Carl Zeiss Werra I 35mm Scale Focus Camera

After WW II Zeiss Ikon was split in an East-Germany part in Jena near Dresden and a West-German part in Stuttgart. Lens manufacturing still continued as Carl Zeiss Jena and the company even made a range of cameras: the Werra.

Werra

The Werra was an eye-catching futuristic-looking range of cameras produced from 1954 until about 1967 by Carl Zeiss Jena, better known for their Carl Zeiss lenses. A wide range of models was available with a basic model to which various features were added. Other than the first few versions, all had Tessar lenses and most were available in olive green or black.
A rather unique feature of the Werras was the method of film advance and shutter cocking, which was done by a small twist of the lens base, the ring around the lens barrel. This made the camera quick to use. A nice design feature was that the lens cover also served as a lens hood simply by mounting it in reverse. Below follows an overview of the various Werra types and models.