The Mackenstein model Série IIIB camera was produced between c.1888 and c.1915[1]. It’s a large foldable tailboard camera for 18x24cm glass plate negatives. The top contains a nameplate with: H. Mackenstein Paris ~ Constructeur. The name of the manufacturer is also engraved in the wood on the front side.
The front panel has two Aplanat lenses with the name Rapid Aplanat No 1 and have a maximum lens aperture of F6. The name of the manufacturer of the lenses is missing, but it’s likely that they are also made by Mackenstein. The panel can be exchanged with a panel with one lens to use the camera as a normal mono camera. This acquisition also included a front panel with a single Carl Zeiss Jena 250mm Tessar F6.3 lens with serial number 287732.
The rear has a folding ground glass with a grid and there’s a spirit level at the back of the tailboard. On the inside of the camera is a removable septum.
References
- Princelle, Jean Loup; Scheiba, Dieter. Mackenstein – Suffize & Molitor, Le Rêve Édition No. 13, 2004. p.10