Zeiss Aerotopograph RMK and Rb - cameras

[Carl-Fredrik Geust]

Can someone tell the optical and mechanical differences (if any) of the Zeiss RMK- and Rb -aero photo reconnaissance cameras used in WW II? These designations seem to have been used in parallell and/or mixed!

[stephen f. polyak]

Perhaps this paper has pertinent information or its author could assist.

https://www.isprs.org/society/histor...Oberkochen.pdf

[Carl-Fredrik Geust]

Stephen,
thank you for this information!
Carl

[Chris Going]

Hello C-F

My understanding is that both terms derive from the ‘Reihenbildner’, a word seemingly coined by Oskar Messter for his pioneering camera of 1915. The ever-restless and inquiring Messter came into the field of aerial imagery via Cinematography, but within a few years aviation developments led to optics used by cartographers being carried aloft in similar cameras.

With the term RBK already coined it was logical for essentially survey instruments to become known as Reihenbildmesskamera (RBMK). I think the first RBMK was the Zeiss C/1, which came on the market in 1921.

I suspect that thereafter both designations got abbreviated. All of them can, I think, be designated RbKs, but not all of them are RbMKs.

Best

ChrisG

[Chris Going]

C-F.

Have a look at:

Carrozza, Tiziana: The Eye Over the Hill. Aerial Photography up to the First World War. In: Frank Kessler, Sabine Lenk, Martin Loiperdinger (Hg.): Oskar Messter. Erfinder und Geschäftsmann. Basel: Stroemfeld/Roter Stern 1995 (KINtop. Jahrbuch zur Erforschung des frühen Films 3), S. 117–128. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25969/mediarep/16070.

Interesting stuff.

Best

ChrisG

[Carl-Fredrik Geust]

Thank you Chris for your kind answer,
I am however interested in the Zeiss cameras of the WW II period,
Carl

[edwest2]

Hello Carl,


I stumbled across what appears to be a comprehensive book. However, I did not see a direct reference to military reconnaissance cameras.


https://lenspire.zeiss.com/photo/en/...-zeiss-cameras


Best,
Ed