Rough But Rare: Balda Pontura 6x9 Cm Folding Rangefinder Camera
Item History & Price
Balda Super Pantura 6x9 cm folding rangefinder camera
My wife found this camera at an estate sale in the San Francisco Bay Area. I had never seen one like it, but the quality of the design and construction was apparent, so we bought it. It was missing its carrying handle, was pretty dirty, and would not close, but otherwise appeared quite nice. It turned out to be one of rarest Dresden-made Balda's.
We took it home and figured out that in order to close the ca...mera one had to depress the shutter release. This moves a lever (see photo 9) in the shutter release coupling that otherwise gets in the way of the shutter housing when the camera bed is folded shut.
I found a carrying strap that fit perfectly and stitched it on and cleaned the camera inside and out. I took some pictures with it but discovered a pinhole (impossible to photograph) that fogged parts of the negative. Otherwise it worked fine: the shutter fired dependably at all speeds from 1 second to 1/400th, and the lens (a 10cm f/4.5 Meyer Görlitz Trioplan, serial number 816008) was clear with no scratches, fog, or cleaning marks. The rangefinder gave a very narrow view, but worked accurately once you figured out exactly how to look through it.
Condition: The camera has minor brassing, scratches, and some paint wear on the body (see photos). The foot on the drop-down bed has several significant areas of missing chrome (see arrows in photo 6). The leatherette has considerable wear, most noticeable on the front door near the distance scale (see photos 3 and 6) and on the back, which also has 4 Zeiss dots. As mentioned, there is one pinhole (that I can see with an LED flashlight) in a fold of the bellows (else the bellows looks good).
Once you master the technique of pushing down on the shutter release, the back closes easily. The little button that unlatches the front has a very strong spring, so firm pressure on it is necessary. Once released, the back tends to stick, so I usually apply tension to it by grasping the front foot while pushing down the release.
Shipping:
The 2019 USPS rate schedule necessitates the revised shipping charges below. Also, the camera will ship at just over 2 pounds, which unfortunately puts it in the USPS 2-3 pound category.
To the USA and US APO/FPO addresses:
USPS Priority Mail for $9.
To countries that track USPS 1st Class:
USPS First Class International for $38.
To China:
USPS Express Priority Mail for $78.
To all other countries:
USPS Express Priority Mail for $72.
Please click the shipping tab above for the cost to a specific country. Allow up to three weeks for delays in Customs. Customs fees are paid by the buyer.
Guarantee: 30-day return for any reason. I pay the return shipping.
My wife found this camera at an estate sale in the San Francisco Bay Area. I had never seen one like it, but the quality of the design and construction was apparent, so we bought it. It was missing its carrying handle, was pretty dirty, and would not close, but otherwise appeared quite nice. It turned out to be one of rarest Dresden-made Balda's.
We took it home and figured out that in order to close the ca...mera one had to depress the shutter release. This moves a lever (see photo 9) in the shutter release coupling that otherwise gets in the way of the shutter housing when the camera bed is folded shut.
I found a carrying strap that fit perfectly and stitched it on and cleaned the camera inside and out. I took some pictures with it but discovered a pinhole (impossible to photograph) that fogged parts of the negative. Otherwise it worked fine: the shutter fired dependably at all speeds from 1 second to 1/400th, and the lens (a 10cm f/4.5 Meyer Görlitz Trioplan, serial number 816008) was clear with no scratches, fog, or cleaning marks. The rangefinder gave a very narrow view, but worked accurately once you figured out exactly how to look through it.
Condition: The camera has minor brassing, scratches, and some paint wear on the body (see photos). The foot on the drop-down bed has several significant areas of missing chrome (see arrows in photo 6). The leatherette has considerable wear, most noticeable on the front door near the distance scale (see photos 3 and 6) and on the back, which also has 4 Zeiss dots. As mentioned, there is one pinhole (that I can see with an LED flashlight) in a fold of the bellows (else the bellows looks good).
Once you master the technique of pushing down on the shutter release, the back closes easily. The little button that unlatches the front has a very strong spring, so firm pressure on it is necessary. Once released, the back tends to stick, so I usually apply tension to it by grasping the front foot while pushing down the release.
Shipping:
The 2019 USPS rate schedule necessitates the revised shipping charges below. Also, the camera will ship at just over 2 pounds, which unfortunately puts it in the USPS 2-3 pound category.
To the USA and US APO/FPO addresses:
USPS Priority Mail for $9.
To countries that track USPS 1st Class:
USPS First Class International for $38.
To China:
USPS Express Priority Mail for $78.
To all other countries:
USPS Express Priority Mail for $72.
Please click the shipping tab above for the cost to a specific country. Allow up to three weeks for delays in Customs. Customs fees are paid by the buyer.
Guarantee: 30-day return for any reason. I pay the return shipping.
