Carl Braun camera-werk
Encyclopedia
Carl Braun Camera-Werk of Nuremberg, Germany, or Braun, as it was more commonly called, was originally founded as an optical production house. It is best known for its 35mm film camera
s, the Paxettes, and for slide projector
s.
The company was founded in 1915 under name of Karl Braun KG, Fabrik optischer Geräte und Metallwaren for the fabrication of optical appliances and metalware. In 1948, the company began producing box film cameras, in rollfilm and 35mm
format. It changed its name to Carl Braun Camera-Werke. Its best known model was the Paxette series of 35mm rangefinder
cameras. Most of the company's cameras were consumer-level models, though the company did briefly produce several more advanced 35mm rangefinder
designs as well as an interesting 35mm single-lens reflex camera
line with leaf shutters, the AMC/Paxette Reflex. The most advanced of Braun's rangefinders and SLRs had interchangeable lenses.
Braun ceased making cameras in the 1960s, in part because of high labour costs and a resultant inability to compete in the consumer level camera market, a market increasingly supplied by Japanese firms.
Parallel to the camera manufacturing began the development and construction of film slide projectors. In 1955, under the name of Nuremberg Paximat Carl Braun Camera-Werk, the company introduced one of the first semi-automatic slide projectors with a tray magazine to the consumer market. Other innovations included wired or wireless remote control, automatic focus, brighter halogen lamps, and variable brightness control. Since 1955, about 4 million slide projectors have been built and sold in 120 countries around the world under the names Paximat or Novamat.
Although the company was selling more than four million units by 1997, Braun's overall profitability declined precipitously, and in 2000, the company ceased trading. It was reorganized the following year.
In addition to the successful introduction of digital cameras and accessories, in 2003 Braun introduced the Brown Multimag SlideScan 3600 digital scanner for the consumer market. This scanner was based on the Paximat Multimag series of slide projectors, and enables the scanning of slides directly from six different slide trays. New Braun scanners utilize Digital ICE technology.
In 2004, Braun changed its name again. It is now known as Braun Photo Technik GmbH, and continues to sell and/or manufacture slide projectors, other optical goods as well as optical business applications.
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
s, the Paxettes, and for slide projector
Slide projector
A slide projector is an opto-mechanical device to view photographic slides. Slide projectors were common in the 1950s to the 1970s as a form of entertainment; family members and friends would gather to view slide shows...
s.
History
135 film
The term 135 was introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a designation for cartridge film wide, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film format...
format. It changed its name to Carl Braun Camera-Werke. Its best known model was the Paxette series of 35mm rangefinder
Rangefinder camera
A rangefinder camera is a camera fitted with a rangefinder: a range-finding focusing mechanism allowing the photographer to measure the subject distance and take photographs that are in sharp focus...
cameras. Most of the company's cameras were consumer-level models, though the company did briefly produce several more advanced 35mm rangefinder
Rangefinder
A rangefinder is a device that measures distance from the observer to a target, for the purposes of surveying, determining focus in photography, or accurately aiming a weapon. Some devices use active methods to measure ; others measure distance using trigonometry...
designs as well as an interesting 35mm single-lens reflex camera
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
line with leaf shutters, the AMC/Paxette Reflex. The most advanced of Braun's rangefinders and SLRs had interchangeable lenses.
Braun ceased making cameras in the 1960s, in part because of high labour costs and a resultant inability to compete in the consumer level camera market, a market increasingly supplied by Japanese firms.
Parallel to the camera manufacturing began the development and construction of film slide projectors. In 1955, under the name of Nuremberg Paximat Carl Braun Camera-Werk, the company introduced one of the first semi-automatic slide projectors with a tray magazine to the consumer market. Other innovations included wired or wireless remote control, automatic focus, brighter halogen lamps, and variable brightness control. Since 1955, about 4 million slide projectors have been built and sold in 120 countries around the world under the names Paximat or Novamat.
Although the company was selling more than four million units by 1997, Braun's overall profitability declined precipitously, and in 2000, the company ceased trading. It was reorganized the following year.
In addition to the successful introduction of digital cameras and accessories, in 2003 Braun introduced the Brown Multimag SlideScan 3600 digital scanner for the consumer market. This scanner was based on the Paximat Multimag series of slide projectors, and enables the scanning of slides directly from six different slide trays. New Braun scanners utilize Digital ICE technology.
In 2004, Braun changed its name again. It is now known as Braun Photo Technik GmbH, and continues to sell and/or manufacture slide projectors, other optical goods as well as optical business applications.