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Cornu Ontoflex N° 3 |
 Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in France from 1935 to (Circa) 1940.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 6750
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Cornu
The Ontoflex cameras are twin-lens reflex (TLR) cameras using 620 film and producing 6 x 9 cm negatives. To facilitate landscape photography, the back rotates 90 degrees.
They were produced during the 1930s.
There were three different series of Ontoflex cameras:
Series 6000: A large camera that directly accepts plate holders and a film adapter similar to those used on plate folding cameras.
Series 7000: The film magazine is now also made by Cornu. The film's sensitive surface aligns with the junction level of the camera.
Series 8000 and above: The film is now placed at the back of the magazine, allowing for a slimmer camera design.
It appears that the Ontoflex numbering is not continuous. It starts at 6000, the first available thousand following the Ontoscope. The second series of Ontoflex begins at 7000, even though fewer than a thousand Ontoflex cameras were produced. Similarly, the third series starts at 8000 and continues regularly, incorporating the few Ontoscope film cameras that had already been produced.
The first patent describes a swiveling, but non-interchangeable, magazine.
The second patent describes an interchangeable back, allowing the camera to be used with a frame, a plate magazine, or a film magazine.__________
This Ontoflex model No. 3 (No. 8966) has a back that pivots but is not detachable. Its unique feature is a shutter that operates much slower (maximum speed 1/150) compared to other Ontoflex models, and it is not of German origin.
According to A. Saudax, a specialist in the brand, this indicates production during World War II. The shutter, marked Ontoflex Paris, raises questions whether it is an unbranded Gitzo shutter or one manufactured by Cornu to compensate for disrupted supply chains. Further investigation is ongoing.
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