A Nagel 30 Fornidar plate camera that largely duplicates the specification of the Nagel Recomar 33 that was in the range at the same time. In fact they appear to share a good number of common parts. This duplication is probably the reason Kodak didn't continue with it after buying out Nagel, apparently preferring to go with the Recomar 33 instead. So what we have here is a rather short lived camera featuring rise/fall and cross movements on the lensboard and double extension bellows allowing one to one reproduction on the negative. Although technically a plate camera where the image is inspected for focus on a ground glass screen, the camera is fitted with both a wire frame finder and a waist level finder to allow use as a hand held viewfinder camera. The Fornidar is a well made camera which folds to surprisingly small proportions bearing in mind the 9x12cm plate size, this one comes with a Schneider Kreuznach lens allowing it to be dated to early 1932, making it one of the last Nagels. Construction is primarily aluminium sheet folded to form the body hinged to an aluminium plate lens bed. The lens standard is an aluminium casting featuring a worm drive rise and sliding cross movements. The bright parts are appear to be chrome plated. The waist level finder has open sides that allow the dust in, but also enable it to be cleaned out readily. As with many cameras of this era the leather is applied directly to the untreated aluminium with a porous cement and they can suffer from rampant aluminium corrosion after all these years. The precise identity of folding Nagel cameras can be found pressed into the carrying handle, in this case, Nagel 30.

This camera was rescued in 2005 in poor condition with extensive corrosion and damage and was put into the restoration queue. It went into the workshop in December 2007 and emerged after a fairly extensive conservation, repair and restoration process in mid January 2008. The camera is a good example of our pragmatic approach to our restoration policy and the process was documented for inclusion in the workshop pages.

Body No. 84033
Shutter, Compur Serial 2385185, speeds T, B, 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 & 250th
Lens, Schneider Kreuznach Doppel Anastigmat Jsconar, 135mm f/4.5 No. 443750
Condition, 5F

View other larger format folding cameras in this collection.