This is my second dalliance with this East German camera. This series of basic viewfinders have a sound a like name to Bond’s original firearm before Fleming gave him the Walther PKK and like its namesakes compact and stylish. But is this camera worth taking on her majesty’s secret service or has been a Quantum of Solace ?
If you’ve read any more of this blog you’ll know I’m a bit of a fan of soviet cameras and I also have enjoyed using (West) German cameras from the post war period, but sadly this little DDR number left me frustrated twice which is a shame as on many levels it’s quite a clever and neat camera – just a shame about the lens.
Beier Beirette K100 Specs
- Lens: Chromar 52mm
- Focus: 3 zones
- Aperture : fixed f/11
- Shutter: 1/30, 1/125 & B
- Metering: None
- EV (100ISO) : 14-16
- Flash: Hotshoe
Woldemar Beier started making cameras in Frietal near Dresden in 1932. Oddly his company remained part private under the communist regime initially until the state went from part to full control of the company 1972 and the pace was rebranded as VEB (citizens’ own company) Kamerafabrik Freital. Both names are linked to the long running Beirette series. The first Beirette was a folder launched in 1939 but the later 1958-1990 compacts are better known. The K100 launched in 1977 and in essence is a stripped down version of the vsn with a more basic achromatic lens.
What you get is a scale focused basic lens with a fixed (f/11) aperture and a choice of 3 shutter speeds determined by a ring showing symbols (sunny 1/125, cloudy/flash 1/30 or Bulb (B) – matched to 18-21 DIN films (50-100 ISO) according to the manual.). The camera has a few quirks that would keep Q happy. Firstly the shutter will not fire unless you load with film (or advance the film hole sprocket manually) meaning you could mistake a good ‘un for a dead ‘un. The film counter oddly only resets when you lift up the rewind spool (completely independent of the door release catch). The retro styled shutter on camera’s front has a almost invisible cable point. This all quite neat and is wrapped up in an attractive plastic and aluminium design echoing older German design but with more compact modern styling except for the obviously plastic lens barrel.
And that lens is more than a cosmetic issue. I got one in 2013 but the lens looked a bit opaque. I shot a roll and wasn’t impressed and got some naff advice from someone who probably knew less than me and binned it. I chanced my arm again at the time of writing (2015) but guess what the lens looks a bit opaque (as does almost every shot on google images is the same). The images rendered are bit hit and miss to say the least on both K100 I have owned. Occasionally you’ll get a passable shot (slightly soft, granular) but often blurry to the point of smeary with and unequal film plane (the slower 1/30 shutter speed doesn’t help either). It is a bit like using a Lomography Diana Mini without the cuteness.
Nicely styled and more easy to use than a lomo Smena 8m but the lens is rubbish. You’d really need to be into truely Lomo style to like. I’m getting a better lensed VS to see though if the mechanics are more foregiving. For now I’m neither shaken or stirred.
Why Buy ?
- Compact
- Nicely styled
- Cheap
Why not ?
- The lens
- Limited settings
What I Paid
- Paid £2.50 plus postage for camera only on eBay
Alternatives
- Smena 8m – simple but effective Soviet camera
- Lomography Diana Mini – Plastic modern equivalent
- Franka 125 – 60’s West German model similar abet larger
Helpful links
- Beirette Series at camera-wiki.org
- Manual (in German) on Sylvain Halgand’s Collection Appereils
- Guide to Beier Cameras (in German)
Great review. Just picked up one of these on eBay myself for a few quid to go with my ever-growing collection of Russian, Eastern Bloc and other retro cameras. I wasn’t aware of the lens issue….. but I am now! Currently shooting a roll of expired (Chinese) Fuda 100 through it that I picked up on eBay from a bloke out in Portugal. I suspect that, plus the lens issue, will make for some interesting results!
Just picked up one in mint condition from ebay. However without loading it with film there is no way of checking if the shutter works as it won’t fire with the back open and film loaded. Is there another way of checking if the shutter works otherwise will have to go through 36 exposures to find out.
It’s a long time since i had this. Quite a few cameras won’t cock just on winding on. I can’t remember if this works with the Beirette but it works with others. You could try gently moving the sprocket wheel above or below the film frame in the direction the film would go when winding on. Turn til it clicks
Your issue with the lens is a common one. My experience with a K100 was identical. People may be more acquainted with Beirette’s as Boots the Chemist sold the Beir VSN as the Boots Beirette BL.
The K100 should have been sharp in the centre, but they couldn’t manage that.
The image of the church at the end of the street is about as good as I managed.
It says a lot when the image shot in Long Lane, Carlisle by the K100 would look better on a fixed focus Kodak M35 or a HP5 disposable.