Iloca Ia |
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Manufactured or assembled in Germany from 1951 to (After) 1951.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 12409
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Iloca
The Iloca brand, born after the Second World War, had a rather short life and disappeared towards 1960, however, almost all models were exported regularly to the United States, where the brand had a good reputation. American distributors integrated it under their own brand the models manufactured by Iloca.
The American distributor of the brand name was Ercona Camera Co.
The Iloca Ia is improved Iloca I. It is very well made, a nice sobriety. The trigger button is on the body. The advance and film rewind buttons offer good grip. The lens is treated and synchronization is possible at all speeds. The only regret is its "Leica"mode film loading by the bottom.
This camera exists in several versions:
In an American catalog dated 1952, the version with Ilitar 2.9 / 45 mm lens and Vario shutter (limited to 1/200 sec.) is sold 57.50 dollars.
An advertisement from 1953 evokes a version with Vario (1/200 sec.) and a version with Prontor SV (1/300 sec.)
![Iloca Ia](../../iloca/images/Iloca_Ia_JC.jpg )
![Iloca Ia](../../iloca/images/detail_objectif.jpg)
The company Iloca Kamera-Werk has its origins in another company established in Hamburg under the name Ilca in the late 1940s, but it was quickly taken over around 1949 by Wilhelm Witt, who led it to a certain level of success that unfortunately didn't last.
It only produced cameras under the name Iloca from the early 1950s until 1959 (bankruptcy in the spring of 1960). It is best known for its stereo cameras. The majority of its production was aimed at exports, especially to the United States. For exports to the USA, Iloca products were sometimes rebranded with different names (such as the Realist ST-45). Alternatively, the company partnered with importers/manufacturers like Tower (Sears, Roebuck and Co.), Photrix (Montgomery Ward), Argus (Argus Inc.), and even Graflex (Graflex Inc.).
It's interesting to note that the company's bankruptcy was the result of a battle among giants in the emerging German industry, which took the form of a refusal to supply new automatic shutters that Iloca was seeking from Friedrich Deckel in Munich. Iloca may have fallen victim to a clash between the Zeiss Ikon group and the one that owned Voigtländer over the acquisition of these new automatic shutters. Iloca, it is said, was ready with next-generation products, but none of the major groups seemed to favor this, possibly pressuring Friedrich Deckel not to deliver 3,000 advanced shutters, which forced W. Witt's company to go out of business.
(source: Die Zeit, April 8, 1960).
Another reason for the company's bankruptcy, as developed by Wilhelm Witt, may have been the excessive focus on stereo cameras. The resurgence of stereo photography in the post-World War II era was short-lived, and it cannot be ruled out that the system developed around the View-Master may have adversely affected traditional stereo photography on 35mm film.
However, before disappearing, Iloca introduced a sophisticated camera to the market, the Iloca Electric, a large 24x36 motorized camera, the first of its kind, which sold well in the USA.
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![]() Appareil photo Witt Iloca format 35mm, de 1950, allemand.Obturateur bloqué 14,00 euros Finira le 22-08-2024 à 22:50:45 |