Kolibri

1930

Zeiss-Ikon A. G.

Dresden

Germany

Lens:

f3.5, 5 cm Zeiss Tessar, iris diaphragm to f22. Serial no. 1120879 (1930).

Shutter:

Rim-set Compur, speeds 1 - 1/300, B, T. Serial no. 1003431.

Construction:

Leather covered metal body.

Format:

16, 4 x 3 cm exposures on A8 (127) roll-film.

Focusing:

Helical to 3 feet.

Attributes:

Direct-vision (lens/lens) view-finder placed on end of camera.
Film advance indicated by two red windows.

Serial Number:

Q69600 (c. 1929) .

Notes:

ZI model no. 523/18L. Retailer's label inside camera: Westminster Photographic. 121 Cheapside. Westminster were not at this address in the 1930s so it was probably added when the camera was sold second-hand.

With:

Brown case. Foot.

The Kolibri is one of the original 16 on 127 cameras. It is streamlined and plainly designed, the lens twists slightly and springs out to its working position, a tube connects the lens to the camera body. A foot screws into the lens/shutter area to support the camera.

The camera was probably sold for around 5 years, in Britain little emphasis was placed on the camera after the first year. It was sold with two close-up lenses and a cable release which fitted into the case. The price with an f3.5 Tessar and case was £14.0.0.

Variations:

Camera cases were either black or brown.
Lenses: f4.5, Novar in Telma shutter; f3.5 Novar in Telma; f3.5 Tessar in Compur; f2.8 Tessar in Compur; f2 Biotar in Compur.
Illustrations show a model with an open frame finder rather than an optical finder.
The body was used for a microscope camera, without lens or shutter.

References & Notes:

BJA 1931, pp. 309, 573.

Further Information:

BJA 1934, p.285. Microscope model. Tubbs, ZI Cameras, p.58. Lothrop, Century, p.138.

Early Photography