Rheinmetall Perfekta II

Specification

Art Deco Credentials

Noteworthy: Worth giving special attention

• Produced after the main Art Deco period.
• Bakelite body
• Curvilinear box body shape.
• Horizontal linear ribbing to body.
• Grey plastic highlights.

Description

The Perfekta II is one of the series of cameras that were produced in the German Democratic Republic after World War II. The widespread use of Bakelite reduced the price of the otherwise metal parts which were not easily affordable after the war. Rheinmetall was one of the largest German arms manufacturers before, during and after World War II. After the war they diversified to making cameras and other domestic products.

The camera is made of black Bakelite with grey highlights to the speed control, the red window and the shutter release. It has a curvilinear design with horizontal linear ribbing around the body. The camera is a good example of the persistence into the 1950s of the Streamline Moderne style which originated in the USA in the 1930s.

The Perfekta II is more rounded and compact than it's predecessor, with a lens housing that collapses into the body. It has an optical viewfinder. The achromatic objective lens has a decent aperture of f/7.7 that can be stopped down to f/11 and f/16. The stops are on a rotating blade that can be moved into place using a wheel under the lens of the camera.

The shutter is coupled to the film advance so that double exposure is avoided. The shutter has timed speeds of 1/25, 1/50 and 1/100 second plus 'B'. The speed is set with a knurled plastic rim around the lens housing. The shutter-release is on the top of the body and is linked to the film advance mechanism which excludes the possibility of double exposure.

The red window can be covered with a rotating metal blade which is controlled by a small wheel alongside. A PC flash connector is provided on the left hand side behind the lens plate. The camera has a tripod mount on the bottom.

The camera was also sold by Sears as the Tower 66P.

How to Use

This camera takes 120 film which is easily available. It supports instant(I) mode with a speeds of 1/25, 1/50 and 1/100 sec. It has three aperture settings of f/7.7, f/11 and f/16.