The Akarelle P departs significantly from the sophistication of its predecessors. It represents more of an aesthetic modification akin to the Arette models rather than a continuation of the original Akarelle line. The characteristics of the Akarelle P are modest, and all the unique features that defined the brand have vanished. The lens is fixed, and the materials used are of lower quality. The subpar Isco lens is the kind found in economical German productions from the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s.

It's evident that the brand was in its twilight years and had to resort to using a camera manufactured by Regula or Franka to have something to offer in its lineup.

The brand logo on this model is ambiguous, leaving one to decipher whether it reads Aka or Akw.

The history of the Aka brand (acronym for Apparate & Kamerabau) is closely linked to that of the Second World War and its consequences. The brand was created in 1946 by the two Armbuster brothers, in the French sector¹. One of the two brothers had expertise in camera production, having worked for major German manufacturers of cameras and shutters. The other owned a foundry and a tooling factory.

The production of a camera with a central shutter and interchangeable lens began in a former hotel in Wildbad. This camera was called the Akarette and was intended as a more affordable competitor to the Leica. The first examples produced negatives measuring 24 x 32 mm, which made it possible to increase the number of exposures per film. It quickly reverted to the 24 x 36 format, which had become a standard. Production gradually increased with the recovery of the German economy, making a move to larger premises necessary. Unable to find suitable facilities in Wildbad, the company relocated to the shores of Lake Constance, in Friedrichshafen, in the former flight training school². Production started there in April 1949. It diversified with simpler models than the first Akarette, as well as more advanced models equipped with a rangefinder.
In 1958, one of the two brothers left the company for Feinwerktechnik, while he was developing a stereo camera compatible with the View-Master, the financing of which was a source of dispute between the brothers. This departure marked the beginning of the company's decline. Bankruptcy came in 1960. A new company, Arette Feinwerktechnik GmbH, continued to build cameras until 1963, using remaining stock parts.

Aka cameras are sometimes found at French flea markets. Sellers familiar with the history of their camera often mention that it was purchased by a conscript doing his military service in Germany, either in the Black Forest or around Lindau, in the 1950s.

¹ As a reminder, the French sector, like the American, British and Soviet sectors, was a result of the Yalta agreements, which defined the division of Nazi Germany among the victors. Each occupying power exercised full administration over its sector. In 1949, the creation of the two German states considerably reduced the prerogatives of the four occupying nations. A military presence was maintained until after reunification, in 1993.

² Friedrichshafen is the city of the Zeppelin airships and Dornier aircraft

(original source in German)