Robot Royal 24
A Very Brief History of Otto Berning Co. and the Robot Camera
Heinz Kilfitt was born in Germany in 1898. The son of a watchmaker, he worked repairing watches in his youth, and was acutely interested in photography. While working at an optical company in Berlin, he designed a compact, half-frame, spring-driven camera, and attempted to sell the design in 1931 to Kodak and Agfa, being rejected by each. Soon after, he successfully sold the design to Hans Heinrich Berning, who with financial backing from his father established Otto Berning & Co.
Otto Berning & Co. was granted its first patent for a Robot camera in 1934, with a United States patent following closely in 1936. The Robot I was an astoundingly compact half-frame, interchangeable-lens, viewfinder camera made of stainless steel, with a spring-loaded motor drive capable of firing four semi-automatic frames in one second using a rotary shutter capable of speeds from 1 second to 1/500th of a second. This camera used a proprietary Robot film cassette likely based on the existing Agfa cassette, and featured a built-in user-selectable yellow filter.
The Robot II was released in 1938, and was generally similar to the Robot I. Some improvements were made to ergonomics, such as a redesigned but still proprietary film cassette, and the camera was simplified in other ways, including elimination of the built-in yellow filter. At the outset of World War II, production of Robot cameras for civilian use was halted while the company focused its attention on producing cameras for the German military (mostly the Luftwaffe).
In the early 1950s, the Robot line expanded dramatically. In addition to a new version of the Robot II made to accept standard 35mm film cartridges (now called the Robot IIA), the firm created the Model III and the Robot Royal. Released in models exposing the 24x24mm and the standard 24x36mm image area, the Robot Royal 24 and 36 (as they are called) were among the final and most advanced iterations on the Robot formula. These cameras were full-featured machines with built-in rangefinders and automatic motors capable of firing up to eight frames per second (in the case of the Royal 24). These and other models would continue to be produced from 1951 to the 1990s.
Robot still exists today under a different name and as part of a larger group of industrial optical companies. For our purposes, this is irrelevant.
What is a Robot Royal 24?
Of all the cameras in the Robot lineup, the most interesting to me is the Robot Royal 24. With its built-in rangefinder, interchangeable bayonet lens mount accepting Schneider or Zeiss-made lenses, and its 24x24mm image area, it combines the highest capability with the most unique functionality.
On the top of the camera we find the film rewind knob, threaded shutter release button, a cold accessory shoe, and a film frame counter. Beyond these, the top plate is devoid of controls, which are instead mounted on the front of the camera.
Holding the camera to the eye as if to take a photo, the front left houses a protruding knob for selection of shutter speeds from 1/2 second to 1/500th of a second, plus Bulb mode for long exposure. Front right we find a similar knob with a lever attached. This switches the camera from single shot to burst mode. Additional front controls reside on the lens; manual focus and aperture selection rings. Underneath the lens is a large tab that looks deceptively like the manual focus tab found on many rangefinder lenses, but is in fact the lens release. Swinging this tab with the camera held to one’s eye as if it were a focusing tab will inevitably cause the lens to fall to the floor of an Italian camera shop in an element-shattering cascade (a lesson learned and subsequently passed on to me by a friend of mine who learned the hard way).
The rear of the camera is sparse. A viewfinder with integrated rangefinder focusing patch, a shutter lock and film rewind switch, and a film frame counter adjustment dial. On the left side is the latch for the hinged swing-away film door where standard rolls of 35mm film are loaded. The bottom plate has a threaded tripod mount, a stand-up foot, and the essential spring motor winding knob.
Here is my robot II
www.flickr.com/photos/emirato/albums/72177720308049090/
© All Rights Reserved
Robot Royal 24
A Very Brief History of Otto Berning Co. and the Robot Camera
Heinz Kilfitt was born in Germany in 1898. The son of a watchmaker, he worked repairing watches in his youth, and was acutely interested in photography. While working at an optical company in Berlin, he designed a compact, half-frame, spring-driven camera, and attempted to sell the design in 1931 to Kodak and Agfa, being rejected by each. Soon after, he successfully sold the design to Hans Heinrich Berning, who with financial backing from his father established Otto Berning & Co.
Otto Berning & Co. was granted its first patent for a Robot camera in 1934, with a United States patent following closely in 1936. The Robot I was an astoundingly compact half-frame, interchangeable-lens, viewfinder camera made of stainless steel, with a spring-loaded motor drive capable of firing four semi-automatic frames in one second using a rotary shutter capable of speeds from 1 second to 1/500th of a second. This camera used a proprietary Robot film cassette likely based on the existing Agfa cassette, and featured a built-in user-selectable yellow filter.
The Robot II was released in 1938, and was generally similar to the Robot I. Some improvements were made to ergonomics, such as a redesigned but still proprietary film cassette, and the camera was simplified in other ways, including elimination of the built-in yellow filter. At the outset of World War II, production of Robot cameras for civilian use was halted while the company focused its attention on producing cameras for the German military (mostly the Luftwaffe).
In the early 1950s, the Robot line expanded dramatically. In addition to a new version of the Robot II made to accept standard 35mm film cartridges (now called the Robot IIA), the firm created the Model III and the Robot Royal. Released in models exposing the 24x24mm and the standard 24x36mm image area, the Robot Royal 24 and 36 (as they are called) were among the final and most advanced iterations on the Robot formula. These cameras were full-featured machines with built-in rangefinders and automatic motors capable of firing up to eight frames per second (in the case of the Royal 24). These and other models would continue to be produced from 1951 to the 1990s.
Robot still exists today under a different name and as part of a larger group of industrial optical companies. For our purposes, this is irrelevant.
What is a Robot Royal 24?
Of all the cameras in the Robot lineup, the most interesting to me is the Robot Royal 24. With its built-in rangefinder, interchangeable bayonet lens mount accepting Schneider or Zeiss-made lenses, and its 24x24mm image area, it combines the highest capability with the most unique functionality.
On the top of the camera we find the film rewind knob, threaded shutter release button, a cold accessory shoe, and a film frame counter. Beyond these, the top plate is devoid of controls, which are instead mounted on the front of the camera.
Holding the camera to the eye as if to take a photo, the front left houses a protruding knob for selection of shutter speeds from 1/2 second to 1/500th of a second, plus Bulb mode for long exposure. Front right we find a similar knob with a lever attached. This switches the camera from single shot to burst mode. Additional front controls reside on the lens; manual focus and aperture selection rings. Underneath the lens is a large tab that looks deceptively like the manual focus tab found on many rangefinder lenses, but is in fact the lens release. Swinging this tab with the camera held to one’s eye as if it were a focusing tab will inevitably cause the lens to fall to the floor of an Italian camera shop in an element-shattering cascade (a lesson learned and subsequently passed on to me by a friend of mine who learned the hard way).
The rear of the camera is sparse. A viewfinder with integrated rangefinder focusing patch, a shutter lock and film rewind switch, and a film frame counter adjustment dial. On the left side is the latch for the hinged swing-away film door where standard rolls of 35mm film are loaded. The bottom plate has a threaded tripod mount, a stand-up foot, and the essential spring motor winding knob.
Here is my robot II
www.flickr.com/photos/emirato/albums/72177720308049090/
© All Rights Reserved