Vilhelm Pacht, and the First 35mm still camera

[star camera company]

I was able to make contact with the Museum in Denmark where the original resides. Here’s the link they provided Google Translate There are obviously some aspects of the design I did not know of. JP Andersen did not like this prototype, complaining it was too complicated. I can see now the film advance seems to be a sliding “grabbing” pressure plate which looks to be controlled by a little ball on a sting which comes out the top! The shutter must be an early air bulb unit, it is noted the lens is missing. The Museum agreed to supply better photos to me shortly. Awaiting their reply, I’m trying to determine if extant Pacht negatives exist. You know, this little thing may totally upset the apple cart as far as WHO and WHEN the First 35mm still Camera appeared. We know it wasn’t Oskar....but I’ve Never seem Pacht even mentioned. Strange as this artifact has existed and been recognized for decades.••••• Meanwhilr I reduced the aperature fo f16 on mine, have it reloaded and would like to get out and shoot today but the “feels like” temp here in south jersey is going to be 105. Sealed up in my RV with the Air blowing, planning of watching bad old Japanese Atomic monster movies today. I cannot believe I worked the last two summers in golf course maintenance. Holy Chit that would Kill me now ;-(

 

[zulu42]

Great work. Really interesting, too!

 

[star camera company]

Thanks. 2nd version I build will be more to Pachts original. I absolutely love these challenges! The thought of pulling a little ball on a string is really charming This is Sooo much more fun than spending $8295 for a New Leica M10.......and I’ll bet that somehow this little replica I built will still be around in 100 years and working.

 

[star camera company]

So on the museum it states Pacht was assisted by Ellehammer. Wellllll. Wikipedia gives the link, take a look and then realize this very skilled inventive engineer has a hand in the design! Jacob Ellehammer - Wikipedia

 

[star camera company]

So any ideas how these Geniuses rigged tgefilm advance? They weren’t afraid of linkages etc., Pacht himself had a good inventive mind tilted toward Kino equipment.

 

[star camera company]

I’ve gotten a series of new photos from the Museum in Denmark. It IS a complicated device, mostly the film advance. Here’s a good picture. A sliding assembly must grab the film, move it out, then move it along, retract and repeat. Going to be a case of make the parts and then figure it out. Jacob Earlhammer who assisted Pacht with the build made airplanes and helicopters so complicated linkages weee his forte. •••••• looking to me that the film travel is (from the rear), right to left. This being contrary to modern concept makes this difficult to envision. The thing that looks like a claw next to the shutter housing is pushed sideways to fire the shutter by tha air bulb. The tube is fixed inside the top cover and a sealed unit. It pushes forward an “end”, which hits the “claw”.

 

[star camera company]

Found out a few more details regarding Pachts “photomachine”. Quite the advanced design in many many ways. First, the lens used was a state of the art Carl Zeiss f 3.6 Planar! The film advance is automatic, by a string pull from the side. There is an interlock to prevent double exposures. Also, a (spring powered?) film rewind is incorporated. The incorporated air bulb release is essential considering the top must come free from the internals to load. I’ve gotten scans of a 1944 Danish publication with solid info, bit challenging on the ‘scan to type’ program I use but getting there. I’m sensing a bit of resentment in what I’ve read that Barnack got all the credit! ••• This picture from that article shows the camera with lens in place. The lens is now missing. It seems the front is unscrewed to allow the top to be removed for loading film. I’ve YET to confirm photos were actually taken, or survive. JP Andersen, who knew a thing or two about cameras, said it was not working. I don’t know. From what I see, it certainly has all the right things doing the right stuff...•••••• The important thing is I’ve got “eyes” on the artifact through a Museum staff member!

 

[star camera company]

Ok so the lens/shutter is going to be a Zeiss Tessar f 3.5 6cm in a ring set Compur from 1931. Pacht used a Planar, a 1896 design, the Tessar is a 1902 design....while the current Planar is superb, the early version suffers from flare and coma, plus six uncoated glass/air surfaces. The Tessar was seen as an improvement. I’m not sure what Pacht used for a shutter, certainly not a ring set Compur But, this is all hidden inside the outer box, and the Compur controls all are in the right spots. Funny thing...it’s obvious Pacht had to unscrew the front lens cell before lifting off the camera top. No problem, I can unscrew the Tessar front too. But, it was short and I wanted it a little bigger around. So, I unscrew the front cell from a Wollensak 1911 Bionic shutter, remove the glass, and the brass cell slipped onto the outside of the front Tessar cell and screwed right on. Perfect thread match. How odd!. So now questioning Niels an the Museum to get word if the back track base slides on the track, or if the pressure plate itself advances, Just can’t determine this from the pics he sent, the right to left film advance screws with my head.....••• Anyway began today, I want to end up with a Leica Killer. ;-)

 

[star camera company]

Headway! Niels from the Museum said the back plate was fixed position, so film advance to strictly a bottom slider, spring loaded, with a “tooth” that engages and pulls Nine perfs of film. It’s very understandable now how it operated. With luck, will have it operation in a day or two.

 

[star camera company]

Rear taking shape. The pin advance seems to function, now, making the track rail and linkage which sets the pin to advance film by pulling a sting, then releases against spring to let linkage retract.

 

[star camera company]

So all That, goes inside what was described as a “cigar box” like outer covering. This lifts off to load the camera, it’s held on by four small brass hooks. A word on those hooks, I hand make them from a curled piece of 1/8” brass rod, hammered and hammered till it’s about 1/32 thick, out of this now incredibly hard and rigid forged metal, file, shape and polish. Very Strong! .....yes you see a shutter button there. I’m all for historic accuracy but imagine “in these challenging times, a stranger comes up, holds s wooden box up and squeezes a red bulb. Holy Chit they’d run like a scared rabbit! All that bulb done was push a bar which triggers the shutter. Special thing was it allows independence from the top, no direct connections. So, I made a linkage within the top which does the same thing, bears against a bar to trigger the shutter. The shutter cocks easily through the rounded opening, and the speed is fingernail adjusted in the dial set Compur. Underneath, there’s a similar cutout for the slightly recessed aperature control. More work on the body, then I tackle the film advance mechanism. As an aside, I emailed Todd Gustavson ( technology curator GEH) and asked if They knew of Pachts Camera. Will report his reply. BTW it said in the 1944 article of this camera that it was begun in 1898!

 

[star camera company]

P

All Finished! I’m really pleased how it came out, loaded with film now! Operation of the film advance is working good and the optics look ready. Amber shellac over Mahogany really sets it off. The finder is borrowed from my UR Leica. Weight 574 grams. BTW the GEH was unaware of the existsnce of this 1898 Camera. Todd Gustavson told me the film itself was only available to the public after 1895.

 

[star camera company]

Oh Yes! It Works! First Roll. Arista 100. F11 1/100. Zeiss Tessar f3.5 6cm

 

[star camera company]

Something obvious popped into my head. Extending the pull string to attach to the shutter cocking lever works. This gives the “double exposure prevention” feature mentioned. So, very efficient now, taking a picture means pull the string, press the shutter button and repeat. Fully automatic! 1898!! Still unsure of what to do for a finder. Part of me wants to install a 3/8” convex lens in the front panel, a first surface 45 degree mirror behind and a larger convex lens set into the camera top, with a rectangular opening. This would give a fantastic finder, but I’m not sure about taking it so far out of its historic appearance, A post and concave rectangular lens mounted on top would be period...but these things are lousy in use. A wire finder, I dunno......no finder? Accurate to history, but then again there’s no pictorial record of this camera in use.

 

[and again]

I enjoyed this very impressive thread.
A superb effort!