photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Colin Clarke | all galleries >> Galleries >> Most Viewed > Cows at Gate
Balda Juwella 6x9
previous | next
July 1994 © Colin J Clarke

Cows at Gate
Balda Juwella 6x9

This is a 'fun' image made (during a 'sun-shower') with
a 1939 Balda 'Juwella' using Kodak T-Max 100 on 120 Roll Film.


About this camera:
Balda-Werk, Max Baldebeg, Dresden Germany, founded in 1908.
This Juwella was a low cost 6x9 folding camera made in 1939.
The lens is Juwella-Anastigmat 105mm F6.3 with front cell focusing.
The minimum aperture is F32. The shutter is a Prontor T,B, 1/25 - 1/100sec.
It weighs about 16 ounces/500 g. and measures (folded) about 6"x8"x1.5" (16x8x4cm).

I really love the softness of these old lenses, and the richness of the tonal gradation.
The camera cost me $3.00 at a junkshop. (I got a discount for cash!).


other sizes: small medium original auto
Colin Clarke02-Dec-2008 11:40
Your image is a good one, Micke. Yes, the decision is always difficult - to leave it as the lens saw it or to artificially sharpen. I prefer to leave it be, but it is your image. ;-)
Micke Karlsson 02-Dec-2008 08:51
Here is another picture, taken the other day
with juwella inherited from my grandfather.

www.mikadako.com/pix/juwella.jpg

Too much sharpening applied, perhaps. I haven't
tried printing it yet; I'll have to experiment
a bit before i decide what to think about sharpening
images like this.
Vladimir Babkin23-Apr-2008 14:58
Great photo!
Guest 23-Feb-2008 21:53
Great photo! And thanks for the info - I couldn't find much out there on these particular models. I inherited a Juwella from my grandfather and it looks to be in pretty good shape. I am shooting my first roll in it and was just wondering about focus... are the measurements in metric? (i.e. 2m, 10m, etc) Only the number appears on the lens, not meters/feet. I'm guessing meters...?
Colin Clarke26-Jan-2008 23:21
Hello Patrick!

Thanks for the note. We must have different cameras.

My Balda folding camera had a single red window at the back, and has a f6.3 Juwella-Anastigmat f-10.5cm lens with speeds 25 50 100 B and T.

If you have TWO red windows, then likely you have also a way to change the film gate so that you can expose 6x9 or 6x6 pictures. This must be a later model although I am not familiar with it.

In any case, you can easily tell if the film is loaded correctly. The colored paper backing will be visible as you pull the film across to the take-up spool. Remember the take-up spool used to be the spool for the last film, and now it is empty! So you have to move it to the side where the Winder is on top of the camera. Then put the new roll in the vacated space, bringing the film over the small chrome rollers and across the film gate and put the tongue of film onto the take-up spool. Wind it just a little to make sure it is definitely 'caught' in the take-up spool. Close the door and make sure you slide the catch home!!!! (After 8/12 exposures keep winding for quite a while until no resistance.)

If the film gate looked square, you are going to watch both windows until the ''FIRST'' 1 comes up. Don't know which window it will be on your camera. However, with the FIRST 1 in a window, you are ready for the first of 12 shots. If the film gate was oblong 6x9 (2 1/4 x 2 3/4), then watch the windows for the SECOND 1 to appear. Then start. This will give you eight shots. They will only be upside down if you are looking at it upside down. ;-) :-))))))))

Start with views at about 30-50 feet 10-18m and set your lens just short of infinity hopefully you have 400ASA film which will let you use 1/100 speed, at maybe f22 in good sunlight.
Good luck. They are not perfect, but they are fun.
Let me know whow you get along.
Patrick Brennan 26-Jan-2008 21:03
Great photo Colin. Please can you help me with my (new) Balda Juwella. I dont know if I am loading the film properly. The 1 of the first exposure, should it be in the left red window or the right? Also the 1 is upsidedown, is this a problem, or normal for a camera with the film advance roller on the right? Thanks in advance for your help.
Patrick
Jean-Luc Elias04-Dec-2007 08:31
Could have been made in the old time...I have a similar image of a goatfarmer done with a zeiss Icon 6x9 folder.
JL
FrankB17-Nov-2007 13:37
beauty....what an effect!......je vote..
Arjayphotography14-Nov-2007 21:24
That is the most sensationally beautiful image! Definitely iconic as Patricia mentions, the overall 'feel' of the image gives it a more legitimate feel somehow. It's such a lush image. This has me thinking.......
sebas veldhuisen12-Nov-2007 09:11
Oh yes great! Those branches seem to dissolve like suger in tea. You (and the camera) have delivered a jewel! V
Patricia Lay-Dorsey12-Nov-2007 03:13
Colin, this is an iconic image. It evokes the last century and the one before that. There is such simplicity here, a soft misty glow to the entire scene. I dearly love it.
Guest 15-Oct-2007 21:59
BEAUTIFUL, COLLIN! Voted!
Guest 03-Aug-2007 04:09
Junk shop or not, I've never seen softness look so good. I can't tell you why but I was drawn to this image even before reading about your junk shop treasure. V
Guest 01-Aug-2007 14:34
Real Fun! :)
Commenting on this page requires full PBase membership.
Please login or register.