• Voigtländer Perkeo I — front extended · view 2
  • Voigtländer Perkeo I — back · view 3
  • Voigtländer Perkeo I — back · view 4
  • Voigtländer Perkeo I — side · view 5
  • Voigtländer Perkeo I — side · view 6
  • Pocketable 6×6 folder
  • Around 525g
  • Self-erecting bellows

Voigtlander Perkeo I Medium Format Camera

A full 6×6 negative that folds into a coat pocket.

The Perkeo is Voigtländer's small 6×6 folder: a self-erecting bellows camera that collapses to barely thicker than a 35mm camera, then opens to throw a square medium-format negative onto 120 roll film. Press the catch, the front cover drops and the lens springs forward on struts, and you have a real 6×6 camera in a body you could forget in a jacket pocket.

Voigtländer built three closely-related versions: the Perkeo I (1952-55, manual film advance, no rangefinder), the Perkeo II (frame counter and double-exposure prevention, still no rangefinder), and the Perkeo E (an uncoupled rangefinder in the top, but the frame counter dropped to make room). The lens is either a triplet Vaskar f/4.5 or the much-loved four-element Color-Skopar f/3.5, sitting in a Prontor or Compur leaf shutter.

No meter, no automation: you set everything by hand, focus by scale or by guess (or by the E's rangefinder), and let the Color-Skopar do the work. For its size, the negative it produces is wildly out of proportion to the camera.

Match

Who this is for

Good for

  • Travel and everyday carry where a 6×6 negative in a pocket is the whole point
  • Scale-focus, fully-manual shooting
  • Square-format landscape and street
  • Collectors of classic German folders

Character

What it feels like to shoot

The draw is the Color-Skopar: a sharp, contrasty four-element lens that punches far above the camera's pocketable size; it's the version to seek out. The triplet Vaskar is softer at f/4.5 but perfectly usable stopped down. Focusing is scale-only on the I and II, so you estimate distance unless you've got an accessory rangefinder, while the Perkeo E builds one in.

These are beautifully simple sixty-year-old folders, made to last. When they're right, they're a genuinely pocketable way to shoot serious square medium format.

The glass

Paired with this glass

Voigtländer Perkeo I — front

Voigtländer Vaskar 75mm f/4.5 (fixed, in Pronto shutter)

A three-element Voigtländer triplet in a Pronto leaf shutter. Gentle wide open, genuinely sharp in the centre from f/8, with the smooth vintage roll-off that suits the square format. Part of the charm of a folder this small is glass this honest.

Born 1952

History of the Voigtländer Perkeo I

Voigtländer, the oldest name in cameras (founded in Vienna in 1756), built the Perkeo in Braunschweig in the early-to-mid 1950s, the golden age of the German folding camera, before 35mm and the rangefinder swept the format aside. The Perkeo name itself is old Voigtländer, reaching back to a tiny pre-war plate camera; this 6×6 roll-film version is the one collectors mean today.

Technical specifications

MFG. 1952 – 1955
01
Format
6×6 medium format folding
02
Manufacturer
Voigtländer · Germany
03
Production
1952 – 1955
04
Lens
Vaskar 75mm f/4.5 or Color-Skopar 80mm f/3.5 (this unit: Vaskar 75mm f/4.5 in a Pronto leaf shutter)
05
Metering
None; meter by hand or by eye
06
Viewfinder
Small reverse-Galilean optical viewfinder in the top housing (the Perkeo E adds an uncoupled rangefinder; the I and II have none)
07
Shutter
Vario / Prontor / Synchro-Compur leaf shutter, to 1/500s, plus B
08
ISO range
No built-in meter
09
Flash sync
X/M flash sync on Prontor SVS and Synchro-Compur shutters (PC socket); cold accessory shoe
10
Exposure modes
Manual
11
Dimensions
Approx. 130 × 90 × 45 mm folded (pocketable for 6×6)
12
Weight
525 g
13
Power

None. Fully mechanical.

Backed by GPP

Service & guarantees

Every analog camera ships through our bench

This unit has been fully serviced and CLA'd: cleaned, lubricated and adjusted, with shutter, meter and light seals checked, and it is in confirmed working order. Inspected at GPP; ask us about this exact body.

  • CLA'd by GPP: shutter speeds checked, light seals replaced where needed, meter calibrated against a known reference.
  • 7-day functional return: if it doesn't work as we declared on this listing, we exchange or refund. Wear-and-tear consistent with the listed condition isn't returnable.
  • UAE & worldwide shipping: Dubai same-day before 12 PM (AED 50), UAE-wide in 2–3 business days (AED 40), international tracked in 5–10 business days (calculated at checkout). Insurance can be added on request. Customs and import duties are the buyer's responsibility on international orders. Full shipping policy.
  • Walk in to inspect: Warehouse D36, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai. Mon–Sat, 10am–7pm. Bring a roll if you'd like to test-fire on the spot.

Questions

Things people ask

What film does it take?

120 medium-format film. We carry a wide range of colour, B&W, and slide stocks in our film retail section. Need a recommendation for this body? Just ask us.

Is the camera serviced before sale?

Yes. Every analog camera at GPP goes through our bench before it goes on the listing. Shutter speeds verified, light seals replaced where needed, meter calibrated against a reference.

What's your return policy?

7-day functional return. If anything we declared isn't working as described, contact us within 7 days of receipt for a full refund or exchange.

Can GPP develop and scan the photos I shoot with this?

Yes. Our in-house film lab handles colour, B&W, and slide development with scanning. 24-48 hour rush available. More on the film lab.

Can I see the camera before I buy?

Always welcome. Visit Warehouse D36, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai. Open Monday to Saturday, 10am–7pm.

Voigtländer Perkeo I
Dhs. 1,100.00
  • ✓ CLA'd by GPP
  • ✓ 7-day functional return