The Meopta camera - history

The Meopta company was originally named Optikotechna and based in Prerov in The Czech Republic. It was re-named in 1945. The company is famous for a range of miniature, small and medium format film cameras as well as for a range of finely crafted Opemus darkroom printing enlargers.

The Mikroma marketed in 1949 is a 16mm film format sub-miniature camera fitted with a Meopta Mirar f/3.5, 30mm focal length lens and shutter with three time settings from 1/25ths to 1/200ths. Film is advanced and the shutter armed using a rapid slide winder. An all black version of the Mikroma was made in 1960 for the Czech police forces and fitted with a small waist level viewfinder in addition to normal eye level viewing. The Mikroma II of 1964 featured a seven speed shutter and was available in green or beige finish. A stereo Mikroma 1 and II were also made.

In 1953 the company began producing a series of twin lens medium format roll film reflex cameras called Flexaret. These 6X6cm TLR cameras ranged in model type from 1 to VI and were fitted with a Mirar or Belar f/3.5, 80mm taking lens. A lever crank similar to that found on the Rolleiflex TLR cameras advanced the film and cocked the shutter while a radial arm on the front of the camera at the base operated the focus mechanism. The lever arm was replaced on later models with a winding knob. Later models like the VI are still very usable cameras and can be found for sale at reasonable prices.

Flexaret models were well made and finished in a grey leatherette material. Most were also fitted with the reliable Prontor II type shutter. The Milona camera of 1952 was a folding bellows type for 6X6cm format fitted with a Mirar f/4.5 80mm lens in a Compur shutter. Meopta also made the Opema in 1950, a copy of the Leica Standard but with a 24mmX32mm format. Later models featured a coupled rangefinder. The Stereo 35 used 35mm film with twin fixed focus Mirar f/3.5, 25mm lenses to produce pairs of 12X13mm stereo slides or negatives which could be mounted for viewing in View-Master type cards.