Super Dollina II

• Serial No.: 51385
• Manufacturer: Certo, Dresden, Germany
• Shipping date: 19.6.1957.
• Shutter: Synchro Compur
• Shutter speeds: 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 and B
• Lens: Carl Zeiss Jena - Tessar 2.8/50
• Apertures: 2.8 to 22 in half stops
• Lens No.: 5026 936
• Lens mount: fixed
• Last CLA: 06/2010

Super Dollina II

"Dear CERTO-friend

Hearty welcome to the occasion of choosing the Super Dollina II, after thorough consideration, therefore becoming a part of the large group of photographers who like the Certo cameras for half a century – and have always been satisfied with them." starts the manual (in my humble translation) and continues "We would like you to enjoy your new camera so we kindly ask your attention for a few minutes before you go and take photographs with your Super Dollina II. This few minutes will contribute to the formulation of a long lasting friendship between you and your camera. With right handling, the Super Dollina II will always be your faithful friend."

This small piece of beauty was manufactured in Dresden, DDR, after the WWII until the early 1970's. It has a Synchro-Compur shutter with speeds from 1 to 1/500 and B. The lens is a Zeiss Tessar 2.8/50mm rendering crystal clear pictures. It has all the technology built in to be a great camera. The main design aspect, however, had to be the look and not the ease of use; the handling needs strong dedication.

The film winding knob, for example, doesn't cock the shutter: it has to be done separately. You have to set the aperture with that ugly peg in the bottom of the lens front which is not only difficult to handle but the scale is almost impossible to read. Focusing is a heroic fight with the coupled rangefinder which is a little dark hole as close to be unusable as possible. Finally, you have to use the viewfinder which is separate from the rangefinder and can be best described as a really bad joke. I haven't mentioned the speed setting which is simply not convenient and has to be re-checked after setting the aperture because aperture setting can easily modify it. All in all, the whole procedure of preparation takes a lot of time, concentration and patience before each shot.

Which has its undeniable charm. Look at it this way: you have to slow down and think your shot over with an impressive old camera in your hand.

Some notes on the positive side before you think I'm against the Super Dollina II. No, I'm not, in fact I love it. This is an eye catching machinery with a very unique, characteristic feeling. Unfolding and folding the lens, for example, is a piece of true joy, it moves so precisely. The folder design makes it compact and easy to carry. It can produce really sharp pictures - thanks to the Zeiss Tessar lens.

Super Dollina II

The Super Dollina II was an obsolete design in its age, using new technology. Therefore it can give you the feeling of an archaic camera without the rust, stuck parts, low quality and restrictions in aperture sizes and shutter speeds typical of the cameras of the 30's and the 40's. It's a true classic beauty which fits into your pocket and won't let you down even in darker light conditions. A must have for today's individual and ascetic vintage camera user.

Super Dollina II

Here are some test pictures taken with it just to prove that I'm ascetic enough. No, I'm joking, it was a real pleasure to take these photos.

Super Dollina II

Super Dollina II

Super Dollina II

Trpanj port

Trpanj port

Traces of the war

Traces of the war

This Tessar lens is sharp like hell as you see. And the colors are living.

All in all, it's a lovely little camera.

• Dollina on Camerapedia
• Certo Super Dollina II Manual translation (PDF)

Certo Dollina II

• Type: Dollina II
• Serial No: 40036
• Manufactured: between end of 1936 and 1938
• Manufacturer: Certo 
• Shutter: Compur-Rapid metal leaf shutter
• Shutter speeds: T, B, 1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500
• Lens: uncoated Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 1:2.8 f=5cm
• Aperture: 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22
• Lens Serial No: 2276719
• Lens mount: -
• Last CLA: 01/2012

This camera is the elder brother. Charming and comfortless as we can expect from this family. Interestingly, it's a bit more handy than the younger brother because the aperture numbers are at least clearly visible in the front plate of the lens. Setting it with that ugly peg under the lens is still challenging, though, because you cannot easily access it from the front cover which opens under the lens. 

The Dollina II is a preWWII rangefinder camera which was manufactured only for almost 2 years, from end of 1936 until 1938 when the Dollina III took its place on the top of the 35mm folder palette of Certo. The previous model Dollina I was a simple viewfinder construction with the focus knob on the top plate. The Dollina II looks like if somebody have fastened a separate split-image rangefinder on top of a Dollina I. And the truth is not so far from it. Have a closer look. It's basically a separate rangefinder unit screwed onto the camera.

You can barely see the frame counter window because the rangefinder house partly covers it. This rangefinder was surely not an integrated part of the original camera design: it was added on later.

The rangefinder is a simple two mirror split-image device but despite how it looks like, it's actually coupled to the focusing. Focusing and framing is basically the same as with the Super Dollina II: you have to do them through two separate pinholes. Or pinhole tubes - if such a word existed.

The viewfinder is a simple tube but be aware: it is not necessarily precise. Mine is a bit misaligned upwards for example. But let's leave this rangefinder/viewfinder topic for now and discuss that brilliant little Tessar on the front.

50mm, f/2.8, as you can expect. It's uncoated so it renders real vintage-looking pictures withfoggy parts and glow around light sources and bright surfaces. The in-focus area is sharp and stern, the background gets a bit creamy. All in all, it takes very pleasant photos. The lens is not color corrected so I didn't try it with color film, just plain old BW.

The shutter is the famous Compur-Rapid with times up to 1/500 sec. which is usually enough for everything. No complaints about it.

In theory, the Certo Dollina II meets the requirements of a capable rangefinder: 1/500s shutter speed and a sharp fast lens. It's a rarity  and on top of that, a beautiful camera with metal and glass everywhere. Unfortunately, the misaligned viewfinder, the pinhole-like rangefinder and the spartan, anti-ergonomic operation challenges the enthusiasm of the photographer. But the result speaks for itself: you can take real vintage photos with it in great quality.

Tip: the button in front of the camera (below the rangefinder and above the lens) has two functions. It is the frame counter reset lock and the film advance unlock.

• Certo Dollina family on Camerapedia
• Same on Camera-wiki