Baldixette

A simple 6x6 camera, very similar to Goldeck 6x6 and Dacora Digna cameras. They all have a similar concept, all metal construction, the collapsible lens tube and a poor viewfinder. Baldixette has two shutter speeds: 1/60 and B (Is it a speed?), for timed exposures. It has also a PC flash terminal for bulbs.

As a young boy I owned a Dacora Digna camera which is like a copy of this Baldixette. (Or perhaps vice versa)
The appearance promises more that the features really are.

The truth is that Balda Baldixette is a plain box camera with the exception that the box cameras usually gives you 6x9cmm negatives instead of 6x6 as Baldixette.

A Story which has never became clear to me

Again a camera manufacturer with very long history. The story begins when Max Baldeweg founded a camera factory in 1908. The manufacturing was concentrated on a consumer class cameras and many of them were sold under different brand names. The production was busy until WW II changed all. Max Baldeweg lost his company to the state but he founded a new company under the Balda name in Western Germany. Also in East Germany cameras were manufactured under the same name, Balda.
As usual the models and manufacturing processes and machines and even the names were stolen. The East German company continued to produce cameras under the Balda name until 1951, when the name changed to "Optik Belca Werke". 1957 this company formed part of the new "VEB Kamerawerk Niedersedlitz" . (This information is from www.classic-cameras.info web Site. You have to visit there if you are interested in what really has happened.)

Balda Baldessa LF (1964)

Baldessa LF is the "medium" featured variation of three cameras with a similar body structure. The other two are Baldessa F without a selenium light meter and Baldessa F-LK with a coupled Prontor-LK shutter.

On the top of the camera you can see a socket/deflector for AG-1 flash bulb (You have to use National W 10 or equivalent 15V battery ). Shutter is Prontor 125 (1/30, 1/60,1/125sec. and B). If you need more light there is also a socket for an external flash. The lens is Color-Isconar 28/45 mm.
The slightly odd film advance "clamp" and a rewind lever are on the bottom of the camera. (move the cursor on the rollover image)

Like most of contemporary European consumer cameras Baldessa LF is a well-equipped and well constructed camera but it lacks the feel,and not only the feel of the quality of Japanese competitors which were already peeping on the backstage.