Contessa Nettel Piccolette Folder Camera


Contessa Nettel Piccolette Folder Camera
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The Contessa (or Contessa-Nettel) corporation of Stuttgart Germany was the result of a post WW-I merger (1919). Between that merger, and a later merger with ICA, Goerz, and Ernemann to form the famous Zeiss-Ikon corporation in 1926, the Contessa-Nettel group made the Piccolette.

Please note that this camera used 127 rollfilm to produce 4x6.5cm image exposures. These cameras were mass produced, so prices are modest given their age (e.g., circa $50-100+ typically). You will find lots of shutters being used (depending on cost and post WWI availability) such as Derval, Dial-Compur, Piccar, and the Dial Compur shutters. The lenses varied as well, with examples having a Tessar 75mm f/4.5 lens (4 element?), others a slower f/6.3 Triotar (3 element), and even a simple meniscus f/11 lens. The faster and more complex lenses deliver better photo quality and probably cost more to make. The Tessar models are more desirable if you want to make actual use of such an old camera. But you will probably have to make a 120 rollfilm adapter to do so.

Most likely, the vast majority of surviving Piccolette cameras are used as display cameras, or because they are family hierlooms, rather than as user cameras.


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