Beier Beirette (1958)

Beier Beirette (1958) image by Süleyman Demir (Image rights)

Beirette (1958) is a 35mm film viewfinder camera made by Beier and introduced in 1958.

The camera is the first model of the long lasting Beier Beirette series made from 1958 to the 1980s in East Germany by Beier. It was the first compact 35mm camera from Beier, and the first camera that came out of the East Germany that had a rapid advance lever. It is a very compact, little simple camera. There are many models and versions during its very long manufacturing period.

Specifications

• Lens: Ludwig Meritar 45mm f/2.9 filter slip-on serial no.1269529
  • Aperture: up to f/22 setting: no click stops, ring and scale behind the lens
  • Focus range: 0.6-5m +inf
• Focusing: manual front cell focusing; ring, distance and DOF scales on the lens
• Shutter: Junior II everset shutter with three speeds: 1/30, 1/60, 1/125; setting: indented ring and dial on the lens-shutter barrel
• Shutter release: long round shutter release on square lens plate, double exposure prevention, pressing the shutter release cocks and release the shutter, shutter not works without film in the camera, w/ cable release socket
• Cocking lever: also winds the film, short stroke rapid advance, on the top plate
• Frame counter: decreasing type, auto reset, window on the back of the top plate, not works without film in the camera
• Viewfinder: simple reverse telescopic finder, manual parallax correction for N (normal) and infinity by slightly sliding the eyepiece
• Re-wind knob: on the top plate
• Re-wind release: set the button on the back of the front plate to R
• Flash PC socket: on the shutter.
• Cold-shoe
• Memory dial : on the winding knob
• Self-timer: none
• Back cover:removable, opens by a latch on left side of the camera
• Engraving on the backcover: Made in Germany
• Film loading: hinged pressure plate
• Tripod socket: ¼"
• Strap lugs : none
• Body: bakelite, covered in sheets of metal; Weight: 362g
• Serial no. none

Links

• in Beier-Kamera by Thomas Knorre

• Beirette I at Sylvain Halgand's www.collection-appareils.fr