Fritz Kuhnert production would have started in 1946 in Freiburg im Breisgau . It was confined initially to optical elements . It is likely that the development of the cameras is started at that time . Indeed, already in 1951 , plagued by financial difficulties (perhaps the lack of capital to start production of complete cameras) , the workshops are taken over under the name Futura Kamerawerk GmbH. Production cameras began immediately, but ceased in 1958/59 , despite a rich catalog of cameras, lenses and quality accessories , and probably because of too much competition in this segment.
This basic model of Futura made ​​in the early 50s, must be one of the first of the brand. Futura Standard precedes Futura P , even if it has most of its features . First of all it is fitted with a Compur -Rapid shutter (later on, the Futura benefited from Prontor SV) . And also, its logo on the front, very stylized, differentiates it from a device of the same model with a more modern logo, similar to that found on the Futura P. The camera presented here is No. 20967 while another specimen in my possession , with the second logo, already bears the number 26475 It is recalled that Futura Kamerawerk GmbH has been in production from 1950 to 1958/59 .
These cameras have interchangeable lenses with a specific 33.5 mm diameter screw mount. It has a very bright Frilon lens with a superb 16 blades diaphragm.

Both two Futura in my possession have their distances scale in feet (export models). They still work correctly. Unlike the series of Futura-S which followed, Futura Standard and P do not have eyelets for attaching a neck strap.
Futura are very uncommon, because the production have been, all models considered, a few tens of thousands of copies in less than 10 years. It is therefore surprising that two Futura Standard have been acquired at the same time in late 2010, at the other end of the world in two different antique dealers located 100 m. from each other.