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Balda Baldamatic III |
 Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in Germany from 1960 to (After) 1960.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 1397
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Balda
The Baldessa cameras appear to be the successors to the Baldina, with the introduction of the former coinciding with the disappearance of the latter in catalogs.
The Baldessa models have a simple top cover because the film rewind crank is located under the base. There is also a key that replaces the film advance lever.
The standard lens is a 2.8/45 mm. The initial models have a rounded shape.
| Non-exhaustive list | Years | Lens | Shutter | ||
| Baldessa I |  |
1957- | Baldanar |
Prontor | Single viewfinder |
| Baldessa I |  |
1957- | Color-Westanar |
Prontor-SVS 1 to 1/300 |
|
| Baldessa I |  |
1957- | Color-Baldanar |
Vario 1/25 to 1/200 |
Collimated viewfinder |
| Baldessa I |  |
Prontor-SVS 1 to 1/300 |
|||
| Baldessa Ia |  |
1958- | Color-Baldanar |
Prontor-SVS 1 to 1/300 |
Coupled rangefinder Automatic parallax compensation |
| Baldessa Ib |  |
1958- | Color-Westanar |
Prontor-SVS 1 to 1/300 |
Rangefinder Light meter |
| Baldessa Ib |  |
||||
| Baldessa RF |  |
>1961- | Color-Isconar | Prontor-SVS 1 to 1/500 |
Built-in flash Coupled rangefinder |
| Baldessa RF/LK |  |
>1961- | Color-Isconar | Prontor 500 LK 1 to 1/500 |
Built-in flash Coupled rangefinder Posemètre |
| Baldessamat F |  |
>1961- | Color-Isconar | Prontor 500 LK 1 to 1/500 |
Built-in flash Lightmeter Collimated viewfinder |
| Baldamatic |  |
1960- | Color-Baldanar | Prontormat | Coupled light meter |
| Super Baldamatic |  |
1960 | Color-Baldanar | Compur 1/30 to 1/500 |
Coupled light meter |
| Baldamatic I |  |
1958- | Color-Westanar | Prontor-SLK | Coupled light meter Coupled rangefinder |
| Baldamatic I | 1958- | Enna-Color-Haponit | Synchro-Compur | ||
| Baldamatic I | 1958- | Baldanar | Prontormat | ||
| Super Baldamatic I |  |
1960- | Color-Baldanar | Compur 1/30 to 1/500 |
Coupled rangefinder light meter |
| Super Baldamatic I | 1960- | Xenar | |||
| Baldamatic II |  |
1960- | Xenar | Pronto-LK | Coupled light meter Coupled rangefinder |
| Baldamatic II |  |
1960- | Color-Baldanar | Prontormat | |
| Baldamatic II |  |
Pronto-LK | |||
| Baldamatic III |  |
1960- | - | Synchro-Compur 1 to 1/500 | Coupled light meter Coupled rangefinder Interchangeable lens |
From the mid-1960s onward, the shape of the cameras changed, becoming more angular. The cameras became lighter due to the use of aluminum and plastic. Some models even appear to stem from outsourced manufacturing.
| Non-exhaustive list | Years | Lens | Shutter | ||
| Baldessa Standard |  |
c. 1972 | Color-Isconar | Prontor 125 | Collimated viewfinder |
| Baldessa F |  |
c. 1966 | Color-Isconar | Prontor 125 | Built-in flash Collimated viewfinder |
| Baldessa LF |  |
c.1966-72 | Color-Isconar | Prontor 125 | Built-in flash Posemètre Collimated viewfinder |
| Baldessa LF |  |
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| Baldessa F-LK |  |
c. 1968 | Color-Isconar | Prontor 300 LK | Built-in flash Coupled light meter |
In the coding used by Balda, the letters have a meaning.
| R | Presence of a rangefinder |
| F | Presence of a flash for AG-1 bulb |
| L | Presence of a light meter (Lichtmeter) |
| K | Specifies that the light meter is coupled |
A patent filed in 1958 fairly illustrates the internal complexity of a camera resembling the Baldamatic Ib.
__________
The Balda brand has often been overlooked, yet it produced some very fine, high-end cameras that were direct competitors to those of more renowned brands. The Baldamatic models evolved over their brief career to culminate in the Baldamatic III model!
This is a rangefinder coupled camera, with a coupled light meter, interchangeable lenses, a multi-focal collimated viewfinder, and a rapid winding mechanism.
The rangefinder has a base as wide as one could hope for in this model, as the two windows are located at the two ends of the camera. By directly turning the ring around the lens or by using the small wheel visible under the front window of the viewfinder, one selects an aperture and moves a needle visible in the viewfinder. It appears that this needle should be positioned horizontally to correspond to the correct exposure.
The rapid winding mechanism is an interesting feature. There is no lever, but a key folded under the camera's base. A single turn of it is enough to cock the shutter and advance the film. Similarly, the key for rewinding is located underneath. When not in use, it is folded and partly integrated into the base. A lock (marked T & R) keeps it in place.
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