Two-Star FOCA PF2B 1955
Among my camera collection, FOCA's are probably the ones that mean the most to me. Called sometime with respect the « French LEICA’s », the FOCA’s are very far from any simple Leica copies. They were independently designed and prototyped in the clandestine by clever French engineers of the O.P.L. (« Optique & Precision de Levallois ») company in Paris, France, during the WWII. They were then manufactured in series as soon as possible after the war end in 1945 to 1962 in various versions. Overall about 150.000 units were produced (for the focal curtain shutter bodies). FOCA’s are amazing of precision, optical quality, and a real joy to use.
I selected this mid-range PF2B FOCA circa 1955 and its normal lens OPLAR 1:2.8 f=5cm for a relaxing photowalk enjoying a sunny mild afternoon in Lyon, France. For all the views the lens was equipped with 42mm push-on filter, AUV for the two first frames then, for the rest of the film, a FOCA Yellow x2.5 filter. A Genaco metal shade hood was aditionnaly used for all the views. For the fun, I added an external collimated viewer FOCANOX f=5cm.
The film used was a 36-exposure Ilford Pan 100. Expositions were determined for 100 ISO (or 50 ISO to compensate the absorption of the Yellow filter) using an Minolta Autometer III lightmeter fitted with a 10° finder for selective metering privileging the shadow areas.
View Nr. 6: 1/200s f/6.3 focusing @ infinite (Yellow filter)
Rue des Tables Claudiennes, March 3, 2025
69001 Lyon
France
After completion, the film was rewound and processed using 350 mL of Adox Adonal (Agfa Rodinal) developer prepared at the dilution 1+25 for 9min at 20°C.
Digitizing was made using a Sony A7 camera (ILCE-7, 24MP) fitted to a Minolta Auto Bellows III with the Minolta slide duplication accessory and Minolta Macro Bellow lens 1:3.5 f=50mm. The diffuse light source was a LED panel CineStill Cine-lite.
The RAW files obtained were inverted within the latest version available of Adobe Lightroom Classic (version 14.2) and edited to the final jpeg pictures without intermediate file. They are presented either as printer files with a frame or the full size JPEG's together with some documentary smartphone color pictures.
About the camera :
This FOCA camera is in an exceptional state of conservation and looks exited from a sort of time capsule since 70 years!
I was not so very optimistic about the real state of this camera because of the scars description of the seller, but I finally won the bid for tiny price on September 26, 2023 and the camera arrived to me a few days later.
According to the serial number this PF2B should be a model-4 from year 1955 (model-4 spans the years1954-1957). The shutter is a type-3 that equipped the version 16 to 17 in 1956. Curiously, the camera has also the type-6 rewind large button only appeared in 1957 on the model-5 of PF2B's. Maybe a latter upgrade required by the customer or prosed by the after-market service?
The camera was kept clearly in original box with the serial number hand written on the right side. The OPLAR normal lens 1:2.8 f=5cm is a model-3 version-4 from 1955 with the "ECD/9" diaphragm graduation 2.8...3.5...9....18.
In the box Botton was the user manual, a Kodachrome brochure in French and several cashier ticket from the seller "PHOTO BANGARD", 29, Quai du Fossé, Mulhouse, France, also identified in the inner side of the camera back with a sticker.The cashier ticket are probably to related to the camera since the amounts in French Francs does not correspond to any price list of that time.
In addition the camera has a leather ever-ready bag in excellent condition. When I first detailed the camera, I soon appeared that it almost pristine with very little sign of use. All functions works flawlessly and the shutter curtains are as new. The view finder and range finder are very clear and contrasted as the day 1. The lens is also very nice with the coating in quite good condition.
The camera was so nice and easy to clean that I could test it with a film the day after the receipt.
About the FOCA PF2B camera's and the normal lens OPLAR:
The Foca type PF2B (PF for "Petit Format") was constructed in France by the company "Optique & Precision de Levallois" (OPL) starting from 1947. It was manufactured in the Chateaudun OPL factory, route de Jallans, France. The factory, constructed in 1938, is still at the same place under the name of SAFRAN now producing precision devices for aerospace appliances.
The camera is equipped with the collapsible 36mm screw-mount OPLAR lens (a modified Tessar formula with an additional fifth rear element) 1:2.8 f=5cm. The focal shutter of the PF2B has timing of 1/1000, 1/500, 1/200, 1/100, 1/50 and 1/25s plus the B pose. A slow exposure device below 1/25s could be installed by the aftermarket service and was installed basically for the FOCA PF3 type.
Two-Star FOCA PF2B 1955
Among my camera collection, FOCA's are probably the ones that mean the most to me. Called sometime with respect the « French LEICA’s », the FOCA’s are very far from any simple Leica copies. They were independently designed and prototyped in the clandestine by clever French engineers of the O.P.L. (« Optique & Precision de Levallois ») company in Paris, France, during the WWII. They were then manufactured in series as soon as possible after the war end in 1945 to 1962 in various versions. Overall about 150.000 units were produced (for the focal curtain shutter bodies). FOCA’s are amazing of precision, optical quality, and a real joy to use.
I selected this mid-range PF2B FOCA circa 1955 and its normal lens OPLAR 1:2.8 f=5cm for a relaxing photowalk enjoying a sunny mild afternoon in Lyon, France. For all the views the lens was equipped with 42mm push-on filter, AUV for the two first frames then, for the rest of the film, a FOCA Yellow x2.5 filter. A Genaco metal shade hood was aditionnaly used for all the views. For the fun, I added an external collimated viewer FOCANOX f=5cm.
The film used was a 36-exposure Ilford Pan 100. Expositions were determined for 100 ISO (or 50 ISO to compensate the absorption of the Yellow filter) using an Minolta Autometer III lightmeter fitted with a 10° finder for selective metering privileging the shadow areas.
View Nr. 6: 1/200s f/6.3 focusing @ infinite (Yellow filter)
Rue des Tables Claudiennes, March 3, 2025
69001 Lyon
France
After completion, the film was rewound and processed using 350 mL of Adox Adonal (Agfa Rodinal) developer prepared at the dilution 1+25 for 9min at 20°C.
Digitizing was made using a Sony A7 camera (ILCE-7, 24MP) fitted to a Minolta Auto Bellows III with the Minolta slide duplication accessory and Minolta Macro Bellow lens 1:3.5 f=50mm. The diffuse light source was a LED panel CineStill Cine-lite.
The RAW files obtained were inverted within the latest version available of Adobe Lightroom Classic (version 14.2) and edited to the final jpeg pictures without intermediate file. They are presented either as printer files with a frame or the full size JPEG's together with some documentary smartphone color pictures.
About the camera :
This FOCA camera is in an exceptional state of conservation and looks exited from a sort of time capsule since 70 years!
I was not so very optimistic about the real state of this camera because of the scars description of the seller, but I finally won the bid for tiny price on September 26, 2023 and the camera arrived to me a few days later.
According to the serial number this PF2B should be a model-4 from year 1955 (model-4 spans the years1954-1957). The shutter is a type-3 that equipped the version 16 to 17 in 1956. Curiously, the camera has also the type-6 rewind large button only appeared in 1957 on the model-5 of PF2B's. Maybe a latter upgrade required by the customer or prosed by the after-market service?
The camera was kept clearly in original box with the serial number hand written on the right side. The OPLAR normal lens 1:2.8 f=5cm is a model-3 version-4 from 1955 with the "ECD/9" diaphragm graduation 2.8...3.5...9....18.
In the box Botton was the user manual, a Kodachrome brochure in French and several cashier ticket from the seller "PHOTO BANGARD", 29, Quai du Fossé, Mulhouse, France, also identified in the inner side of the camera back with a sticker.The cashier ticket are probably to related to the camera since the amounts in French Francs does not correspond to any price list of that time.
In addition the camera has a leather ever-ready bag in excellent condition. When I first detailed the camera, I soon appeared that it almost pristine with very little sign of use. All functions works flawlessly and the shutter curtains are as new. The view finder and range finder are very clear and contrasted as the day 1. The lens is also very nice with the coating in quite good condition.
The camera was so nice and easy to clean that I could test it with a film the day after the receipt.
About the FOCA PF2B camera's and the normal lens OPLAR:
The Foca type PF2B (PF for "Petit Format") was constructed in France by the company "Optique & Precision de Levallois" (OPL) starting from 1947. It was manufactured in the Chateaudun OPL factory, route de Jallans, France. The factory, constructed in 1938, is still at the same place under the name of SAFRAN now producing precision devices for aerospace appliances.
The camera is equipped with the collapsible 36mm screw-mount OPLAR lens (a modified Tessar formula with an additional fifth rear element) 1:2.8 f=5cm. The focal shutter of the PF2B has timing of 1/1000, 1/500, 1/200, 1/100, 1/50 and 1/25s plus the B pose. A slow exposure device below 1/25s could be installed by the aftermarket service and was installed basically for the FOCA PF3 type.