Balda Fixfocus

Photos by DC text by DC. From the collection of DC. Last update 2023-11-15 par Sylvain Halgand.

Manufactured or assembled in Germany from 1933 to 1938.
Index of rarity in France: Infrequent (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 2451

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Chronology of cameras Balda

Balda Werk introduced a new model of folding camera in 1933, a dual-format 6 x 9 and 4.5 x 6 called Fixfocus. The name of this camera can be misleading as the focus distance is indeed adjustable. This model was offered in numerous variations with different combinations of lenses and shutters. It is often found as the basis for a distributor's camera. The shape of the bellows, especially with the leg shaped like a wrench head upside down, aids in identification.

The Fixfocus underwent modifications during its existence. Knowledge of these successive modifications helps refine the dating of the various versions. The early models have recesses on the edges of the body, which disappear from 1936 onward. Other differences concern the position of the viewfinder on the body.

Production ceased with the onset of the war, but in the late 1940s, the East German entity that would later become Belca briefly reused the name before renaming its cameras Belfoca.

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The camera featured on this page is the variant of the Fixfocus that appeared on the market in 1936 and was marketed for two years. It differs from the 1933 version by the absence of steps at the front and rear of the body.

Its folding frame viewfinder is located on the left side of the body, distinguishing it from the 1938 version, which has the viewfinder on the right side. This version of the camera was sold in France under the name Duxo 38 by Photo-Plait.

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