The DeJur D-1 and D-3 cameras

The DeJur-Amsco company traded in Connecticut and later New York from the 1920s to 1974. They sold a variety of photographic equipment; some were imported and some they made including enlargers, a rangefinder and exposure meters. They sold at least one US-made camera, the DeJur Reflex, a 120 TLR which was a re-branded Ciroflex. (There were six models of the Ciroflex and it was continued as the Graflex 22 when Graflex bought out Ciro in 1950). While DeJur imported some re-named cameras and lenses from Topcon and Petri in Japan, their DeJur D-1 and D-3 cameras were made in Germany.

The D-1

In 1955 they marketed the DeJur D-1 a solid cast-metal bodied camera made by Neidig Kamerawerk, a German firm that made their 35mm Perlux camera available to other companies. Neidig's original 1949 Perlux camera was later sold as the Adox 35 and the Bower 35. The DeJur D-1 is a minor variation of the 1952 Perlux II camera, it has the DeJur name and was updated with a lever wind instead of a knob wind. Although looking like just a basic viewfinder 35mm camera the D-1 has a perhaps unexpected feature - interchangeable lenses. While in practical use scale-focussing is good enough for the standard and wide-angle lens, it may not be exact enough for some users when using the tele lens. But possibly this was a useful marketing feature in 1955.

The standard lens is a 45mm f2.8 Staeble-Kata in a (unbranded) Pronto shutter with speeds of 1/25 to 1/200. Film advance and shutter cocking requires two full strokes of the lever. The body release on the top plate stays depressed after an exposure, it rises again as you wind on. The two accessory lenses offered were a 38mm f3.5 Staeble-Choro and a 85mm f5.6 Staeble-Telon. As a set they were supplied in a nice leather case together with an accessory viewfinder.

DeJur D-1

They are the same M39 thread mount Staeble lenses that were available to fit the Braun Paxette II. The accessory finder, which looks like the Braun finder, shows the wide-angle view; a slip-on mask is used with the tele lens.

The D-3

The Neidig Perlux II was upgraded in 1953 by having an uncoupled rangefinder built into the top housing and it was named the Perlux IIa. A rotating wheel on the rear of the top housing operated the rangefinder. Later that year Neidig further improved the camera by making the rangefinder coupled and replacing the wind knob with a two-stroke wind lever. So now the Perlux no longer just a basic 35mm and this camera was then imported in 1957 by DeJur to be sold as the DeJur D-3.

It has the same standard Staeble-Kata 45mm f2.8 lens as the D-1 but the re-designed coupled focussing & lens assembly is larger. The same 85mm tele and 38mm wide-angle lenses were also offered, both now rangefinder-coupled.

DeJur D-3

Rangefinder coupled 45mm lens (left) uncoupled 38mm lens (right).

The (still unbranded) shutter is now a Prontor-S with a range of speeds from 1sec to 1/300. On the rear of the D-3 you can see a round cover where the uncoupled rangefinder wheel used to be located.

The small button beside the eyepiece is moved down to disengage the sprockets for film rewinding.

The body serial number is stamped into the base covering next to the tripod mount. While the numbers are quite large in size they can be quite difficult to see and read. “Made in Western Germany” is boldly stamped on the bases of both models.

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