BREAKING NEWS[priox] tireuse contact 13x18 par Arnaud SAUDAX | Pieds et radar de la préhist... par Joël M-B | Stylo-phot nr. 21 par jean-pierre ver | Qui en sont les fabricants ? par jean-pierre ver | Agrandisseur "lumière d... par Sylvain Halgand | François arago le daguerréo... par Jm Gol | Présentation par Frédéric SEC | Td2024-03 par Cédric KB |
Baudry Isographe
France Version française
Photos by Arnaud Saudax text by Sylvain Halgand. Last update 2024-01-30 par Sylvain Halgand.

Manufactured or assembled in France from (Circa) 1945 to 1945.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 10484

See the complete technical specifications

Chronology of cameras Baudry 

BaudryLucien-François Baudry (1886-1950), a watchmaker from Angers, began producing very unique cameras in very limited quantities in the mid-1920s. He was assisted by a single worker from 1918 to 1936. Initially, the components of the cameras were molded from recycled metal before being sent to a foundry for better results. The worker handled the production of the parts, while Lucien Baudry himself was responsible for assembling and fine-tuning each camera. Each unit is nearly unique because L. Baudry continuously made modifications to his creations. The cameras were intended for stereophotography on plates (6 x 13 format). Later models were adapted for film, using 620 film to provide a pair of images in the 6 x 13 format. There are a few single-lens models that were manufactured after the war.

These cameras are known as "Isographe." In some catalogs, the name "Iso-Roll-Film" is found for the version with film, although it's unclear whether this is a distributor's proprietary name, a naming error, or Baudry's attempt to distinguish the film version.

The quality of craftsmanship is quite exceptional, considering that it was the work of a single individual who operated without formal plans. The shutter is a homemade creation, with the lenses being the only components not made by Baudry.

The silhouette of the Isographe is distinctive. It is a folding camera with a bellows; a small foldable handle allows the front part of the camera to be pulled forward to facilitate its deployment. Some units have a fixed focus, while others have focusing achieved through a micrometric screw linked to the linkage connecting the two lenses. The back is rectangular, and the viewfinder consists of two parts: the front part is a folding metal frame on which two round pieces are fixed. Folding this part of the viewfinder-catch, the two round pieces are positioned precisely in front of the lenses, serving as caps (Patent 581,356 filed on November 27, 1924). The rear part supports an eyepiece.

__________

This Isographe is a roll film camera model. It is dual-format: 6 x 6 and 6 x 4.5, using 620 film. The lens is a Flor Berthiot 75mm 1:4.5. 
Focusing is possible up to 1 meter.

The viewfinder is always composed of a metal frame, inside of which vertical bands delineate the field for the 6 x 4.5 format. An additional device seems to allow for more precise framing. It consists of two perforated tabs. The round one is vertical, while the rectangular one tilts forward. Aligning the two holes helps prevent parallax errors.

Baudry Isographe



Baudry Isographe
Rear view showing the format selector during film advancement. Depth of field table. The two bands of the viewfinder delimit the reduced field of view.
Baudry Isographe

Baudry Isographe
Without being definitive, this back for 135 film evokes the work of Baudry. The format is 24 x 32, like the Verascope 40. It is impossible to know which camera this back is mounted on. The lever between the two buttons controls the film pressure plate.


Cameras from Ebay France (Baudry) (Uploaded each 3 hours)