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3106.photography

Created 11 April 2009 ... Updated 11 April 2009



AkArette

AkArette Nickel plated brass formed the basis of this beautifull designed camera. It looks very light weight, not only because of it's colour but also because of it's smooth curves. The AkArette has interchangeable bayonette mount lenses of different focal length. At the time of production reportedly high quality Schneider-Kreuznach 35, 50 and 75 mm lenses were available. The nickel plating does look nice and gives the camera a nice touch but it got easily rubbed off with normal use. So many cameras you will find used nowadays don't look so new anymore and often the brass shines through. The camera mechanics and built however are of high quality and these 50 year old camera are often still working fine.

The funny thing is there are two viewfinders, a feature I haven't seen before. Only one view finder at a time would be used. When the small lever below the window is set for 50mm, the view finder for 75mm would show a red signal and could not be used. When the lever would be set in the 75 position, the 50mm view finder was blocked. There is however no 35 mm viewfinder window so there might have been an (optional?)auxilary view finder for use with the 35 mm lens.

How to...

... open the film chamber

The camera back may be opened by sliding the small button on the left hand side of the body downward. There are two such buttons but only the top one works. The hings is on the right hand side. The back may be opened even when the camera is connected to a tripod.

.. reset the film counter

The film counter does not have an automatic reset so you will have to reset the counter manually by turning the frilly-edged screw on top of the camera.

My camera unfortunately came without a lens and separate lenses are hard to come by so I was never able to use it.

Specifications
Manufacturor  :  AkA Apparate und Kamerabau
Model  :  AkArette
Type  :  35mm view finder camera
Produced  :  early 1950s
K.D. Müller Reference  :  K
Film  :  35mm (Type 135)
Picture size  :  24 x 36 mm
Made in  :  Germany
Material  :  nickel-plated brass
Lens  :  Bayonett mount with three lenses available:
Schneider-Kreuznach Xenagon 1:3,5 35 mm
Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 1:3,5 50 mm
Schneider-Kreuznach Tele-Xenar 1:3,8 75 mm
Lens system  :  Proprietary AKA bayonett mount
Focusing  :  Uncoupled Rangefinder
Manual focusing through the focus ring.
Focus range  :  depending on lens
Viewfinder  :  Two small view finders, one for use with a 50 mm lens, the other for use with a 75 mm lens. Always one of the view finders is blocked.
Shutter  :  Prontor-S, 1 - 300 and Bulb with self timer
Aperture  :  depending on lens
Self timer  :  yes
Exposure  :  fully manual
Film speed settings  :  none
Exposure meter  :  none
Power  :  none
Flash  :  Cold shoe on top of the camera.
Flash Contact  :  PC sync socket on the shutter assembly
Film Advance  :  winding knob
Shutter release  :  A cable release may be screwed into the standard release cord socket.
Body serial number  : 
Collection status  :  sold
AkArette

links AkArette weblinks
links AkA models
links A full model list with all known AkA models listed. In German.

links AkA history
links The history of AkA Apparate und Kamerabau Gmbh 1946 - 1960. In German.

links AkA at Retrography
links AkArette model information.


All photos copyright of M. Koning 1997 - 2009

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