Wirgin
The Wiesbadener Wirgin Kamerawerke manufactured various camera models from 1924 to 1971 , which were also marketed under other names. The company was founded by the Wirgin brothers. In 1938 the company was confiscated by the German state and as part of the " Aryanization " of the works of Dr. Schleussner sold Adox because the Wirgin brothers were of Jewish origin.
In 1945 there was a voluntary transfer back to the old owners and camera production resumed.
In 1961 the company took over the production of the Bayreuth camera manufacturer Franka .
In 1968 the Wirgin brothers' camera works were converted into a GmbH. The Edixa GmbH continued the camera production. However, in 1971 production had to be stopped and a settlement had to be registered. The models were unable to compete with the Japanese competition that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s ( e.g. Konica and Pentax ), as Wirgin no longer wanted to dare to invest in a new camera housing. The Edixa housing from 1954 and especially the shutter setting could not be adapted to a modern system (exposure measurement through the lens with coupling of the apertures and time setting).
Heinrich (Henry) Wirgin died on March 1, 1989 at the age of 90 in Wiesbaden.
Parts of the former workforce then went into business for themselves in Wiesbaden and founded the company Kameraervice Helmut Lauer , which was based in Hochheim / Massenheim as Camera Service Helmut Lauer GmbH . In 2009 liquidation was requested.
Models (selection)
- Philos running floor plate camera, wooden housing for film plates or 120 roll film, format 6 × 9 cm, 1924
- Gewirette und Reporter , very compact viewfinder cameras with retractable lens barrel , for type 127 roll film
- Edinex , a range of particularly compact viewfinder cameras for 35 mm film
- Edixa , originally Edina (name change due to the proximity of the name to Kodak's Retina ), a series of viewfinder cameras for 35 mm film, the most striking models with a focal length of 43 mm corresponding to the natural field of view
- Edixa Electronica SLR with automatic exposure control (developed by Heinz Waaske in the 1960s )
- Edixa Reflex , models with interchangeable viewfinder, partly long-term movements (9 s - 1/1000 s), last models with integrated tracking exposure meter, M42 connection . The Edixa Reflex models were also a Waaske development from 1954. They were the big breakthrough for Wirgin.
- Edixa 16 miniature camera for 16 mm film from Waaske.
- Edixa Electronica TL . Last attempt in 1971 with a newly designed camera (SLR with electronic shutter from Prontor).
- Edixa Stereo III . Stereo camera for 35mm film format 24 × 22 mm. Lenses Steinheil Cassar 35 mm f / 3.5. Paired rangefinder and built-in Metrophot light meter not paired. Year of construction probably 1957. Various other stereo cameras with different equipment.
literature
- Friedrich-W. Voigt: The Edixa book - a book of practice . Heering, Seebruck am Chiemsee 1962 (and other editions).
- Udo Afalter: Edixa - cameras & lenses . (Series of publications: Edition Kamerageschichte), 1st edition, self-published, Gifhorn 1994, ISBN 3-920890-16-7 (64 pages).
- Jörg Eikmann, Ulrich Vogt: cameras for millions - Heinz Waaske, designer - Edixa, Rollei, Voigtländer, Minox, Robot, Zeiss . (Series of publications: Wittig-Fachbuch). Wittig, Hückelhoven 1997, ISBN 3-930359-56-1 (320 pages).
- Wolfgang Erner: Edixa. The story of a 35mm SLR camera . Shaker Media, Herzogenrath 2015, ISBN 978-3-95631-382-0 (466 pages).
