Ghetaldus Zagreb King Regulette

For introduction to Ghetaldus Zagreb cameras, see Ghetaldus Zagreb King Cameras page.
For information on specific camera models, click on these links: Regula IIb, Regula IIIa, Cita III, Regula L, Regulette.

Ghetaldus Regulette is by specification practically identical to Ghetaldus Regula L with Pronto shutter. Main body parts look very similar to Regula L GRL200 and may in some cases be the same, but cosmetic details and weight difference indicates the Regulette uses less metal and was probably targeted to be manufactured for even lover final price. On the bottom there is no leatherette patches and the film speed reminder is omitted. However, Regulette has a film rewind crank which simplifies and speeds up the film changing process. In later variant auto reset frame counter was added.
The Pronto shutter is mounted in a simple and visually non appealing lens barrel with a cheap look and feel aperture adjustment lever. The same Ghetaldus Ghenar 1:2.8/45 lens elements seems to be used as for the Regula L.

From the front the Regulette looks practically the same as Regula L.

• Viewfinder camera
• Bright fixed frame in the viewfinder
• Ghetaldus Zagreb Ghenar lens F/2.8 45 mm
• 3 elements 3 group
• Minimum aperture: F/16
• Pronto shutter
• 1/250 to 1/30 s + B
• Self timer
• Flash synchronization
• Dimensions
• Weight: 360 g
• 125 × 65 × 85 mm 

Based on the serial numbers I collected Regulette was indeed a successor of the Regula L since there is only a short overlap among lens serial numbers between the two models. Cronologically this was the last produced camera by Ghetaldus. All Regulettes I found came with an ever ready case marked "Regula L". The production numbers exceeded the ones of Regula L - 3500 units in comparison to 2500.
   

GRLT100

Silver shutter cocking lever and manual exposure counter reset - or better said exposure counter setting - on the bottom plate. Looks very similar to a late Regula L, but is significantly lighter since even main body frame is built out of plastic. Screws are of a different type (have bigger pitch) to better hold in plastic.

The Regulette has simple lens barrel with a cheap looking aperture setting knob

GRLT200

Black shutter cocking lever that fits the design better than the silver one since the housing rim is black and seamlessly continues. Note that this difference exists also among West Germany made (non Ghetaldus) Regulettes. 

Both showed specimen below with 10 years work at Ghetaldus anniversary engraving. Such gifts were common in the former Yugoslavia. The engraving says: "To <name> <surname> for 10 years at Ghetaldus".

Regulette GRLT200 and GRLT100, both anniversary gifts. The only difference is the film advance knob finish.

GRLT300

Silver shutter cocking lever again, no setting knob and bigger cut-out for the exposure counter. Counter auto resets when back door opens.

GRLT200 (left) and GRLT300 (right) bottom plate with exposure counter comparison.

Regulette Serial Numbers

In the table below there are all serial numbers known to me. In case there is a "*" symbol besides the Variant, the variant is an educated guess due to a lack of data.

Ghetaldus Zagreb King Cameras

For information on specific camera models, click on these links: Regula IIb, Regula IIIa, Cita III, Regula L, Regulette.

I admire work that has been done by many camera collectors sharing information about vintage cameras and their variants. Thus I decided it’s time to make a contribution. Luckily there are still an uncovered niches in the camera collecting world and one of them especially interests me – cameras made in (former) Yugoslavia.

Some years ago I stumbled upon a simple camera that didn’t interest me at all until I noticed the engraving on the lens – Ghetaldus Zagreb. Zagreb is the capital city of Croatia, former republic of Yugoslavia and neighbor country of Slovenia, where I come from. 
The company, whose name the lens wears, still exists in Zagreb, Croatia. Unfortunately, It seems that only a prescription glasses selling business survived, but in the golden ages of socialism the company produced optic equipment such as microscopes, prescription lenses and, as it seems, also camera lenses. After the fall of Yugoslavia, Ghetaldus divided into many branches and the production entities slowly went bankrupt.

Ghetaldus produced sports eyewear among other optical products. [1]

Yugoslavia's import duties were very high to encourage domestic production. However, the fact was cleverly turned into profit by some firms with importing partly assembled goods and finishing them inside the country (e.g. some Yugoslav computer manufacturers and TAS Volkswagen factory). Ghetaldus may have establish that kind of business deal with the West German camera manufacturer Regula-Werk King KG that made the camera line named Regula. To which extent the cameras were actually made in Yugoslavia is unfortunately unknown to me. On the bottom of the camera it is actually written "Made in Germany". But the lenses itself are clearly unique, the lens caps and leather ever-ready cases wear Ghetaldus logo, cases even have metal buttons from TKG Ljubljana (Slovenia).

Metal Ghetaldus lens cap with factory logo.

The Model Lineup

So far I have come across the following cameras wearing Ghetaldus lenses (click on a link to open subpage):
•    Regula IIb  
•    Regula IIIa
•    Cita III
•    Regula L
•    Regulette

Regulas IIb and IIIa are kind of easy to find nowadays on a former Yugoslavian territory. They were made in relatively high quantities for such a small market. Serial numbers suggest that altogether cca 13000 of Regula IIb and IIIa cameras were produced.

Advert from 1959 saying: "We are hereby informing all citizens that on June 16th this year the Central national bank released under the number 270/10 an internal guidance to all its subsidiaries saying that Regula cameras belong to a list of products for which buyers may get bank loan. Buy Regula cameras in a stores using bank loans." [2]

It’s much harder to find a Cita III. Probably the camera was far more expensive and thus less popular. Based on serial numbers I recorded it seems not much more than 2000 examples were made. Regula L and Regulette serial numbers shows that there was approximately 2500 and 3500 cameras produced. In my opinion they were introduced too late and never really caught up with East German and Soviet cameras widely available in the sixties across Yugoslavia. However, there were also some Regulas L assembled (or perhaps only imported and equipped with accessories) with german lenses by Ghetaldus factory, as one can find them with Ghetaldus branded lens caps and leather cases.

Regula L given to the Ghetaldus employee at 10 years work anniversary, Ghetaldus pin and keychain.

So far I was able to precisely date three cameras:

• Regula IIb sn 04183 production date March 10th 1959
• Cita III sn 33919 production date February 22nd 1962
• Regula L sn 56454 warranty card date October 16th 1961
  

In the links provided above you can find model descriptions and my own classification of the variants. Any help is highly appreciated – if you own a camera with Ghetaldus lens, please, share the serial number and the variant with me via the email address below.

 

Useful Links and image resources

 

cjs-classic-cameras - website with a lot of King cameras mentioning and showing Ghetaldus IIIa and IIb.

[1] Poster for Ghetaldus, famous Croatian glasses; design by Vladimir Fleck, unknown year. Source: "Good choice", exhibition catalog, examples of commercial advertising from 1950s and 1960s: Marinko Sudac Collection, 2014. Found on Pinterest.
[2] http://jna-sfrj.forum-aktiv.com/t3552p400-slike-iz-ex-yu-drugi-dio-teme