C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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compact-35mm
The Beier Beirette is a 35mm scale-focus viewfinder camera produced by VEB Beier in Freital, East Germany, from around 1953. It is an entry-level consumer camera built to serve the state-planned economy's mandate for affordable photography within the German Democratic Republic, competing in roughly the same market tier as the Smena series from the Soviet Union.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Kodak UltraMax 400 is a versatile consumer-grade ISO 400 daylight-balanced color negative film with T-grain emulsion, delivering warm Kodak colors, fine-for-speed grain (PGI 46), and wide exposure latitude. Currently in production and available globally as a single-roll and multi-pack.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
A no-frills East German 35mm consumer compact from the early 1950s VEB era, built down to a price but functional in competent hands.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm (24x36 mm) |
| Lens | ~Meritar 45/2.9 (Ludwig VEB) or Pololyt 45/3.5 (Laack) |
| Year Introduced | ~1953 |
| Shutter | ~simple leaf: ~1/30s - 1/200s + B |
| Flash Sync | ~X sync (varies by variant) |
| Meter | None |
| Focus | Scale focus |
| Negatives | 36 per standard roll |
| Battery | None required |
VEB Beier was the postwar East German successor to Beier-Werk, a Dresden-area manufacturer that had produced cameras under various names in the 1930s and 1940s. After the division of Germany, Dresden-area camera manufacturers were nationalized and reorganized under the VEB (Volkseigener Betrieb -- People's Own Enterprise) system.
The Beirette was introduced in the early 1950s as part of the East German effort to supply affordable photography to the domestic market. The GDR's camera industry was extensive and produced a range of cameras from sophisticated SLRs (Exakta, Praktina) down to budget compacts like the Beirette. Export was also significant: East German cameras were sold in Western markets under various names, sometimes rebranded for specific retailers.
The Beirette went through several variants over its production life, with different lens and shutter combinations and minor body changes. Some later variants include a selenium meter cell, transforming the camera into a meter-equipped model. The camera was produced in meaningful quantities through at least the early 1960s, with some variants continuing later.
The broader Beier enterprise eventually merged with other VEB units in the ongoing consolidation of the East German optical industry. The Beirette ended production as its market was replaced by more sophisticated designs.
The Beirette is historically significant as an artifact of East German consumer culture and the planned-economy approach to photography. It was not a camera for professionals or serious amateurs; it was a camera for citizens who wanted to document their lives and could not afford -- or could not obtain -- a more sophisticated instrument.
The Meritar lens has acquired a modest cult following among lo-fi film photographers who appreciate its soft, characterful rendering at wide apertures. It is not a technically impressive lens, but it produces images with a recognizable look that has value for certain aesthetic purposes. At f/8-11, it is adequate for documentary and travel photography on the large 35mm negative.
For collectors, the Beirette is an inexpensive entry into East German camera history. It is compact, all-mechanical, and requires no batteries -- a functional user camera for street and travel work at essentially no cost.
C41
Kodak ColorPlus 200 is an affordable, consumer-oriented daylight-balanced color negative film at ISO 200. Known for warm, slightly muted color rendition, fine grain, and wide exposure latitude, it is currently in production and widely available in Asia and select global markets.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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