Werra

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Werra
VEB Carl Zeiss Jena - Ernst Abbe Werk
Eisfeld - Germany

You might ask why a company like Carl Zeiss Jena would divert from their usual line of business, namely to produce optics and lenses for almost the entire photographic and scientific industry, and begin to manufacture a camera like the Werra range of cameras. Mr. Alfred Klomp of Holland has a piece of information on his website that might shed some light on this matter. Please allow me to quote directly from his homepage:

"After the Second World War, Carl Zeiss was divided into a West German and an East German division. The East German division, Carl Zeiss Jena, lost a lot of personnel to the Russians, who deported them to create cameras for the Motherland. When they slowly started trickling back in the early 1950's, Zeiss Jena didn't have an immediate use for their expertise. They realised however that it would be a tremendous loss to the company and the country if their experience went to waste, so they gave them a project of their own: the Werra cameras. Manufactured in the Ernst Abbe Werk of Eisfeld, they were named after the river that runs near that town" .

Judging by the ideas and the design of the Werra cameras it seems like that the Werra people really wanted to prove something, and to show the Carl Zeiss management that they were worthy of the trust shown to them, and to prove that they were more than capable of contributing with new ideas. They were given some old tooling machines and equipment that had been dismantled from the Bruhns Kamerawerke in Hamburg, but just as old as the machines were, just as new were the ideas and technical solutions that were incorporated in the Werra design. The succes was proven by the production period that began in 1954 and ended in 1966-67 when Mr. Böhm, managing director of Carl Zeiss Jena, pulled the plug and ended the "Werra Era". Please also visit Alfred Klomps website and the Altissa Museum:

Alfred Klomp & Altissa Museum - Werra

Werra I A

Click on thumbnails to enlarge

Werra I A, olive VF
Left on photos
Serial no.: 131527
Format: 24 x 36 on 35 mm film
Optics: Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 1:2,8 50 mm
Shutter: Synchro Compur B + 1 => 1/500 sec. + selftimer
Click here for photo sample

Werra I, olive VF
Right on photos
Serial no.: 89337
Format: 24 x 36 on 35 mm film
Optics: Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 1:2,8 50 mm
Shutter: Unknown B + 1 => 1/250 sec. no selftimer

One day quite some time ago I went on one of my fleamarket raids, and remember clearly that this was my first encounter with Miss Werra. I saw her at one of the many booths, but for some unexplainable reason I turned my back and went home. Back home again the image of the Werra kept popping up in my mind, haunting me and I just couldn't forget it, so I immediately drove back like a knight in white armour (actually my faithful old Audi 100) on a quest to save the princess in distress. But ooh alas, she was gone.. Sold... Luckily I soon came across the two cameras shown above.
Being born and raised in Denmark especially during the 60's and 70's also meant that I was growing up alongside famous danish design icons such as the superb hi-fi equipment from B&O Bang and Olufsen, and the architecture and furniture by both Verner Panton and Arne Jacobsen and of course Joern Utzon. In my humble opinion the Werra are also a design icon and a true classic. Taking into consideration that the original design was probably made in the very early 50's, the exterior are by all standards timeless, and it might just as well have left the drawing board last week. This fact alone makes the Werra a camera worth owning.
The Werra came in many versions, with or without lightmeters, coupled rangefinders, interchangeble lenses and as cameras for microscope mount. The forst of the two most remarkable technical features are the twisting ring at the lens base, that cocks the shutter and advances the film simultaneously. This actually works very well when you get used to it, and find your own way of doing it. I prefer to operate it with my left hand from a 12 o'clock position and thus making it possible to shoot rather rapidly. The second remarkable feature are of course the protective lens cover that doubles as a sunshade also. Shown right on the bottom photo it can also be used as a protective cover when actually shooting provided that you have preset an appropriate depth-of-field setting for example for streeshooting. The body has been totally stripped for any controls except for the release button. Counter and rewind wheel are in the bottom of the camera housing. Like on the Altix'es, the entire backcover slides off for easy filmloading. Of course I should also mention the Tessar lens, which renders very sharp negative when stopped down beyond f 5,6 or so. Finally, look at those strap lugs !!!!. If you are not that crazy about the olive-green leatherette, then get a black one. There are a Werra for evrybody !.