Montanus Delmonta TLR Camera — 120 Film, 6×6cm, 75mm f/3.5 Lens, West Germany, c.1950s

A handsome example of the Montanus Delmonta — a twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera produced by Montanus Camerwerk of Solingen, West Germany, in the mid-to-late 1950s. Using standard 120 roll film and producing 12 square 6×6cm exposures per roll, the Delmonta offers the classic TLR shooting experience: quiet, contemplative waist-level composition on a generously sized ground glass screen. A capable and characterful camera from the golden age of German medium format photography.

Condition

• Body: Good cosmetic condition — a couple of small areas of colour loss on the body, not major.
• Viewfinder: Bright and clear.
• Optics: Good — possibly a little dust, no fungus.
• Film format: 120 roll film, 6×6cm square exposures.

Provenance & Specification

• Maker: Montanus Camerawerk, Solingen, West Germany — a respected German camera manufacturer active from the late 1940s through the 1960s, producing a range of TLR and folding cameras for the amateur and enthusiast market.
• Lens: 75mm f/3.5 — the standard taking lens fitted to the Delmonta, providing a pleasingly wide angle of view on the 6×6cm format, well suited to portraiture, landscape, and street photography.
• Format: 120 roll film — widely available today from specialist film suppliers. Each roll yields 12 square 6×6cm negatives, over four times the area of a 35mm frame.
• Design: Twin-lens reflex — two lenses of identical focal length, one for viewing via the waist-level finder, one for exposing the film. The waist-level perspective encourages a slower, more considered approach to photography that many film enthusiasts find deeply satisfying.
• Era: Mid-to-late 1950s, West Germany.
• Appeal: A solid and attractive West German TLR at a very accessible price point — ideal for film photographers looking to explore medium format without the premium of a Rolleiflex or Yashica-Mat, and a beautiful display piece for collectors of vintage cameras.