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 Iloca Stereo Rapid is a 35mm stereo camera produced in Hamburg, Germany, by Iloca (a trade name of J. Wirgin & Co., also related to the Witt organization). Introduced around 1955, it shoots 24x23mm stereo pairs using the 5-perforation Realist-compatible format, making its output directly usable with American Realist-standard slide mounts, viewers, and projectors. The camera is fitted with twin Steinheil Cassar or Isco-Gottingen Cassar lenses - a solid mid-grade German optical formula - and a Prontor-SVS central leaf shutter with a faster top speed than the American Realist. Fully mechanical, it requires no battery. The Stereo Rapid was sold in the United States as well as Europe and positioned itself as a technically capable, Realist-format-compatible alternative to the David White cameras.
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
Precision German engineering meets the American stereo standard - Cassar glass in a Realist-compatible body.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm (5-perforation Realist-compatible format) |
| Frame size | 24 x 23 mm stereo pairs |
| Stereo baseline | ~65-70 mm |
| Years | ~1955 - ~1963 |
| Lenses | Twin Cassar f/2.8 or f/3.5, 35mm each |
| Shutter | Prontor-SVS central leaf, 1s - 1/300s + B |
| Flash sync | X-sync |
| Meter | None |
| Focus | Scale / zone focus |
| Battery | None required |
Iloca was a Hamburg-based camera marque active in the 1950s and early 1960s, producing a range of 35mm viewfinder cameras for export alongside its stereo offerings. The Stereo Rapid followed earlier, simpler Iloca stereo models and added the "Rapid" designation to indicate the faster Prontor-SVS shutter with a 1/300s top speed - an upgrade over the 1/150s ceiling of the standard American Realist.
The Cassar lens used on many Stereo Rapid examples is a three-element triplet formula, known for producing sharp central results with moderate falloff toward the edges. Some production runs may have used alternative lens designations. The 5-perforation Realist-format frame spacing was a deliberate market choice, allowing Iloca to market the camera to the large base of American stereo enthusiasts who had already invested in Realist-compatible slide hardware.
Production is believed to have ended in the early 1960s as the postwar stereo photography boom subsided and Wirgin/Iloca consolidated its product range.
The Iloca Stereo Rapid exemplifies the mid-1950s response of German camera makers to a format standard set by an American manufacturer. By building to the Realist format rather than a proprietary frame spacing, Iloca captured buyers who wanted German optical quality but didn't want to lock themselves out of the dominant American accessory ecosystem. The 1/300s top shutter speed gave the Stereo Rapid a concrete spec advantage over the David White Realist's 1/150s ceiling, important for shooting in bright daylight with faster slide films.
The camera sits in a well-defined competitive cluster with the American Revere Stereo 33, the David White Realists, and the TDC Stereo Vivid - all 5-perforation Realist-format cameras of the same era. Collectors value the Stereo Rapid for its German optical pedigree combined with format interoperability; it occupies a middle tier between the common Realist and the rarer, more expensive Belplasca.
The Iloca Stereo Rapid uses fixed, non-interchangeable twin lenses. Accessory options follow the Realist-format ecosystem rather than any camera-specific mount:
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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