K.W.
Kamera-Werkstätten Guthe & Thorsch (1919 - 1939)
Kamera-Werkstätten Charles A. Noble (1939 - 1946)
VEB Kamera-Werkstätten Niedersedlitz (1946 - 1953)
VEB Kamera-Werk Niedersedlitz (1953 - 1959)
VEB Kamera- und Kinowerke Dresden (1959 - 1964)
VEB Pentacon Dresden (1964 - 1990)
Dresden - Germany

Paul Guthe and Benno Thorsch established their company in 1919 and their first big commercial succes were the Patent Etui, an extremely compact folding camera, even by todays standards. Several very innovative designs and models followed until the late 30's. Both being jewish, Guthe and Thorsch  didn't feel safe in Germany and Paul Guthe emigrated to Switzerland in 1937 and Benno Thorsch to USA in 1938, where he made a deal with the american businessman Charles A. Noble. Benno Thorsch took over Nobles photographic firm in Detroit in the USA, and Charles Noble took over KW in Dresden. Soon after taking over KW, Charles Noble gets Alois Hoheisel to design the  35mm SLR, the Praktiflex. KW were luckily not destroyed during the heavy bombing af Dresden in 1945, but sadly both Charles A. Noble and his son John H. Noble were both sentenced to imprisonment and deportation by the russians in 1950 and 1952 and only released by the intervention of President Eisenhower in 1955. The next commercial succes for the former KW, at that point named VEB Kamera-Werkstätten Niedersedlitz, were the Praktina, the worlds first true 35mm system camera. KW were the home of the Praktina and the Praktica, but the Praktica's will be described separately. This section of my homepage are only about the early Guthe & Thorsch designs.  I strongly recommend that you visit the homepage of Klaus-Eckard Riess, and read the full story about KW and the Nobles. Klaus-Eckard Riess worked at the KW himself for a period of time, and his informations and accounts are very interesting and invaluable.

Klaus-Eckard Riess about KW

Reflex Box  (1932) SLR
Serial no.: 5052
Format:  6 x 9 on 120 rollfilm
Optics: Reflex Box Anastigmat 1: 4,5  105 mm
Shutter:  Metal guillotine B + 1/25 - 1/50 - 1/100 sec.
Misc.: Horisontal leveling meter

The Reflex Box must one of the earliest SLR's ever made. It is a very simple design that are almost foolproof to operate. On the top are the wind knob, in the middle a really beautiful liquid-filled level-meter and the shutter control panel with two levers; a selector for "B", "T" or "M" which is also the shutter release button, and secondly the speed selector. Being a metal guillotine shutter it offers only 3 shutter speeds. On the right side of the camera housing are the shutter cocking lever, which also controls the mirror action. The viewfinder is a ground glass focussing screen, and please note the cloth viewfinder shielding which are just as good new. When undoing the two clamps on the front, the inner camera housing slides out for film loading, and also the ground glass can be easily cleaned at the same time. The front plate are very beautifully made, with the aperture setting just over the lens. At first glance it could seem to be a little "clumzy" and un-handy, but it actually feels quite comfortable. A rather rare old lady from the good old days.

  Pilot 6 Version II  (1937-38) SLR
Serial no.: 12324
Format:   4,5 x 6 on 120 rollfilm
Optics: K.W. Anastigmat 1:4,5  75 mm
Shutter:  Metal guillotine B + 1/20 - 1/50 - 1/100 - 1/125 - 1/150 sec.

The Pilot 6 must have been an innovative design when it came out in the late 30's. It is a very, very compact medium format SLR, measuring only 7 x 8,5 x 8,5 cm. and it is very well designed too. The controls are on the right side of the body. The twin-lever are the shutter setting, and you place your thumb on the bottom knob whilst releasing the top locking knob and turn the selector to the desired shutter speed setting. Far back are the wind knob and the shutter cocking lever, which like on the Reflex Box controls the mirror position also. To the front are the shutter release button with the thread connection for a cable release just above. The two little knob on top of the viewfinder shielding are for the magnifying glass that can be flipped up, and rests on the side viewfinder shieldings. It even features a sports frame viewfinder on the left side of the body, whichs slides into to de camera body. Unfortunately the apertures figures on the front dial are totally worn off on my Pilot 6, (I guess they were painted), but that don't stop me from trying this camera out real soon.
 

 Pilot Super  (1939) SLR
Serial no.: 38875
Format:   6 x 6 on 120 rollfilm
Optics: K.W. Anastigmat 1:3,5  75 mm
Shutter:  Metal guillotine B + 1/20 - 1/50 - 1/100 - 1/200 sec.

The size of the Pilot Super are the same as the Pilot 6, but some improvements have been made. The shutter release button are in the same comfortable place, but the shutter speed knob have been redesigned, and it also controls the mirror position and cocks the shutter. The wind knob are linked to the shutter to prevent double exposures. The front plate have also been redesigned, and the aperture setting are on the lens. The collapsible viewfinder still has the magnifying glass, but it also incorporates a sports viewfinder just as seen on Rolleiflex, and furthermore an extinction lightmeter mounted on the top-front of the viewfinder shielding. Allthough being a simple camera, the Pilot Super is also a very interesting camera, and if you're just aware of its limitations you can make wonderful pictures with this very charming little camera which is the most compact 6 x 6 SLR I have ever seen. It was only manufactured for a few years from 1939 to 1941.