We've got quite a collection of old cameras. If you've ever looked in the windows of our studio, you know this to be true. And inevitably, we get asked the question, "Do any of these cameras actually work?" The answer is yes. And from here on out, we'll be randomly highlighting some of the cameras in our collection here on the blog. For the first post, we'll be talking about the Voigtlander Superb. 
Voigtlander was an optical company founded in 1756 and it is therefore, the oldest name in cameras. Manufactured from 1933-1937, the Voigtlander Superb was a failed attempt at competing with the Rolleiflex and Rolleicord TLR cameras. The Superb is a very rare camera to find, especially in working condition. We had no idea if ours worked or not. But after downloading a manual from the internet (and laughing hysterically at some of the illustrations), we put a roll of 120 film through it and hoped for the best. And the results were awesome. The film counter was off so we took 5 or 6 pictures before frame #1 ever showed up in the little window. Ooops. After awhile (and some double exposures), we seemed to finally get the hang of it. Some of the images were surprisingly normal save the pinkish hue in the top right corner resulting from leaking light. Others were gritty and artsy, just the way we like 'em. All in all, the Superb is a great camera. The design is unique (mostly to avoid infringing on patents by Rollei), it's definitely got lots and lots of personality and of course, it actually works! For more info on the Voigtlander Superb, here's a good read. And if you want to see it in person, stop on by the studio!