Beier Beirax 1950

At 5cm, its triplet lens is modest on paper — but in practice, it renders 6×9 negatives with a quiet, unforced grace.

Overview

The Beier Beirax 1950 is a folding bed medium format camera built in Germany by Kamera-Fabrik Woldemar Beier, a firm known for pragmatic, no-frills engineering aimed at amateur photographers who valued portability and reliability. Marketed under several variations of its name — including "Beirax 1950" and "Beirax II (1950)" — this camera belongs to the postwar wave of German precision mechanics that prioritized function over flourish. It’s a self-erecting, vertical-folding design, meaning the lens standard rises automatically when opened, stabilized by a sprung metal bed that locks into place. This mechanism reduces setup time compared to fully manual bellows cameras, though it doesn’t eliminate the need for careful handling on uneven ground.

Built for 120 roll film, the Beirax 1950 offers dual image formats: 6×9 cm and 4.5×6 cm, giving photographers flexibility without requiring multiple cameras. The use of 120 film — still widely available today — makes it one of the more accessible vintage medium format systems for modern shooters.

Specifications

Key Features

Self-Erecting Vertical-Folding Chassis

The Beirax 1950 uses a vertical-folding bed mechanism that extends upward when the camera is opened, a design sometimes referred to as a "klapp-/spreizenkamera" in German catalogs. This self-erecting feature eliminates the need to manually extend the bellows, reducing setup time and minimizing the risk of misalignment. Once locked, the bed provides a stable platform for the lens assembly, though

Dual Format 6×9 cm and 4.5×6 cm

One of the Beirax 1950’s standout features is its ability to shoot both 6×9 cm and 4.5×6 cm negatives on 120 film. This versatility was marketed as a cost-saving and compositional advantage, allowing photographers to switch aspect ratios depending on subject matter. Shooting 4.5×6 cm yields 15 exposures per roll instead of the standard 8 for 6×9, extending film economy — a practical benefit in an era when film was expensive and reloads inconvenient.

1/25 – 1/100 Sec Shutter with B and T Settings

The shutter offers three fixed speeds — 1/25, 1/50, and 1/100 second — along with Bulb (B) and Time (T) settings for long exposures. These speeds are modest by modern standards, limiting action photography but well-suited to available light portraiture and static subjects. The lack of faster speeds suggests the camera was intended for use with medium-speed films (around ISO 100–200 equivalent) in daylight or with supplemental lighting. The B and T settings allow for extended exposures, useful for night shots or low-light interiors, though the mechanical nature of the shutter means timing must be done manually, often with a stopwatch.

Collectibility & Value

The Beirax 1950 appears intermittently on secondary markets, primarily in Southeast Asia, where listings in Malaysian Ringgit (RM) suggest a current asking price of RM 379. These listings typically describe the units as "lightly used," though no verified sale prices or auction records are documented. Given the absence of original pricing data and production figures, its market value remains speculative. It is valued more as a functional vintage tool than a trophy item.

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Related Models

• Beier Beirax 1936 (1936)
• Beier Beirax (1936-)