Balda Baldafix (Circa 1950 to after 1950)

A folding camera made in West Germany. It came in two formats and two generations of viewfinder.

Overview

The Balda Baldafix is a folding camera made in West Germany starting around 1950. It was offered in two film formats: 6 x 9 and 4.5 x 6. Variants differ in lens, shutter and viewfinder. Two patents from 1952 cover its film transport system and its optical viewfinder for dual-format use. After WWII, Max Baldeweg resumed camera production under the Balda brand in the Federal Republic of Germany, continuing a design lineage similar to the pre-war models.

Specifications

Film format	6 x 9 and 4.5 x 6
Lens (variant 1)	Ennar f/4.5
Shutter (variant 1)	Prontor-S
Shutter speeds (variant 1, Prontor-S)	1 to 1/250 sec
Lens (variant 2)	Cassar f/6.3
Shutter (variant 2)	Vario
Shutter speeds (variant 2, Vario)	1/25 to 1/200 sec

Design

The Baldafix comes in 6 x 9 and 4.5 x 6. The first generation has a foldable viewfinder made of two non-optical frames. Second generation models have a streamlined viewfinder that a lever adjusts to the negative format. The lever also shows the number of possible exposures in a window. On these models the streamlined cover houses only the viewfinder and the accessory shoe. The film transport system is protected by German patent DE1633996 (1952). The optical viewfinder for dual-format use is covered by patent DE1641387 (1952).

Context

After WWII, Max Baldeweg relocated to the Federal Republic of Germany and restarted camera production under the Balda name, closely following pre-war designs. The Baldafix was succeeded by the more advanced Baldalux. It offered three formats - 6 x 9, 4.5 x 6 and 6 x 6 - using reducer masks, and it had better lenses and shutters. The two cameras belong to the same product family. In 1953, patents were filed by Balda Kamera Werk Rudolf Grüter KG. After that, the "Rudolf Grüter KG" name disappeared from later patents.