Magic DDR Cameras #3: Beirette VSN/Beroquick KB135

3rd part of my DDR-cameras review, this time about a much cheaper one, but with still this special "taste" of the former east-german optical industry: the Beirette, produced by Beier from 1974 to 1990 with many different variations and names. To add a litle bit confusion, most of the models produced since 1958 have the same name, simply "Beirette".... to understand why, let's make a little bit history about the Beier factory.

"Beier Kameraindustrie" was created 1923 near of Dresden (Freital) and made several box and folding cameras. After the 2nd world war the whole factory was dismantled by the Soviets and the remaining workers tried to make again some cameras with what was left. 1949 the "Kamerafabrik Woldemar Beier" was born again and could produce the Beirax II camera, folding camera inspired by the pre-war models. Unfortunately, Woldemar Beier died 1957 and the east german state took the control of the factory, and finally integrated it 1972 in the VEB Kamerawerk Freital (VEB stands for "Volkseigener Betrieb", that means that the factory belongs to the People, i.e. the socialist state...).

So, this little historical point to explain that the "socialist era" of Beier began really 1958, and that they turned into a "standardized mass production" of almost the same Beirette cameras from the 1970's to the end of the factory 1990. The first Beirette of this standard production was introduced 1974 and became later on the Beirette VSN or, for the export version, the Beroquick KB135 (which is the one I have):




This camera has a Meritar 2,8/45 lens with only 4 speeds (1/125, 1/60, 1/30 and B) and 7 different diaphragm settings from 2,8 to 22. The focus ring is on the front and goes from 0,6m with precise positions until 2m (0,7-0,8-0,9-1,2-1,5m) and then 3-5-10m to infinity. The viewfinder is tinted in yellow and has parallax correction marks. What shows that this camera was intended for a popular use is that the technical indications of speed and aperture are shown on one side of the lens but you have these 4 nice weather icons on the top of the lens (for the aperture) and on the other side the DIN/ASA settings (for the speed), that means that you don't need a specific knowledge to choose your speed & aperture, just follow the weather icons and your film speed.... And you can use a flash with synchro at 1/30.
Very simple indeed and ok to make pictures even if the speed is a bit limited and that the light weight of the cam shows that there is mostly plastic... but the whole construction is fine, the setting rings make a precise "click" on each position as well as the shutter (shutter button on the right side of the lens like all Beirette 35 mm cameras).
A nice little cam, easy to use and creating nice shots. Have a look at some pictures made with the Beroquick (most of the shots were made in double exposition for a film exchange with superlighter a great lomographer and camera fan who has a Beirette VSN as well, and we made this film swapping with the same camera...)















If you want to know more have a look at this very complete site (in german) about the Beier factory and the Beirette or Beroquick cameras. You can also have a overview on Beier cameras on the Lippisches Kamera Museum site.