Bergheil

Voigtländer Bergheil, 6.5×9cm, dial-set Compur shutter.
Pictures by eBayer Yalluflex. (Image rights)

The Bergheil was a folding plate drop-bed camera for the ambitious amateur. It was produced by Voigtländer in Braunschweig from 1911 until World War II.^[1] It was available in different film formats. There is a brilliant finder for vertical pictures and a sports finder for horizontal images.

Voigtländer Bergheil Deluxe, 6.5×9cm, Heliar 10.5cm f/3.5 and Tele-Dynar 25.5cm f/6.3 lenses, rim-set Compur shutter. Pictures by eBayer Yalluflex. (Image rights)

The Bergheil Deluxe was a special edition with green leather covering and assorted bellows. The two examples pictured above and below only differ by the lens type and shutter size.

Voigtländer Bergheil Deluxe, 6.5×9cm, Heliar 10.5cm f/4.5 and Tele-Dynar 20cm f/6.3 lenses, rim-set Compur shutter. Pictures by eBayer Yalluflex. (Image rights)

The 4.5×6cm model (or "Baby Bergheil") is quite different from the larger models, notably differing in the shape of the folding struts and the position of the brilliant finder.

Voigtländer Baby Bergheil, 4.5×6cm, dial-set Compur shutter.
Pictures by eBayer Yalluflex. (Image rights)

Interchangeable lenses[]

Most Bergheil cameras have an exchangeable lens/shutter unit, attached via a bayonet. Many of the lenses are of the excellent Heliar type, invented in 1900 by Dr. Hans Harting for Voigtländer, often combined with shutters of the leading brand Compur.

The standard telephoto lens mounted on the Bergheil was the Voigtländer Tele-Dynar.