Reicka 680 Stereo Folding Plate Camera, ca. 1910s–1920s, Twin Leaf-Shutter Lenses
CHF 690.00
The camera follows the well-established pattern of the era's hand-and-stand stereo apparatus. A leatherette-covered metal and wood box body opens at the front to drop a lacquered metal baseboard, from which the dual lens standard extends on parallel guide rails. Twin uncoated achromat objectives are mounted side by side in individual leaf-shutter cells — each carrying its own aperture and speed-setting ring — joined by a central synchronised release lever that fires both shutters simultaneously to ensure stereo exposure parity. Rack-and-pinion knobs on either side of the lens standard control focus. A folding wire sports-finder mounted atop the rear body frames the stereo angle of view for quick hand-held shooting.
The rear accommodates a dry-plate back with an internal septum dividing the two exposures. A small auxiliary viewfinder lens is incorporated into the rear body panel, as was customary for cameras of this class. Two tripod bushes — one on the base, one visible on the body side — confirm the camera was designed for both hand-held and studio use. The overall mechanical architecture is impressively coherent for its era: interlocking baseboard struts, dual bellows chambers, and a synchronised twin-shutter release represent the hallmarks of pre-First-World-War German precision craft.
Cosmetically, this example is in honest Good condition: the leatherette shows oxidation and flaking, the lacquer carries chips and wear consistent with a working life of over a century, but — notably — no rust is present on the metal body. The bellows appear intact, the mechanical linkages are coherent, and both objectives look clear at photographic resolution. One blade of the internal stereo septum appears bent or displaced, and a small wooden piece is missing at the plate holder. No plate holders or ground-glass screen are included. Collectible value is confirmed by the ICA/Reicka 680 listing on Collectiblend, which places this model firmly in the documented collector market. A rewarding display piece, research object, or restoration project.
Material: Leatherette-covered metal and wood body; black-lacquered metal lens standard and baseboard; black rubberised accordion bellows; nickel-plated fittings and knobs; brass carrying handle and lock hardware
Condition notes
Overall Good to Very Good (G+/VG) for a piece of this age. The leatherette covering shows oxidation and flaking across exterior surfaces, with wear at corners and edges; the underlying metal body is structurally sound throughout — no rust is present. Black lacquer on the lens standard and baseboard is chipped and worn in places. A small wooden piece is missing at the plate holder; the plate back is otherwise present and functional in appearance. The bellows are black and appear intact — no pinholes are immediately visible from the images, though light-tightness cannot be guaranteed without a live test. Both shutter assemblies are present with readable scales; functional status unconfirmed. The rear plate back and internal stereo septum are present; one septum retaining blade is visibly bent or displaced in the open-back image. The brass carrying handle is intact and bears the model designation.