SITO Royer Savoy

Royer models family list
Royer Savoy
Royer Savoy II
Royer Savoy III B

Royer cameras

I continue with the French camera streak, now with Royer cameras. Researching cameras online is a mixed bag. On one brand, there are articles by the bucket; see the Lumiere page. In other cases, such as here, there is not enough to fill a vial. In a way, it is a blessing, as I don’t have to sift through piles of similar versions, most of which strongly smell of copy-and-paste.

The Royer brand adopted a naming style in which several generations of the same model were given the same name, so later commentators catalogued them without agreeing on a single method. It is akin to watching Fox News and CNN, describing the same event. The facts are the same, but the interpretation and analysis largely vary. Here, the same camera list appears across four directories, with little correlation between the versions; the same is true online. collection.click-clack.fr had taken the trouble to collect everything Royer, which may be of help. Other links are below.

What is common to all sources is that the company is called Société Industrielle de Technique Optique, SITO in short, but commonly referred to as Royer. Some directories display the cameras under SITO, others under Royer. The company was established by René Royer in Paris, I’m not sure if Paris proper or one of the satellite municipalities. What is interesting is that the factory address began with one property on a street and added more locations next door as production progressed. What it means is that there was no proper plant nor a master plan, but a daisy chain of shops where production took place. It reminds me of a China trip in the late 1980s, when I visited a carbide tool factory scattered across a residential neighbourhood, with labourers pushing carts from one house to another, surrounded by knee-deep snow. Another Royer plant in Switzerland was converted from making watch parts to camera parts, presumably shutters. I am not sure if the Swiss plant had preceded the French operation. It seems so, as the path from watch parts to shutter parts is shorter than the path from shutter parts to cameras proper.

Back to Royer: the company was established by Rene Royer, an engineer with a background in the watchmaking industry. In the immediate post-war years, they began shutter production for fellow camera makers. It is said they employed 50 technicians, which positioned them at the tail end of the industry. An article on cameras-obscuras.blogspot.com includes feedback from Bernard, Rene Royer’s son, stating that Rene was the only engineer/designer at the company.

As such, the company was doomed from inception. It could succeed at a different time in a protectionist, different market, but it stood no chance against the East Germans and the Soviets, who churned out cameras by the million, using them as a hard-currency generator, and I have yet to mention the Japanese. Even if the quality was superior, which I believe it was, it still took a name like the Leitzs of the industry to survive.

Royer made seven distinct camera models.

• ‘Royer’ Klapp viewfinder models, between 1948 and 1953. This model had several generations, the first was the Royer, AKA Royer I, with two variants; the early had straight side braces, and the late had curved braces. The second variant also had two lens offerings. Then came the Royer II and III, both of which had sub-versions with R, S and RS suffixes. The cameras were the same, just with an added self-timer for the S and a sync port for the R, with RS having both. The sub-versions are excluded from the table below. The Royer line had masks for 4.5×6 and 6×9, and could use either #120 or #620 spools, having different cores. The Royer A and B models were sold by Photo Plait. Some cameras were sold via Photo Corbel; I have no details.
• ‘Teleroy’ Klapp moders, first version in 1950, Teleroy II in 1952. These models were Royer cameras with an added rangefinder mounted on their noses. An upgrade kit was available for current Royer owners. The mutation was promptly dropped.
• ‘Royflex’ TLR models, which were based on the defunct Photorex ‘Rex’ TLR design. The first Royflex AKA Royflex Standard in 1951, the Royflex I in 1952, II in 1954 and the III Automatic in 1954. Royflex models 10 and 20 of 1956, and 22 of 1958, were spec-down models and were placed between the other models. More on collection Appareils. I do not know why two naming conventions were used; perhaps because it was distributor-specific models.
• ‘Altessa’ viewfinder had two models in 1952, dual format on #120, with an interchangeable lens system and a focal plane cloth curtain shutter. The Royer bellows were replaced with a retractable lens. Only two lenses were offered, a 5.5/190 and a 3.5/75, and lens removal was a complex affair. Further, each lens had its own shutter, which added an unnecessary cost. The Altessa, loosely translated as “Nobility,” was meant to be the flagship model but failed and was dropped after three years.
• ‘Savoy’ 35mm, mass market monoblock viewfinders had a longer model line; see detailed information below.
• ‘Savoya’ of 1958 was another 35mm viewfinder, one model only. A scaled-down model designed to compete with other entry-level cameras failed and was discontinued.
• ‘Savoyflex’, a 35mm compact SLR, was Royer’s attempt to align with the SLR popularity. A well-made camera, introduced at the right time, but with a fixed lens and an in-between-the-lens leaf shutter, so it lost out to conventional interchangeable-lens models. Three models were introduced between 1958 and 1962; I and II were similar models with different speed offerings, and III added a selenium meter. The ‘E’ suffix indicates a self-return mirror. It was the last camera line offered by Royer.
• There are several mentions of Royer Simplex, for which I have no supporting data.

Royer Savoy

The subject of this page is the Royer Savoy models. It was a line of down-to-earth 35mm compact cameras, offered from 1956 to 1963. Models were marked I-III, with several submodels. Lenses for most were SOM Berthiot 2.8/50, peppered with some Helionar 3.5/50. Shutters were Royer’s own, B, 1-300; some models with added sync. Note that models may be described with numbers or Latin numerals. In General, Royer did not excel at marking the model/versions, which later led to much confusion about what was what. You may see eBay listings all named Royer Savoy, even though the images differ.

The Savoy’s claim to fame was the detachable front of the first model. There are other cameras with a detachable lens board, but it was always used as a crude interchangeable lens system. Here, it is used as a gateway for film loading. It was promptly discarded, with the second model having a hinged back but still retaining the removable lensboard; perhaps there were so many parts in hand that it would cost too much to abandon them.

• Savoy I had a detachable front lens board for film loading, which could double as an enlarger lens. The market did not well receive it, and it was set aside in favour of the Savoy II.
  • Early model, shorter top and small viewer
  • Late model, tall top and larger viewer
• Savoy II, similar to the I, retained the detachable lens board but had added a hinged back cover.
  • II C with an added selenium lightmeter.
• Savoy III is the same as II, with a brighter viewer and a parallax frame.
  • III F added a flush light bulb socket.
  • III B is a refreshed III with a restyled, flat top.

I have a Royer Savoy II and a III B on my bench. Both are unimpressive cameras, a bit advanced for their era, but not well-made. Judging from the metal body, both seem to be haphazardly made, with uneven bodywork. Further, mid-1950s compact cameras used a top-mounted trigger; here, the trigger is a lever mounted on the lens barrel. It could be explained if the camera was a new version of a legacy line, but here it was a 1956, freshly minted model. The only explanation I could think of is that Royer was a shutter maker, so used whatever was at hand.

Both cameras are adorned with a cross resembling the Swiss cross, with the proper colours on the III model. Perhaps as a hint to the Swiss plant. Neither camera on my bench carries a serial number or have a filter thread. The best I can say about these cameras is that they require no user manual; it is difficult to find something to like about them.

Royer Savoy II

• The Savoy II top has a lever winder with a fingernail reset frame counter within its base. The winder does just that, does not cock the shutter. The tiny post nearby is the rewind release. A pull-up rewind knob has a film memo dial.
• The hinged back opens via a side slider, allowing easy access to the film bays.
• The front lens board is fully removable, which, on the earlier model, was the only way to load film. This had puzzled generations of camera mavens and collectors. Loading the film through this opening requires extra patience and exceptional finger dexterity, and setting aside the entire assembly makes little sense. Again, the only reason I could think of is the French ingenuity gene, which unwillingly forced the designer to do it differently.
  To release the lens board, pull in the tabs at the board’s sides, and it flies out. There is no in-between stage; it just comes out, risking a drop that could ruin the camera’s key part.
  At the back of the lens board is the film guide with a roller on the loaded side.
• The mounting thread is set on the lens board, which is perhaps the strongest part of the camera.
• The viewer is large and bright, a relief after looking into so many impractical viewers of sister French cameras.
• The lens assembly, however, is a blessing, a splendid example of how accessible and easy to use it could be, stands above and beyond other cameras of the time and further generations. All dials are clearly marked and accessible. Makes you wonder why other makers marked their dials with minuscule, no-accent fonts. Same with the serrated dials, they are correctly proud over the bases, unlike other cameras where you have to search for a grip.
• As mentioned, the trigger is set on the aperture dial and is self-cocking. A remote trigger port is nearby; it has a tiny threaded cover.

Savoy III B

The Savoy III had two models: the III, with a humped top, and the Savoy IIIB (3B), with a flat top. The early III is hardly seen; perhaps it was made in a shorter run. The camera body is the same size as the earlier models, but looks bigger because of the imposing top.

• The top has the lever winder, winding only, containing a serrated frame counter dial. A pin next to it is the rewind release. A cold accessory shoe in the middle, and a fold-down crank in the pull-up rewind knob at the side. To raise the crank, push the bump in the middle, pull it up and fold back. In most instances, it will pull up the entire rewind knob. Another example of the French ingenuity gene.
• The viewer is large and bright, with a parallax frame, uncommon at that era. There is a translucent, polarized plastic lens above the viewer, perhaps to brighten the viewer.
• The hinged back opens via a slider at the side. Inside, it is similar to the Savoy II, but all parts are solidly in place. Added double sprockets to keep the film well-behaved. A spring-loaded pressure plate is on the back, with a second guide roller.
• The lens assembly is similar to the II but much larger, making the lens seem miniature, although it is the same lens as in the II.
• The dials are properly marked, easy to read and easy to purchase.
• The trigger is mounted on the lens barrel, almost flush with the body.
• A prominent sync port is at the front of the body.

For the collector, these are insignificant models, not as well-made as the other Royer cameras. Some models are easily available, while others could be elusive. If you focus on French cameras, era cameras, or a certain style, it could be a nice shelf queen.  For a shotgun collector, it is not worth the trouble.

Royer Savoy II images

Front lens board removed

Front les board mounted, rear look

Lens board

Royer Savoy IIIB images

Royer models family list

Image	Model	Year	Type	Format
	Altessa I	1952	Viewfinder	120
	Altessa II	1952	Viewfinder	120
	Altessa IV	1952	Viewfinder	120
	Royer 6x9	1948	Klapp	120
	Royer A	1954	Klapp	120
	Royer B	1954	Klapp	120
	Royer I [1948]	1948	Klapp	120
	Royer I [1950	1950	Klapp	120
	Royer II	1948	Klapp	120
	Royer III	1949	Klapp	120
	Royer IV	1952	Klapp	120
	Royer Simplex		Klapp
	Royflex 10	1958	TLR	120
	Royflex 20	1956	TLR	120
	Royflex 22	1958	TLR	120
	Royflex I	1953	TLR	120
	Royflex II	1954	TLR	120
	Royflex III	1955	TLR	120
	Royflex III Automatic	1955	TLR	120
	Royflex Standard	1951	TLR	120
	Savoy I Short Top	1956	Viewfinder	35mm
	Savoy I Tall Top	1956	Viewfinder	35mm
	Savoy II	1958	Viewfinder	35mm
	Savoy IIc	1957	Viewfinder	35mm
	Savoy III	1957	Viewfinder	35mm
	Savoy III B	1958	Viewfinder	35mm
	Savoy III F	1960	Viewfinder	35mm
	Savoya	1958	Viewfinder	35mm
	Savoyflex I	1958	Compact SLR	35mm
	Savoyflex II	1959	Compact SLR	35mm
	Savoyflex IIE	1959	Compact SLR	35mm
	Savoyflex III Automatic	1961	Compact SLR	35mm
	Teleroy	1950	Klapp	120
	Teleroy II	1952	Klapp	120