Royer Altessa I

Photos by Arnaud Saudax text by Arnaud Saudax. Last update 2022-10-20 par Sylvain Halgand.

Manufactured or assembled in France from 1954 to 1955.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 4199

See the complete technical specifications

Chronology of cameras Royer

In 1952, Royer introduced a 6 x 9 camera; they had not yet ventured into producing smaller formats. René Royer had the idea to offer a 6 x 9 camera with an interchangeable lens, a luxury reserved for those using 24 x 36 cameras.

To bring this idea to life, he used a classic 6 x 9 camera body from his folding camera range as a base and replaced the bellows with a telescopic tube. This tube featured a bayonet mount for changing the lens. Two lenses were developed for this camera: a 190mm telephoto lens from Berthiot and a 75mm wide-angle lens (Berthiot or Angénieux) that could only be used in the 6 x 6 format. To change lenses, it was imperative to use the rotary button located on top of the camera and trigger the closure of a curtain to protect the film. A safety feature prevented the shutter from firing unless this same curtain was positioned for either 6 x 6 or 6 x 9 (for the 6 x 9 position, the curtains were completely wound onto their drum).

Despite a very reasonable price and a fairly aggressive advertising campaign, the Altessa did not sell well. It disappeared from the catalogs by 1955. Nevertheless, it is undoubtedly one of the most original 6 x 9 cameras ever manufactured, and its rarity, due to its short existence, adds to its appeal.

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Not yet translated into English

Ce modèle simplifié est en fait le modèle apparu en dernier, nonobstant son appellation "Altessa I" et son annonce publicitaire en 1952.

Pour des raisons d'économies d'une part, et sans doute aussi parce que les objectifs interchangeables annoncés n'ont jamais été livrés, le rideau permettant de changer d'objectif en cours de bobine a été supprimé. Ce rideau permettait aussi le changement de format, et c'est maintenant un cadre métallique amovible (et donc perdu...) qui doit assurer cette fonction.

Les boîtiers ne sont pas numérotés. L'objectif, un Angénieux U1, 105 mm F : 4,5 porte le N° 232 157.

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