Vebur Classic 35

       When I saw the words "GERMANY USSR OCCUPIED" on a Vebur Classic 35 listed at an auction site, I could visualize the citizens of that war-torn nation laboring under the yoke of Soviet oppression. Now's my chance, I thought, to own another small piece of history. So I parted with $40 and waited for the camera to arrive. While waiting, I tried find information about the Vebur. But my Google searches yielded very little until I discovered that the Vebur Classic 35 is really an Altix IV re-branded for sale in the USA.

      When the camera arrived, I was delighted to find that it was in mint condition. But my joy was short lived when I found that the film advance knob was malfunctioning. No matter how many times I turned the knob, it wouldn't stop!
      Then I remembered that some of these vintage cameras must have film in them to engage the sprockets on their film advance gears before they'll function properly.
       I opened the back of the camera and  activated the film transport gear (blue dot, below) until it stopped, and discovered that all was well.

      Having done that, I was able to cock the shutter using a small lever set above the lens and test it at all of its speeds, 1-250 + B.
      At just about 4-1/2 inches, the Vebur Classic 35 (or Altix IV) is a rather small fixed lens camera that you can fit into the palm of your hand. It has a tiny viewfinder window. Amazingly, however, I was able to see the entire field of view even though I wear eyeglasses.
      The focusing mechanism operates smoothly from 2.8 feet-infinity. There are no click stops on the f stop selector (2.8-16). The tripod mount is centered on the bottom of the camera.
       One thing that puzzles me is that there's a triangle with the number "1" centered in it embossed in the camera's covering (yellow dot, left). The numbers 37/36/4002 appear just below the triangle. If you know the meaning of the triangle and numbers, I'd love to hear from you.

      Although the Vebur Classic 35 can't match other more finely crafted cameras of the fifties for elegance and finish, it still has many features that recommend it to photographers who have mastered the basics of photography and who prefer a basic tool rather than one loaded with bells and whistles.

     Sturdy, reliable, and practical, the Classic 35 is capable of producing decent images, either in black and white or in color. But I sure do wish its designers had included strap lugs on the camera.

COMING SOON: Incredible Images from World War II