Goerz Folding Camera

[Rob MacKillop]

[iPhone photos]

After dropping Hamish's and Brian's Merrill's off at the Post Office this morning, I saw this in the window of the Shelter charity shop, with a price tag of £20. It seemed in good condition, so I took a punt and bought it.

It appears to be the Goerz Roll-Tengor, manufactured between 1921 and 1926. Here's a LINK to the relevant Camerapedia page.

The downside is that it uses 116 roll film, which is apparently no longer manufactured. But video's exist showing more or less ingenious ways to adapt the rollers of 120 film to fit these cameras. You can only get five shots out of a 120 roll. I can't see myself doing that, so I have a camera for the shelf. But it is beautiful, well machined, and has some interesting features.

Of particular interest to Susan, being an Edinburgh lass, is the case with its cloth label of J.B.Watson, Manufacturing Optician, 13 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh. There is an interesting photo on flickr which I can only provide a link for: https://flic.kr/p/dGWKYN It was replaced by Blacks and Lizars, who were at the same premises until very recently.

So, I'm twenty quid down, but have a nice camera and a story of a local shop.

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Interesting Rob. I have a similar camera, but in a much worse condition and have never used it. Be interesting to see the resulting images. Like you I also take a punt, sometimes they pay of well other times they are paper weights, but fine paper weights they make.,

 

[Ian Grant]

Which lens Rob? It is possible to adapt 116 cameras to use 120 film fairly easily, I've been asked to convert one by a girl in Mexico (I've other work to do for her first).

The case was 10s in 1924 and the camera between £3 5s & £5 17s depending on the lens. It's not the top version of the Tengor as that had a Compur shutter, that's an Ibso I think.

Ian

 

[Pete Askew]

Lovely looking beast, Rob. Might be nice to put a roll through one day but, as you say, until then you have a very nice ornament.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

@Ian Grant - not sure about the lens. It has Goerz written on the top dial, with 25, 50, 100 B and T. At the bottom we have 50, 36, 25, 18, 12.5, 9, 7.7. Any comments about that?

I'm confused about the format for focus. It has a fold-out, two-part view panel on the side - you can see it open on the third image above, and closed on the last two images. But it also has a ground glass style window in miniature just above the lens, which shows a fine image of my room in portrait mode, whereas the side view frames would be used in landscape mode. They don't quite gaze upon the same scene.

@Pete Askew - some day!

 

[Ian Grant]

It's a 5" f7.7 Axiar, not the cheapest lens, that was an f11 Symmetrical Doublet. The finder on the top of the lens standard should swivel 90º for landscape view. With that lens the camera was £4 10s so with the case £5 if bought 1924.

Goerz never really recovered to their pre-WWI position, ironically during the war Goerz American Optical supplied the US Army, while CP Goerz, Berlin, supplied the Axis armies. Originally the US arm was a subsidiary run by Goerz's 2 sons but became independent and the sons became US citizens. CP Goerz became part of Zeiss Ikon so Zeiss have the rights to the lens designs, Goerz Am Op were taken over by Schneider's US branch so Schneider also have rights to the designs.

Ian

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Thanks Ian. I now know quite a bit about this camera. Much appreciated.

I've got a lot already for my twenty quid. All the history, the camera itself, three students turned up today and we're very interested in it, and to cap it all off, Susan's mum reminisced about visiting the shop on many occasions with her husband, who was a bit of a photography enthusiast. There is so much more to photography than taking photographs.

 

[Ian Grant]

I think there was always a greater affinity towards photography in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK, it might be because arts, music and culture in general are given more importance.

My grand-mother loved photography and on her honeymoon on her first trip abroad bought two photographs of the Lake District which hung in their farmhouse for many years.

Yes there's definitely more than taking there's a deep appreciation as well.

Ian

 

[Brian Moore]

Nice buy, Rob! I'd be trying to shoot with it.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Some day, for sure.