Franka Solida III

[NaChase]

I recently purchased one of these since my Super Ikonta is, well, a bit broken. I am curious to hear the impressions of those of you with experience with this camera. I know it has an uncoupled rangefinder and f/2.9 Radionar, but the information out there on the internet is not entirely plentiful from a user's perspective.
Thanks!

-Nick

[Livesteamer]

Try www.certo6.com Look under cameras. I have never bought from him but I'm tempted. I would love to have a good, simple, 6x6 folder. Joe

[dreilly]

I've looked at the Frankas before, and like you never found much mention of them. Radionar is a three-element lens, but I bet it takes nice pics. Fast, too.

[raid]

It is the best of all Frankas. Juergen Kreckel singles it out to be the best folder with the Agfa Super Isolette. The lens is quite sharp. I regret having sold mine.

[Brian Legge]

I tried on but the front standard was misaligned.

It didn't look bent - more like it started that way. I did like the photos I was getting out of it but realized a coupled rangefinder folder would work better for how I was trying to use the camera (short to mid range distances, wider apertures, quicker shots). If I didn't have those needs I probbaly would have looked for another Franka Solida body.

Its a good camera, particularly for the price.

[SteveM]

I have a Franka Solida IIIe, which has an uncoupled rangefinder, Schneider-Kreuznach Radionar 80/2.8 lens, with speeds from B to 1/300 sec. It is very compact, nice and easy to use. Like all folders, the viewfinder is squinty. The rangefinder has a separate window with higher magnification, which looks like 1:1 to me. The patch is more like a splotch (not hard edged like Leica) but has very good snap. I've only taken a few rolls of film with it (no scans, sorry) and my impression is that it gives a real vintage look - not high contrast, and not too sharp either (although that could certainly be due to my limited developing skills). Compared to my Ercona II which has a Tessar lens, it is definitely not as sharp or contrasty.

The best feature for me is the uncoupled rangefinder, which I miss when using the Ercona. The compactness of these old 6x6 folders is astonishing, considering the negative size. Overall I prefer my Ercona because of the better lens.

Steve

Edit: oops: lens is indeed 2.9, not 2.8

[Fawley]

I have a Solida II. Probably not as good as a III. It has an Enna Werk lens. The build quality is pretty good and it has reasonably good corner to corner sharpness. I use it when a folder is more convenient to pack around. Sometimes I take it for a second (or third camera). I also shoot it because it is simply more fun to print with a medium format negative. But its definitely no substitute for a proper medium format camera. I just posted a shoot taken with it to the Gallery.

This was shot with Delta 3200@ 1600, developed in Microphene. Hand held at 1/25th sec probably at F8 or F11.

[myoptic]

Originally Posted by NaChase

I recently purchased one of these since my Super Ikonta is, well, a bit broken. I am curious to hear the impressions of those of you with experience with this camera. I know it has an uncoupled rangefinder and f/2.9 Radionar, but the information out there on the internet is not entirely plentiful from a user's perspective.
Thanks!

-Nick

This is a bit of a plug, but I'm the admin for the Franka Cameras group. Hans is the group founder and still the owner.
If you search for Franka Solida images on Flickriver, you might be very surprised at the high quality results that some people get with them. I admit to having too many cameras, but I always have a Solida III loaded with film and in one of my camera bags always ready to go.

[tahmasib]

Franka Solida III radionar 80\2.9

[jnoir]

I love Franka cameras, I have several versions, II, IIIe, IIL, with Prontor and with Compur, with and without rangefinder, with and without lightmeter...

Radionar is one of my favorite triplets. Pretty competent, IMHO.

[tahmasib]

Camera: Franka Solida Lens: Ennagon 3.5/75

[NaChase]

I got mine a while back, but it desperately needs a CLA. Any idea where to get one?

[joeswe]

Franka Solida III von eames68 auf Flickr

Yes, that Leitz ITOOY shade on the Franka is "historically incorrect", and no, it won't work anyhow because of vignetting. But the wider 12585 shade seems to be okay (at least by visual inspection from the film gate), so I will give it a try when I put the next roll through the Franka. The Radionar boasts a standard filter thread (not many folders of the period do), but using threaded shades with a folder camera is, well ... kind of painful, so it would be really nice if could use the Leitz shade with it until I find a push on hood that fits. I have only shot one roll with that camera so far (all pictures at medium apertures), and the results don't look bad, quite sharp in the image center, gradually becoming softer, corners are a bit blurred, which is probably standard for a triplet lens. I am curious about the performance wide open and stopped down to f11 or f16. We'll see.

There is actually a bit of a story behind that camera, as it was in a terrible state when I got it and I almost had thrown it away without trying to save it. A couple of weeks ago I purchased a Bessa ii locally from a guy who had inherited it together with some other gear from his father but never used it. While we were negotiating the price he said he would add a Vito BL and a Franka Solida iii to convince me to strike the deal. It wasn't very convincing for me as I wasn't interested in the BL and the Franka was in very bad state. The bellows covered with mold, the lens full of fungus spots, film transport stuck and the shutter stuck. Basically a dead camera, and I told him so. We further negotiated the Bessa deal without considering the Franka or the BL, but when the deal was done he insisted on giving me the Franka and the Vito BL for free and I didn't want to be impolite, so I accepted both cameras, although I must admit that my first thought was to get rid of this fungus thrower at the next public dustbin...
Well, curiosity prevailed and after a couple of weeks with the camera packed tightly in a vinyl bag in the opposite corner of the room, I decided to have a closer look at the camera. First, the mold on the bellows cleaned away nicely. Second, the problem with the film transport was also solved easily. I then disassembled the lens and found that contrary to my expectations the heavy fungus on the inner surfaces hadn't eaten into the glass, it cleaned away without a trace. Finally I even managed to get the shutter running again by simply taking the speed setting dial off and putting it back on. And suddenly, there was a nice, working camera sitting in front of me. So, I guess the conclusio is that sometimes you shouldn't write off these old folders too early