03/06/2026
Maker: Franke & Heidecke
Model: Rolleicord IIc
Year: 1939
Country: Germany
Type: 120 Film TLR Camera (6x6cm)
Lens: Carl Zeiss Jena Triotar 75mm/f3.5
While Reinhold Heidecke was working as a production manager at Voigtländer in Braunschweig around 1916, he got the idea to manufacture a new type of roll-film camera. However, the company rejected his proposal because they thought there would be problems keeping the film perfectly flat. Besides, their current camera range, which used conventional photographic plates, was selling well. Heidecke tried unsuccessfully to secure financing to start his own company, so, at the insistence of his wife, he presented his concept to Paul Franke, a salesman and former colleague at Voigtländer. Franke was so enthusiastic he put up 75 000 Marks of his own money and went looking for more capital. After he secured additional funding of 200 000 Marks, they resolved to go into business together. In November 1919, they filed an application to register the company, named “Werkstatt für Feinmechanik und Optik, Franke & Heidecke”. In need of factory space, they rented several rooms in a house at Viewegstraße 32, which became the company's first headquarters. To get the company going, Franke and Heidecke decided to manufacture a stereo camera in the short term. Cameras of this type were popular, and Reinhold Heidecke was very familiar with them. The Heidoscop was a tremendous success, exceeding all expectations. In 1923, the company introduced a Heidoscop for 117 format roll film. It was from this product, the roll-film Heidoscop, that the name Rollei was derived, which later became the name of the company. The company achieved its definitive breakthrough in 1928 with the introduction of the twin-lens reflex (TLR) Rolleiflex camera. To reach a broader market, the company introduced the more affordable Rolleicord series in 1933, making professional-grade optics accessible to amateur photographers. By the 1950s and 1960s, Franke & Heidecke had earned a legendary reputation worldwide, cementing the Rolleiflex as a cult instrument favoured by the press, fashion, and documentary photographers. The company celebrated a massive milestone in 1956 with the production of its one-millionth Rolleiflex camera. The company was renamed in 1962 to Rollei-Werke Franke & Heidecke GmbH to emphasize the globally recognized Rollei brand. Seeking to diversify beyond TLR designs, they launched the revolutionary Rollei 35 in 1966, which earned immense popularity as one of the smallest high-end compact cameras of its era. The company was renamed to Rollei-Werke Franke & Heidecke GmbH in 1972 and again to Rollei-Werke Franke & Heidecke GmbH & Co. KG in 1979. The company faced severe financial hardships in the late 1970s and early 1980s due to high German manufacturing costs and intense competition from Japanese camera manufacturers. This led to a bankruptcy filing, corporate restructuring, and a new name change to Rollei Fototechnic GmbH & Co. KG in 1982. The original Braunschweig production factory permanently closed after a final bankruptcy in 2009, following several decades of changing ownership, including a period under Samsung. Today, the legendary Franke & Heidecke legacy lives on through the vintage collector market and the continued licensing of the Rollei brand name.
The Rolleicord is a medium-format twin lens reflex camera produced by Franke & Heidecke between 1933 and 1976. It was a simpler, less expensive version of the high-end Rolleiflex TLR, aimed at amateur photographers who wanted a high-quality camera but could not afford the expensive Rolleiflex. Several models of Rolleicord were made; the later models generally had more advanced features and tend to be valued higher in today's market. The Rolleicord IIc, also known as type 4 or model K3-542, was manufactured between February 1939 and October 1949. About 16 000 units were produced during that period. The IIc returns to using the Rolleicord cast nameplate, and the company then continues using it for the rest of the camera model line. The IIc is the first Rolleicord made by Franke & Heidecke to have a serial number, as is the entire Rolleiflex model line which Franke and Heidecke began manufacturing a year before in 1937. The only number which can be found on earlier model Rolleicords is the serial number for its Zeiss lens. The focusing k**b is marked in meter or feet and includes a depth-of-field calculation guide. An exposure determination chart is on the camera back. This was the first Rolleicord to feature accessory bayonets on both the viewing and taking lenses. The taking lens is a 75mm Carl Zeiss Jena Triotar, while the viewing lens is a 75mm Heidoscop-Anastigmat. The Rolleicord IIc is the last Rolleicord made having a red window (in the bottom) for locating the start position on a roll of film.
According to the serial number, this particular example was probably produced somewhere between 1939 and 1941. Even though it was not well kept and cared for by its previous owners, after some cleaning and maintenance, now it is back in working condition. A beautiful camera, which I am proud of having in my collection.
