Rolleidoscop

Small model

1927

Franke & Heidecke

Braunschweig

Germany

Lens:

Two, f4.5, 5.5cm Tessar. Iris diaphragm to f18. 2 ½" separation. Serial no. 902343 902344 (c. 1929).

Viewing lens: f3.2, 5.5cm Zeiss Triplet. Serial no. 783485 (c. 1927).

Shutter:

Compound, speeds 1 - 1/300, B, T.

Construction:

Leather covered metal body.

Format:

Five pairs of 4 x 4 cm exposures on A8 (127) roll-film.

Focusing:

To 1m.

Attributes:

Reflex viewing through separate lens. Full-size ground glass viewing screen. Mirror in hood for eye-level use. Magnifier in hood.
Film advance indicated by red window. Not coupled to shutter.
Hinged lens caps. Spirit level.
Flap over red-window shows film number alignment positions: 4, _, 1, 6, _, 3, 8. Looking at the back of the camera the feed spool is on the right, the film is wound until 1 on the backing paper aligns with 1 on the flap, then 3 on the backing paper to 3 on the flap and so on.

Movements:

Rising front.

Serial Number:

14755 .

With:

Separate lens cap for mono use. Case.

The Rolleidoscop was the roll-film counterpart to the earlier and more successful Heidoscop. The first model for 6 x 6 cm exposures appeared in 1926. The smaller, and less common, model for 4 x 4 cm exposures appeared the following year.

Several variants exist:

Aperture controls surround the lens. F&H logo on the focusing hood. Lens caps attached to camera by cord.
Plain focusing hood.
Aperture controls on the top of the camera.
Hinged lens caps.

References & Notes:

BJA 1928, p. 354. BJA 1929, p. 339. BJA 1930, p. 667. BJA 1931, p. 622.

Further Information:

MA, 456. Has logo on hood. Permutt, Collecting Old Cameras, p.155. Has plain hood. BJA 1931, 622. Controls on top of camera.

Early Photography