Werra

Werra, a twist apart

Werra I

The Werra is a series of 35mm viewfinder or rangefinder cameras manufactured by the Carl Zeiss Jena factory. This is quite special, since it is actually a lens making plant. The Werra is named after a small German river. It offers a high degree of control with a very low number of levers, knobs or rings. One could call it a design camera. Looking at the camera house, there's only the shutter button. All other features have been moved to less-visible parts of the camera. This gives the Werra a stylish look. Even the accessory/flash shoe is optional.

Werra I with lens cap

Twist that lens !

The unique feature of the Werra is the covered ring around the lens barrel. Twisting this ring cocked the shutter and advanced the film in one smooth motion. In addition, the lens cap is also used as a shade (compare the second and third picture).

Bottom of the Werra1 with controls. Note the lens cap doubles as a shade.

Since the Werra uses a central shutter, one could suppose it has flash sync. at all speeds (B, 1 to 1/750s). It has an X and M setting and even a self-timer V. The frame-counter is on the right, on the left you see the rewind lever.

Markings on this camera

The lens, a 50/2.8 Tessar, is marked T instead of Tessar and Jena instead of Carl Zeiss Jena because of a conflict between the East- and West-German part of the firm. On the lower left part of the barrel there is a logo Q1, meaning "Erste Qualität" or first quality. This was a designation for East-German exports to the West. Models meant for their home market lacked this logo and were probably marked Carl Zeiss Jena and Tessar. On the lower right side of the barrel, there's a schematic view of the Ernemann tower, a tower in a Dresden camera factory quarter.

Variations and later models

Werra lenses

Several variations and later models were made. There is an olive green variation of the Werra 1. The Werra matic models have selenium cell lightmeters. The models Werra III, Werra IV, Werra V and Werra matic have a coupled rangefinder together with interchangeable lenses, allowing tele- and wide-angle lenses.

variant with alu film advance ring	Compur variant
matic variant with Flektogon lens	olive green variant

Links

• Werra page in French at KRG's website
• Werra page at Dirapon website
• Werra I, Werra Ic, Werra Ie on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand

In English:

• Werra section at Retrography.com by Simon Simonsen, Denmark