Lumiere Identification/Serial List Help Request

[dbailey56]

I recently bought this beautiful Lumiere folder. After tinkering with it for several days I've finally got the shutter working and everything back together in grand shape. Looking forward to shooting with it this week. But for the life of me I can't figure out which camera it is as everything I've found so far on the web is a little different than mine. Are there any Lumiere wizards around who might be able to help with identification? I know the Lumix seems close but the shutter speeds and face plate are always different.

I was hoping to find a serial list somewhere that would tell the story, but no luck on that one either. This camera is serial F82950 if that tells you anything. 105mm, f6.8 lens by the way.

Another interesting mystery - it had a 620 spool in the camera which would mean this folder was made after 1932. But a little experimentation showed me it easily holds 120 spools which could but the date much earlier. I don't mind respooling and have shot a lot of film that way but am certainly going to start out shooting 120 straight to see if that works.

Thanks for giving this some thought, any and all feedback is GREATLY appreciated!

--Douglas

 

[vintagesnaps]

I wasn't familiar with this but what a nice camera.

I looked at some sites I use to research old cameras and found a similar folder on Early Cameras and Equipment from the Daguerreotype and Wet-Plate era - Antique and Vintage Cameras .

I noticed the company name showed Lumiere et Cie - found that on Sylvain Hagland's site (which I've used although my high school French only gets me so far).
Marques d appareils photo

Scroll down - there are a few just called Lumiere 6,8 and I think it looks like this one. Says something about there being a number of variations of the 6,8.
http://www.collection-appareils.fr/x/html/appareil-2427-Lumiere_Lumiere 6,8.html

If you click on 'Voir la fiche technique complete', that takes you to specs; it shows it takes 120 film and you'd get 6x9 cm size negatives.

 

[Derrel]

It does look a LOT like the 6,8...except with a cheaper shutter with slower top speeds. It's a nice-looking folder, no matter what speeds it offers.

 

[dbailey56]

That is amazing work Sharon! Thank you so much. My French is umm.. well zero, so every time I've been to that site I get confused, lol.

I agree that Lumière 6,8 totally looks like my camera. The first of it I've seen. I love knowing the details, makes shooting with them so much more fun. I've put two rolls of 120 through the Lumière now so when I get it processed I'll share if anything comes out.

Thank you again for some amazing detective work!

 

[Dany]

Hi Douglas,
The manufacturing year of the Lumiere camera can be found considering the first character (letter) of the serial number
One letter per year from A (1931) to U (1951).
It means that your camera is dated 1936 because of the letter F
Unfortunately, some models have no serial number . Serial numbers of the Eljy Club cameras have no letter.
The pages related to Lumière cameras are now available in English language version on the French site of Sylvain Halgand .
This may help you
Daniel

 

[dbailey56]

Amazing information Dany, thank you so much. I got another set of negs processed from it this week and am really enjoying shooting with my (now known to be 1936) Lumiere!

 

[Dany]

Very nice image Douglas. I have a lot of Lumière cameras on my shelves (easy for me as a French collector) My preferred is this one that I purchased recently.

 

[dbailey56]

wow, that is a beauty! Have you been able to shoot with it?

 

[Dany]

Not yet... It has to be loaded with type 116 format rollfilms unavailable in the market.