Scott's Photographica Collection

Sliding Tri-Color Filter Holder

 

sliding tri-color filter holder
Sliding Tri-Color Filter Holder

The camera accessory shown on this page is a filter holder that was made for taking color separation photographs.  The holder consists of two main parts, a fixed back plate that threads onto the front of a camera lens, and a sliding panel that holds red, green and blue color separation filters.  In use, the holder would be mounted on a camera lens and an exposure made through the red filter.  Next, the panel would be slid to place the green filter over the lens and a second separate exposure made.  Finally, the blue filter would be slid into position and a third separate exposure made.

The word tageslicht, German for daylight is handwritten twice on each filter.  Because these are daylight filters I believe the holder was intended to be used on a camera, not an enlarger.  The filters are held in place by two bent metal tabs.  If the filters were meant to be interchangeable, say with a set for artificial light, straightening and re-bending the tabs would quickly cause them to break.  This tells me that the maker only intended the accessory to be used in daylight.

 

back of sliding tri-color filter holder
Back of Sliding Tri-Color Filter Holder

A lens can be mounted to the back plate in one of two positions. The major diameter of the lens mounting threads is 31.25mm so I assume the holder was made to mount on a lens with a 32mm filter thread.  There is a possibility that the holder did not mount directly on a lens but was attached to an intermediate part of some sort.

 

sliding tri-color filter holder disassembled
Sliding Tri-Color Filter Holder Disassembled

During the 1930s, Leitz New York marketed a similar sliding tri-color filter holder, the OMAG for Leica cameras. Scan down the linked page to find a description and photograph of the OMAG.

Because the filters have markings in German I presume the apparatus is of German origin.  I would like to learn more about this accessory: what camera it was made for, what company made it and when.  If you have information to share please contact Scott at: scott@vintagephoto.tv

 

Related Information
•  Here is a link to an Omag Contax tri-color filter attachment.
•  A variety of color separation cameras and color photographica can be found in the Color Photographica section.
•  Please also visit my Wanted Page.

 

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Page created August 9, 2010; updated August 22, 2022