Foca camera

Foca was a French camera brand produced by Optique & Précision de Levallois, commonly abbreviated as OPL. It became known chiefly for 35 mm rangefinder cameras made in France during the postwar period. The brand occupied a significant place in the French photographic market by offering cameras with interchangeable lenses and, later, a proprietary bayonet system intended to provide a more integrated alternative to screw-mounted rangefinder equipment. The first Foca camera was designed in 1938, but its commercial introduction was delayed by the Second World War. Production and sales began in 1945, when the earliest models appeared under the PF designation, derived from “petit format,” meaning small format. These cameras used a focal-plane shutter and interchangeable lenses attached through a screw mount. The PF range was differentiated by star markings. The PF1, identified by one star and later renamed the Standard, was a basic model without an integrated rangefinder. OPL subsequently developed the Foca Universel, which entered the market after 1949. This line used a bayonet lens mount and supported a family of lenses coupled to the camera’s rangefinder. The design placed the rangefinder within the viewfinder, an arrangement associated with other advanced rangefinder cameras of the period. OPL manufactured its own lenses under the Oplar name and used related names, including Oplarex and Oplex, for additional optical products and derivatives. The Foca range evolved technically during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1961, the viewfinder was widened to provide approximately life-size, or 1:1, viewing. It was also collimated and corrected for parallax, improving framing accuracy and making the camera more practical for close and changing subjects. These developments helped Foca maintain a technically distinctive position among European rangefinder manufacturers. The company also broadened its offering beyond interchangeable-lens rangefinders. The Focasport series consisted of viewfinder cameras aimed at amateur users and became relatively popular in France. Rangefinder-equipped versions were designated Focasport II. OPL also produced the Focaflex, a 35 mm single-lens reflex camera with an unusual design based on a leaf shutter rather than the more conventional focal-plane shutter used by many SLR competitors. Foca’s production ended in 1965. The brand is therefore a historical camera marque rather than an active consumer-electronics business. Its principal legacy lies in French-made 35 mm rangefinder engineering, the Universel bayonet system, OPL’s associated lens production, and the Focasport and Focaflex products that extended the brand into amateur and SLR segments.

Foca was developed by Optique & Précision de Levallois, a French optical and camera manufacturer based in Levallois. The camera concept was completed in 1938, but the Second World War prevented the planned commercial launch. The first cameras reached the market only in 1945, placing the brand’s introduction within the immediate postwar revival of European photographic manufacturing. The initial products were the PF cameras, with the abbreviation referring to the format’s small size. They used a focal-plane shutter and interchangeable lenses mounted by screw connection. The models were identified by stars, and the PF1, or one-star model, was later known as the Standard. Unlike the more advanced models that followed, the Standard did not include a rangefinder, making it the simpler entry point in the line. After 1949, OPL expanded the design with the Universel series. The Universel employed a bayonet mount rather than the earlier screw mounting and was accompanied by lenses coupled to the camera’s rangefinder. Foca’s rangefinder was integrated into the viewfinder, allowing focusing and framing to be handled through a unified viewing system. OPL also made lenses for its cameras, primarily under the Oplar name, with related optical designations such as Oplarex and Oplex. The Universel system represented the brand’s principal technical identity. Its interchangeable optics and coupled rangefinder placed it in the same broad class as sophisticated European 35 mm rangefinder cameras. During the 1950s and early 1960s, Foca continued to refine its viewing system. In 1961, the viewfinder was redesigned to be wider and approximately 1:1 in magnification. It was also collimated and corrected for parallax, features intended to improve the relationship between what the photographer saw and the final image framing. OPL did not limit Foca to specialist rangefinder equipment. The Focasport series offered simpler 35 mm viewfinder cameras for amateur photographers and became relatively popular in France. Rangefinder-equipped models were identified as Focasport II. This gave the brand a route into a broader consumer market alongside its more technically elaborate interchangeable-lens cameras. Another important product family was the Focaflex. These were 35 mm SLR cameras with a distinctive construction and a leaf shutter. The design differentiated Focaflex from many competing SLRs, which commonly relied on focal-plane shutters. It demonstrated OPL’s willingness to explore alternative camera architectures rather than concentrating exclusively on the rangefinder format. Foca camera production ceased in 1965. No continuing operating business, modern product line, or current corporate website is identified in the supplied reference material. The brand is consequently best understood as a discontinued French camera marque whose historical importance comes from its rangefinder development, OPL-made lenses, Universel bayonet system, French market presence, and technically unusual Focaflex SLR cameras.

• 1965

  Production ended

  [1]Foca cameraen.wikipedia.org

  Production of Foca cameras ceased, ending the brand’s active manufacturing period.

• 1961

  Viewfinder upgraded

  [1]Foca cameraen.wikipedia.org

  The Foca viewfinder became wider, approximately 1:1 in magnification, and incorporated collimation and parallax correction.

• 1949

  Universel bayonet system developed

  [1]Foca cameraen.wikipedia.org

  OPL developed the Foca Universel line, using a bayonet mount and a range of lenses coupled to the camera’s rangefinder.

• 1945

  First Foca cameras released

  [1]Foca cameraen.wikipedia.org

  Commercial production and release began after the Second World War with the PF series of 35 mm cameras.

• 1938

  Camera design completed

  [1]Foca cameraen.wikipedia.org

  The Foca camera was designed by the French manufacturer Optique & Précision de Levallois, although wartime conditions prevented its immediate release.

A French photographic brand positioned around domestically produced 35 mm cameras, integrated rangefinder technology, interchangeable optics, and a proprietary bayonet system, while also serving amateur users through simpler viewfinder models.

• 35 mm rangefinder and viewfinder cameras · 1945

  Foca PF series

  The first Foca models were designated PF, a reference to the small-format 35 mm system. They used a focal-plane shutter and interchangeable lenses on a screw mount. Star markings distinguished the versions. The PF1, or one-star model, was later called the Standard and served as the basic camera without a built-in rangefinder.

• 35 mm interchangeable-lens rangefinder camera · 1949

  Foca Universel

  The Universel was the principal advanced Foca rangefinder line developed after 1949. It replaced the earlier screw-mount approach with a bayonet mount and supported a family of rangefinder-coupled lenses. Its rangefinder was integrated into the viewfinder, while OPL supplied associated optics under names including Oplar and related designations.

• 35 mm viewfinder camera

  Focasport

  Focasport cameras extended the brand into the amateur market. They were viewfinder cameras designed as simpler alternatives to the interchangeable-lens rangefinder models and became relatively popular in France. The rangefinder-equipped versions were identified as Focasport II.

• 35 mm single-lens reflex camera

  Focaflex

  Focaflex was OPL’s 35 mm SLR family under the Foca brand. Its notable technical characteristic was the use of a leaf shutter in a distinctive SLR design, separating it from many competing 35 mm SLR cameras that used focal-plane shutters.

• Interchangeable camera lenses

  Oplar lenses

  OPL manufactured lenses for Foca cameras under the Oplar name, along with related optical names such as Oplarex and Oplex. These lenses formed part of the interchangeable-optics ecosystem associated especially with the Foca Universel rangefinder system.

1. 1Foca cameraen.wikipedia.org