1931 Nagel w/Leitz lens

[Photoskeptic]

A neighbor of mine recently helped his father move out of his Long Island home of many years and returned with some old cameras he found. One is a 1931 or 1932 Nagel Compur w/Leitz 5cm 3.5. It is a very interesting camera - very compact, takes 120 film (but seems to be half-frame?) and everything seems to work except the rangefinder is missing which should be no problem as I can scale focus. Would appreciate any further information on this camera particularly outside of what can found on the internet. I'm going to run a test roll through this week and will post anything worthwhile.
Thanks.

[lll]

Could be a Nagel Pupille or Vollenda. Both need 127 film, not easy to find.

The factory of Dr. Nagel in Stuttgart was sold to Kodak in1932. In the beginning they still manufactured some Nagel models but developed soon the famous 35mm Retina cameras. They were developed further and built until the beginning of the seventies. The same applies to all Retinette models and the top range of the Instamatic cameras (500 and Reflex).

The former Nagel then Kodak factory also was the birthplace of the Kodak S-AV, later Ektapro and Leica RT(!) slide projectors. It was Kodak´s top range camera and projector factory. Most of the lenses came from Schneider Kreuznach, some from ISCO (abbr. Joseph Schneider &CO), Rodenstock and Docter (projection lenses). No Kodak camera had a Leitz lens.

Regards
Friedhelm

[flatfour]

No Kodak camera had a Leitz lens. This is not correct, a Kodak folding camera - a Vigilant ? was sold at a Christies auction some 20 years ago fitted with a an Elmar 9cm. I saw the camera.

[earleygallery]

Can you post a pic or two of the camera?

[Photoskeptic]

James, I'll get you some pics tomorrow. It's a Pupille, BTW. You sure it needs 127 film?

[lll]

Anthony,

exeptions are always possible, of course. Prototypes, single custom made cameras, cameras later upgraded by servicemen etc. I am not shure, too, if late series of the Nagel Vollenda and Recomar models which were continued under the Kodak ownership were still available with Elmars as in the Nagel times.

Regards
Friedhelm

@ John: The picture frame will be 3x4cm, needs 127 rollfilm, spool width 48mm. No exeptions in the Pupliie range (as far as I know :-))

[Photoskeptic]

Thanks. The information on the 120 came from the owner. I found some 127 but it will be another week before it arrives so pics (if any!) will be delayed.

[flatfour]

III - It was a genuine item and was written up in Amateur Photographer. I can't recall too much about it but I seem to think it was a Leitz New York item, one of several made.

[Photoskeptic]

Here are the pics. Better ones are found on a German web site. It was made from 1930 to 1935. The serial number on this one is in the 600's out of 5000 made so it is an early one. The Leitz lens makes it rarer and more valuble. The owner thinks he may be able to put his hands on the rangefinder at a later date. Anyway I found some 127 film at B&H. The lever at the botton rotates and extends the lens. None of the controls on the lens will work until it is extended. The viewfinder folds down and is in the down position in these photos. The ruler is to emphasize the diminuitive size. All photos M8, 35 cron ASPH except for the last one which is from a Panasonic LX-1.

[Photoskeptic]

I meant the lever at the botton of the lens the lever on the bottom of the camera opens it!

[earleygallery]

Amazing! I'm assuming the lens is the standard 5cm 3.5 Elmar and will be a wideangle lens in this case (with 127 format size). It will be very interesting to see some images from it - how it copes with the larger image area, I'm guessing the edges may not be as sharp as they are on 35mm.......

[robert_parker]

It does have the look of a 127 half frame