75 years of Futura - A legendary camera from Freiburg
Fritz Kuhnert's rangefinder cameras from Freiburg celebrate their anniversary - a look back at a remarkable camera series.
Only a few cities can claim to have produced their own camera brand - Freiburg belongs to this select circle. One of the few historical camera and optics manufacturers in the city was Fritz Kuhnert, Optische Anstalt, later known as Futura Kamerawerk or Futura Optik.
Between 1950 and 1958, Kuhnert developed and produced a remarkable series of 35 mm rangefinder cameras with interchangeable lenses. These models offered a less expensive but technically sophisticated alternative to the famous Leica - and are today valued by collectors and technology enthusiasts alike.
It is now exactly 75 years since the start of this camera series. A wonderful anniversary, which we will be celebrating - in keeping with club tradition - at least "a little bit" in Freiburg.
Historical report in the Photo Antiquaria
Ulrich Schleiffer's detailed historical report on Futura was published in issues 45 and 46 of Photo Antiquaria. It provides background information on the company's history, technical details and many an anecdote from the production period of this charming camera.
These issues are available to members in our digital library.