Pentacon Penti

 

Well, it's been a long wait but we've finally added this gem to the collection. These gorgeous little half-frame cameras were originally made by VEB Welta Kamera-Werke, starting in 1959. However, by 1964 the company became part of VEB Pentacon, and as our model bears the Pentacon logo we can only assume it dates from the mid 60s. If you read up the history of the Penti range you'll see that after this model came the Penti II, and then the Penti I. Due to this numerical confusion the original models are referred to sometimes as the Penti 0. 

 So what are the characteristics of the original Penti? Well, the camera itself has some unusual quirks in terms of loading and advancing. As mentioned it is a half frame camera but you can't just load it with a regular roll of 35mm film. The camera takes special Agfa Rapid/Karat cartridges that you have to load yourself. These cartridges can only hold 12 frames worth of film, plus a little extra for a leader. That might seem a little stingy, but remember the Penti shoots half frames, so you get 24 shots in total. Don't be put off by this loading method. The process is well explained over at Art Deco Cameras and actually comes with the plus of not needing to be threaded onto a take-up spool or rewound when finished shooting.

 

So what else is different about this camera? Well the way the shutter is cocked for a start. There is a plunger that protrudes from the left side of the camera. When pushed into the camera the film advances and the shutter is cocked. This makes it impossible to forget to advance the film before taking a shot. 

The lens on this camera is a 30mm f/3.5 Meyer Trioplan with a smllest aperture of f/22. There are three rings around it, one for distance, one for aperture and one for shutter speed. There is a tripod socket and the camera has a leaf shutter synchronised for flash, though only with flash bulbs. Available shutter speeds include bulb, 1/30, 1/60, and 1/125. The shutter button is threaded and can take a cable release. 

 

The top plate features a cold shoe, flash sync socket and frame counter. Additional accessories were available, including lens hood and case. The downside of the case is that the camera can only fit in it if the shutter is cocked. Not a problem when the camera isn't loaded, but a possible annoyance if you are out shooting and it suddenly starts raining. 

I don't know if Welta/Pentacon set out to make a camera just for ladies but there is something unquestionably girly about the Penti. Its gold-anodized aluminium body, the coloured band around the centre (available in a variety of colours), its tiny size and the fact that it is styled to look like a clutch purse suggests the Penti was as much a fashion accessory as it was a camera. A perfectly elegant companion for snapping pictures at a friends wedding for example. Although the Penti II and the Penti I had more features, they're just not quite as pretty as the original. 

Agfa Rapid Cartridge

 

 This camera joins our Chaika 3, the only other half frame camera in the collection and a very different beast. 

If you want to get your hands on a Penti they are hard to come by in the UK. They are far more plentiful in Germany (well obviously) but the additional postage can make them a little pricey,