It was a purchase decision that took the better part of 2 minutes. Spotted in a nearby antique mall was what seemed to be THE perfect camera to add to my collection. A medium format folder with a fast and rather reputable f/2.9 lens AND a rangefinder. Priced at $40 with a 20% discount, I gleefully raced up to the front desk to ask to see this camera to check its operability.
Shutter: check. Rangefinder: check. Folding and unfolding: check. There was nothing whatsoever that I could detect as being of serious issue with this camera. It was oddly parallel to several others in my collection, but having the working rangefinder was the perfect incentive to add the Tower 60 to my camera collection.
Franka made models seem to come past me with surprising regularity. This one was was a very pleasant surprise.
Though sold by Sears Roebuck, the Tower 60 was a product of Franka, the very same maker who made the Solida camera that is a beloved favorite of mine. In fact, the Tower 60 is more or less a Solida Variant with different markings. It is for all intents and purposes identical to the Franka Solida IIIE. Equipped with the same Schnieder Radionar 80mm f/2.9 lens as my previous Solida cameras that I loved using wide open wherever possible, I wholeheartedly welcomed the ability to add a version with a rangefinder to ensure accurate distance measurement. I was $32 poorer, but vastly enriched culturally.
