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. The firm built plain, practical cameras for amateurs who wanted portability and reliability. It was sold under several variations of the name, including "Beirax 1950" and "Beirax II (1950)". It belongs to the postwar wave of German precision mechanics that put function ahead of flourish. The design is self-erecting and vertical-folding, so the lens standard rises automatically when the camera is opened and a sprung metal bed locks it into place. That cuts setup time compared to a fully manual bellows camera. It doesn't remove the need for careful handling on uneven ground.
The Beirax 1950 takes 120 roll film and offers two image formats: 6×9 cm and 4.5×6 cm. One camera does both jobs. 120 film is still widely available today, which makes this one of the more accessible vintage medium format cameras for modern shooters.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Kamera-Fabrik Woldemar Beier |
| Country of manufacture | Germany |
| Film Format | 120 roll film |
| Film format | Rollfilm 120/620/B2 |
| Image format | 6 x 9 cm and 4.5 x 6 cm |
| Shutter speeds | 1/25, 1/50, 1/100 sec, B, T |
| Focusing range | 1.5 m - Infinity |
Key Features
Self-Erecting Vertical-Folding Chassis
The Beirax 1950 uses a vertical-folding bed that extends upward when the camera is opened. German catalogs sometimes call this a "klapp-/spreizenkamera". The self-erecting action means you don't extend the bellows by hand, which cuts setup time and lowers the risk of misalignment. Once locked, the bed is a stable platform for the lens assembly, though
Dual Format 6×9 cm and 4.5×6 cm
The Beirax 1950 shoots both 6×9 cm and 4.5×6 cm negatives on 120 film. This was marketed as a cost-saving and compositional advantage, since the photographer could switch aspect ratios to suit the subject. Shooting 4.5×6 cm gives 15 exposures per roll instead of the standard 8 for 6×9. That stretched the film further, which mattered when film was expensive and reloading was inconvenient.
1/25 – 1/100 Sec Shutter with B and T Settings
The shutter has three fixed speeds - 1/25, 1/50, and 1/100 second - plus Bulb (B) and Time (T) settings for long exposures. Those speeds are modest by modern standards. They limit action photography but suit available light portraits and static subjects. The lack of faster speeds suggests the camera was meant for medium-speed films (around ISO 100-200 equivalent) in daylight or with supplemental lighting. B and T allow extended exposures for night shots or low-light interiors. The shutter is mechanical, so timing is done by hand, often with a stopwatch.
Collectibility & Value
The Beirax 1950 turns up intermittently on secondary markets, mostly in Southeast Asia. Listings in Malaysian Ringgit (RM) suggest a current asking price of RM 379. They typically describe the units as "lightly used", but no verified sale prices or auction records are documented. With no original pricing data and no production figures, its market value remains speculative. It is valued more as a working vintage tool than as a trophy.
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Related Models
- Beier Beirax 1936 (1936)
- Beier Beirax (1936-)