Probably around 1930, the very talented Heinz Kilfitt designed the first Robot camera which were a radical and revolutionay design with its spring operated sequence motor, and designed for 24 x 24 mm negativ format on 35mm film. Both Agfa and Kodak had turned Heinz Kilfitt down when offered the design, but (maybe luckily) a young man, Hans-Heinrich Berning discovered the Kilfitt design. Berning bought the design in 1932, and with help from his father Otto Berning he set up his company, at first as a subsidiary of his fathers company Otto Berning & Co. In 1934, the new company obtained their first patent. Heinz Kilfitt redesigned the Robot I, resulting in the Robot II which were to be manufactured from 1939 to 1951. However Heinz Kilfitt left Berning in 1938 in order to set up his own optical business in München a few years later. During II world war, the new independent company Robot Berning & Co. KG exclusively manufactured cameras for military use. The Robots were in particular used by the Luftwaffe. After the war, in the 50's Berning introduced the Robot Star and in 1955 the magnificent Robot Royal, with the Royal 36 as the top of the line, using ordinary 35mm casettes in 24 x 36mm format, and capable of shooting 5-6 frames per second when sequence shooting. Compare this to the modern motorized cameras !. The Robot company still exists today and produces surveillance equipment, speed-control cameras etc. The story of the Robot are very long and also very interesting. I recommend that you visit the very extensive and very informative Robot-Camera website, which includes the full story and a lot of illustrations.

www.robot-camera.de 

If you ever need repair or service, please visit:

www.robot-kameradienst.de

Robot II (1950) VF
Serial no.: 85200
Format:  24 x 24 on 35 mm film
Optics: Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon 1:1,9  40mm - 26mm thread mount
Shutter:  Gauthier   B + 1/2 sec.  => 1/500 sec.
Misc.: Uses special N+K Robot film casettes

Of course I knew that the Robot II was a compact camera, but nevertheless I was surprised when I unpacked my Robot and saw how small it really is. The second surprise was the weight !. When you hold a Robot in you hands you are no left in any doubt that this is a very solid and well built camera. In spite of the compactness it feels very good to handle, even with my big hands. The shutter speed setting are on the front as is the flash sync. contact. The framecounter on the top cover are a manual reset type with the scale to 55 exposures. Of course the winding knob for the spring powered step motor are the most prominent feature on the top cover. A funny detail are the viewfinder, which can be rotated 90 degrees, allowing you to shoot in one direction while facing in another. The alternative 90 degree viewfinder is placed on the topcover just above the backcover locking latch. Hmm maybe I should bring the Robot to the beach next summer ;-). The lens mount are a 26mm thread mount. Of course you have to be a little "nerdy" to fiddle around with those Robot film casettes, and if you're not prepared for that you should go for a Robot Royal 36. The Robot are an important part of german cameras history, and it always feels good to own a piece of history, and it doesn't make it any worse that it's a piece of german camera history that can shoot 3-4 frames per second.

Listen to the Robot II shutter:
Robot II shutter
Courtesy of www.robot-camera.de