Paul Zeh Kamerawerk, Dresden, Germany
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Zeca - Plattenkamera (1928)
This Zeca is a wooden, leatherette covered medium size 6x9cm plate camera. It is made by the Zeh Kamerawerk, approximately seventy years ago. It is one of the most common of the cameras manufactured by Paul Zeh Kamerawerk. The most famous and progressive product was a folding 6x6 reflex camera, Zeca Flex in 1940. Other model names were eg. , Zeca-Sport, Zeca-Goldie, -Radial, -Dupplo, Luxus and Bettax.
In 1901(1902?) Paul Zeh established a workshop for the production of photographic commodities eg. shutters. From 1913 onwards the company begun also a camera production. Since 1922 the company name was Paul Zeh Kamerawerk. The story was ended in 1948 with the closure of the plant.
The lens is Radionar Anastigmat 6.5/10,5cm with a shift ability. Not really an Eagle´s Eye but a lens anyhow.
The shutter is Zeca, T, B, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100. I made a simple cleaning operation and it is working like a dream. How accurately, it's an other question.And as you see it is equipped with a waist level viewfinder and there is also a classic "back door" with a matte glass plate for focusing. 
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| The name "plate camera" comes from the plate-glass negative which was commonly used in these cameras. Only one picture plate could be loaded at a time. Using a sheet film was also possible with a proppriate contender but then the most important feature extremely flat focal plane was lost. |
The history of the plate cameras begun with the history of cameras. They were produced still in the fifties. Perhaps thousands of various models, both for professionals and amateurs were made by hundreds of manufacturers but plate cameras have never been highly collectable |
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©2007 Reijo Lauro
