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| Contessa-Nettel Donata, model c.1920. Image by Süleyman Demir (Image rights) |
Contessa-Nettel Donata was manufactured by Contessa-Nettel AG, Stuttgart, Germany.It is a folder bed plate film camera. It can be easily identified the engraving on the hand grip "Donata" .
Specifications[]
- Produced between: 1919-26
- Format: 6.5x9cm. plate film
- Lens: Contessa-Nettel Nettar-Anastigmat 105mm, f/4.5, filter slip-on, with apertures f/4.5-f/38.
- Focusing: Bellows focusing by a thumb wheel and using distance index and scale. You can view and adjust the exact focus via the ground glass screen on the back of the camera, w/ a cloth hood.
- Shutter:Ibsor leaf shutter, speeds: 1-1/100 +T & B.
- Cocking and shutter releasing: by the same lever, for the speed settings, pressing once the lever the diaphragm opens and closes.
- View finder: Waist level brilliant finder on top of the lens standard, turning 90 degrees left on its own axis for landscape pictures.
- Bellows: can slide vertically by a milled micrometer screw knob on the lens standard for parallax correction, also double-extension is possible for macro works.
- Body: metal, Weight 498g.
History[]
Dr August Nagel began his camera design business in 1908 as Drexler & Nagel, quickly to become the Contessa Camerawerke a year later. In 1919, he bought the Nettel Kamera-werke and renamed the firm Contessa-Nettel AG. Stuttgart, Germany. It operated under the Contessa-Nettel name from 1919 until 1926.
In 1926 Contessa-Nettel merged with Ica, Ernemann and Goerz forming the photographic giant Zeiss-Ikon.
Zeiss Ikon continued to produce camera series of Contessa-Nettel's and others before merging. Donata was also produced between 1926-32 by Zeiss Ikon with some differences. Contessa name used by Zeiss Ikon until 1960's.
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| Donata model c.1920 Ibsor shutter and Nettar lens. Image by Süleyman Demir (Image rights) |
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| Donata model c.1920 Double-extension bellows. Image by Süleyman Demir (Image rights) |