The Ermanox plays with the shadows
This camera made by Ernemann in Dresden from 1924, finally made it possible to take instant photographs in low light, thanks to the exceptional luminosity of its lens. Its design was rapidly outdated, and the Leica, a contemporary model of the Ermanox, soon supplanted it, being more compact and designed for 35mm film. Its production ceased around 1930.
The Ernemann factory assigned the task of coming up with a lens with a larger aperture than f3.5, which was then considered to be superior, by the engineer Ludwig Bertele. The Ernostar was the result, opening out to f2.0, and then to f1.8, produced in several focal lengths.
The Ermanox, in aluminium, with a rangefinder, existed for a 4.5x6cm plate format and for a larger 6.5x9cm format. A foldable version was produced in 1925, allowing a size up to 13x18cm. The Ermanox-Reflex which went on sale in 1926 was designed for a 4.5x6cm plate format. These various models were fitted with a focal plane shutter, which worked up to a thousandth of a second, while the lens was mounted on a tube with a spiral focussing system.
This highly successful 1920s camera was used among others by German journalist and photographer Erich Salomon, who particularly liked to take pictures without his subjects being aware, and as a result was able to take famous images of politicians talking among themselves, and of various celebrities as well. These “stolen” photographs were completely extraordinary at the time. In 1930, Salomon abandoned the Ermanox he had acquired in 1927, replacing it with a Leica. In 1944, his career was rudely interrupted by his arrest and deportation.