mostly with Leica rangefinders. He saw the limitations of that and other similar cameras and started working on something better. In 1939 he had thought out a solution, even built some of it in cardboard, what was later to be the DUlovits reFLEX - Duflex. In 1943 he patented some of his ideas, and he had Gamma factory in Budapest make the first working prototype in '44. A production agreement with Gamma was signed in '46, and first manual test production started in 1947. Very few were produced that year, only a handful prototypes, but it marked the beginning. Some more test samples were produced until the end of June 1948. By that time most of the necessary production tools were in place, and the first series production was about to finally start. But at the end of 1948 only 50 sets of parts and lenses had been produced in the factory. They were still waiting for some parts to be delivered from other factories. So, early 1949 marked the first complete series produced cameras. The rest of the first half of 1949 saw only another 74 produced cameras, while another 50 were produced during the following three months. During October and November, 280 more pieces were made, while December ended with another 80. These cameras had added a seventh digit to the s/n. The Artar lens changed name to Gammar, also introducing a coating. Only 10 or 11 Duflex cameras were finally produced in the beginning of 1950 before the production ended. So, the total number of cameras series produced from 1948 till early 1950 was very limited, most likely less than 550 altogether, all according to historian Zoltan Fejer. (Hungarian Cameras, Budapest 2001.)
This very in-depth story also shows that the Duflex was not series produced in 1947, as has been the common opinion until recently. The series production, if one can use that phrase when only some 550 pieces were produced during 1 1/2 year, started shortly before the Italian Rectaflex, but hit the general market some months later, still before the Swiss Alpa Prisma Reflex and the East German Contax S, to mention the 4 pioneers to make it to the market while still in the 40s.
Nevertheless, the Duflex was ahead of its time. It featured Instant Return Mirror, only known from the not so successful gravity based version on the german Praktiflex of 1938. On the Duflex, it was mechanically operated. This was a huge step in camera construction. Further, it featured an internal automatic diaphragm control, some ten years before others would show the same. The third "first" was the focal plane metal curtain shutter. The viewer was not a pentaprism type, although that had been planned at a time, but rather a Porro prism, an arrangement of mirrors that would bring the light beams in through the lens, then reflected via mirrors upwards, to the right, downwards and finally backwards to meet the eye in a standing, sideways correct image.
The reason production stopped was it was post war and Hungry was controlled by the USSR and they did not want the competition. Given the country was controlled by the USSR they were told to stop production. This actually set the SLR development back about 10 years,
Source: www.pentax-slr.com
Specifications:
- 35 mm single lens reflex camera with pentamirror (pentaprism only on the prototype)
- 24x32mm picture format
- eye level horizontal view finder giving unreversed upright picture
- additional viewfinder with true projected frames (35mm; 50mm; 90mm)
- automatic diaphragm and instant return mirror
- bayonet
- removable camera back (and retractable film pressure plate only on prototype preventing film scratch)
- Artar 3,5/50 or Gammar 3,5/50 lens
- shutters from 1/1000 till 1 sec + B
Asking 8k or best offer.
History of the Gamma Duflex:
Jeno Dulovits, born 1903, was a famous photographer in Hungary, shooting mostly with Leica rangefinders. He saw the limitations of that and other similar cameras and started working on something better. In 1939 he had thought out a solution, even built some of it in cardboard, what was later to be the DUlovits reFLEX - Duflex. In 1943 he patented some of his ideas, and he had Gamma factory in Budapest make the first working prototype in '44. A production agreement with Gamma was signed in '46, and first manual test production started in 1947. Very few were produced that year, only a handful prototypes, but it marked the beginning. Some more test samples were produced until the end of June 1948. By that time most of the necessary production tools were in place, and the first series production was about to finally start. But at the end of 1948 only 50 sets of parts and lenses had been produced in the factory. They were still waiting for some parts to be delivered from other factories. So, early 1949 marked the first complete series produced cameras. The rest of the first half of 1949 saw only another 74 produced cameras, while another 50 were produced during the following three months. During October and November, 280 more pieces were made, while December ended with another 80. These cameras had added a seventh digit to the s/n. The Artar lens changed name to Gammar, also introducing a coating. Only 10 or 11 Duflex cameras were finally produced in the beginning of 1950 before the production ended. So, the total number of cameras series produced from 1948 till early 1950 was very limited, most likely less than 550 altogether, all according to historian Zoltan Fejer. (Hungarian Cameras, Budapest 2001.)
This very in-depth story also shows that the Duflex was not series produced in 1947, as has been the common opinion until recently. The series production, if one can use that phrase when only some 550 pieces were produced during 1 1/2 year, started shortly before the Italian Rectaflex, but hit the general market some months later, still before the Swiss Alpa Prisma Reflex and the East German Contax S, to mention the 4 pioneers to make it to the market while still in the 40s.
Nevertheless, the Duflex was ahead of its time. It featured Instant Return Mirror, only known from the not so successful gravity based version on the german Praktiflex of 1938. On the Duflex, it was mechanically operated. This was a huge step in camera construction. Further, it featured an internal automatic diaphragm control, some ten years before others would show the same. The third "first" was the focal plane metal curtain shutter. The viewer was not a pentaprism type, although that had been planned at a time, but rather a Porro prism, an arrangement of mirrors that would bring the light beams in through the lens, then reflected via mirrors upwards, to the right, downwards and finally backwards to meet the eye in a standing, sideways correct image.
The reason production stopped was it was post war and Hungry was controlled by the USSR and they did not want the competition. Given the country was controlled by the USSR they were told to stop production. This actually set the SLR development back about 10 years,
Source: www.pentax-slr.com
Specifications:
- 35 mm single lens reflex camera with pentamirror (pentaprism only on the prototype)
- 24x32mm picture format
- eye level horizontal view finder giving unreversed upright picture
- additional viewfinder with true projected frames (35mm; 50mm; 90mm)
- automatic diaphragm and instant return mirror
- bayonet
- removable camera back (and retractable film pressure plate only on prototype preventing film scratch)
- Artar 3,5/50 or Gammar 3,5/50 lens
- shutters from 1/1000 till 1 sec + B
Asking 8k or best offer.