Introduction⌗

To start off, this blog post was originally intended to be a reply to a Reddit post asking for foldable medium format “hidden gems”. As Reddit wouldn’t let me post the comment, I instead opted to put it on here instead of on pastebin or a similar site. I’m pointing this out as the format of this post might be more akin to that of a forum post. Anyway, on to the post itself:

I’m very satisfied with the Suzuki Press-Van 120. Despite having bellows, they only extend and don’t fold. But before settling on that model, I did a lot of research on foldable medium format rangefinders, so I’ll do a list of specific brands, models and lines I’d probably recommend. Keep in mind that I haven’t actually used most of these myself but rather base my knowledge of them off of countless hours of reading reviews and looking through different variations, specifications and final auction prices.

I own the Suzuki Press-Van 120 and the Voigtländer Perkeo I and can recommend them strongly. I’ve handled the Perkeo II, the Perkeo III and the Zeiss Super Ikonta 534/16.

Voigtländer Perkeo⌗

If you want a tiny 6x6 and don’t care about the rangefinder, I’d go for the Voigtländer Perkeo series of cameras. They are pretty fucking great. Absolutely tiny, easy to use and able to produce great photos. Maybe the most important part, all the ones I’ve handled have been extremely reliable despite probably not having been serviced in a very very long time.

I. Perkeo I - The Cheapest⌗

The Perkeo I was first released without the ability to block the red window on the back and was later revised to include a little switch. It also has double exposure prevention with the exception of those made between 1951-1952. They come with either the f4,5 VASKAR lens or the f3,5 COLOR-SKOPAR one. The latter is a lot better and you can expect to pay a bit more for it.

II. Perkeo II - The Convenient⌗

Named the Perkeo II, it released only with the f3,5 VASKAR lens (the better one), double exposure prevention and an automatic frame counter (alongside the red window).It costs a bit more, but this makes it a better choice for most. There’s not much else to say about it, as it’s very similar to the first one.

III. Perkeo III, IIIE or E - The Rangefinder (aka the Rare and Expensive)⌗

Last of the Perkeo line was the III, the IIIE or the E. It shipped with either of the aforementioned lenses and lacked the automatic frame counter of the Perkeo II. The space previously occupied by the automatic frame counter now instead housed a rangefinder system. It was, however, uncoupled.

IV. Best value - Perkeo II with cold-shoe rangefinder attachment⌗

There is no Perkeo IIII, but I thought I’d end this section with what I consider the best course of action if the Voigtländer Perkeo line seems interesting. The absolute best value for money is to buy a Perkeo II and a separate cold-shoe rangefinder attachment. I own the Perkeo I and ordered a standalone rangefinder with a 1:1 magnification for about 15 euros. It’s a wonderful combination. With the Perkeo II you get the best choice of lens as well as the automatic frame counter. Adding a rangefinder attachment to it gives you the best of both worlds from the II and the III. This definitely isn’t worse than spending a lot on the III as the rangefinder module in the III is uncoupled.

Price range⌗

Perkeo I Perkeo II Perkeo III
€ 15-50 € 50-120 € 350-600

Zeiss Super Ikonta⌗

We’ve all at least heard of the legendary Zeiss. They produced a number of great foldable rangefinder cameras in the mid 1900’s. Any camera named “Ikonta” is a foldable rangefinder and any model with the “Super”-prefix, the “Super Ikonta” line have coupled rangefinders. Easy to shop around as any model called “Super Ikonta” has a coupled rangefinder.

I. Super Ikonta 534/16 - The Hypebeast (aka the One I Would Not Recommend)⌗

The most hyped one is probably the Super Ikonta 534/16. Everyone seems to praise it online, I would however advise against buying it unless you find a real bargain. It sells on eBay for between 300 to 700 euros depending on condition and accessories. Shipped with a good Tessar lens and a Synchro-Compur shutter as well as a built in selenium light meter and double exposure prevention. A small hatch protects the selenium from degradation, so it’s not too hard to find one with a functioning light meter.

Considering selenium degrades when exposed to light, the light meters of the 534 will eventually stop working. Even if it is working, it’s pretty much impossible to know if it’s been stored right with the hatch closed or if it’s been wide open, exposed to light in some random old man’s bookshelf for 5 years, with a severely shortened life span. The reason I wouldn’t recommend it is the next entry:

II. Super Ikonta 531/16 - The GOAT⌗

The Super Ikonta 531/16 is virtually the exact same camera as the 534/16. The differences between the two are very minor. The 531 shipped in two variations, one with a Novar lens combined with a Prontor-SVS or Synchro-Compur shutter and the other with the same Tessar lens and Synchro-Compur shutter combination as the 534. The biggest difference between the models is that the 531 lacks the built in selenium light meter.

Getting the Tessar and Synchro-Compur variant, you can get the exact same cameras as the hyped up 534 without the pretty useless light meter for a lot less.

III. Super Ikonta 532/16 - More Light⌗

I honestly don’t know much about this camera, except that it looks absolutely badass. Just as with the previously mentioned Super Ikontas, it’s a folding 6x6 rangefinder camera. The primary reason to choose this over the others is probably that it features a f2.8 lens instead of the regular 3.5. It’s also, funnily enough, a lot cheaper. A good choice if you need to shoot in lower lit conditions.

Price range⌗

Super Ikonta 534/16 Super Ikonta 531/16 Super Ikonta 532/16
€ 300-700 € 75-150 € 75-110

Other great choices⌗

During my time researching medium format folders, I’ve ran across a few auctions for ones that have seemed pretty good. The first of the list, the Suzuki Press-Van 120, I ended up buying myself. From here on, it’s the only one I’ve actually used myself.

I. Suzuki Press-Van 120⌗

Pretty rare Japanese (coupled) rangefinder from the 1950’s. The lens and shutter mechanism is attached on bellows that extend, rather than fold. This sadly means that the lens isn’t as protected as on regular folders. It has a 75mm f3.5 lens that stops down to f22 and shutter speeds ranging from 1s to 1/500th. It shoots 6x6 or 6x4,5 using built in masks, as opposed to a lot of other models where the detachable masks are usually hard to come by.

Where this camera really shines is in the lens and the rangefinder. The lens, being an Asahi (Pentax) lens is just as sharp as you’d except. It’s great. The coupled rangefinder is separate from the viewfinder. It would seem annoying, but the intensive magnification of the rangefinder combined with the contrasted tinting of the patch and its surroundings makes focusing easier than ever. They’re also, as far as I’m aware, very very reliable cameras.

I wrote a review about it if you’re interested in knowing more about it.

II. Balda Super Baldax⌗

The Super Baldax was Balda’s flagship folder. It packed a huge amount of features for its time and is still pretty cheap online. I’ve understood that the lens isn’t the best. Not bad, just not the best.

If you’re looking for an easy to use folder that lets you relax and just focus on the photos without having to shell out a fortune, I think this is the one. Coupled rangefinders are easy to come by, and double exposure prevention isn’t that rare either. What makes the Super Baldax stick out among its peers is the automatic frame winding. No need to look at the red little window. Not only that, it also shipped with two different lenses. The most common one is the f3.5, but it’s not too hard to find a decent price on the f2.9 variant.

I’m pretty sure you can’t find a cheaper folder with a coupled rangefinder, double exposure prevention, automatic frame winding and an f2.9 lens than the Balda Super Baldax.

You can find more information about it here.

III. Welta Weltur⌗

Unlike the previous two mentions, the Weltur isn’t a specific model but rather a product line from the camera manufacturer Welta, comprised of three models. Differing in format (negative size), the Weltur was released in 6x4.5, a 6x6 and 6x9 models. They’re well built 1930’s cameras from Germany featuring coupled rangefinders and are available with an f2.8 lens.

A bit more expensive than the previous mentions, I’d stay clear of the 6x4.5 model unless you’re absolutely sure that’s the format you’re going for. The 6x6 and 6x9 models are dual format and can shoot their respective format as well as 6x4.5. Unlike the Suzuki with its built in 4.5-doors, the Weltur uses detachable masks. If you’re interested in getting one, I’d recommend getting the 6x6 and just wait until there’s an auction for one with the 4.5 mask.

IV. Honourable mentions⌗

There are a lot of great folders to choose from and I can’t cover them all, so I’ll just give a short list of some models, model lines or manufacturers that seem interesting.

  • Certo Six
  • Super Fujica-6
  • Mamiya Six
  • Texer SR (Seagull 203-I)
  • Konica Pearl
  • Franka Solida III
  • Agfa Super Isolette
  • Moskva 5
  • KMZ Iskra

Price range⌗

Suzuki Press Van-120 Balda Super Baldax Welta Weltur (6x6)
€ 200-300 € 80-150 € 180-350