Founded in 1915 as Karl Braun KG, F
of optical instruments and metal goods, the company manufactured binoculars
and semi-finished products, also for the radio industry. After the 2nd World War and
the currency reform in 1948, the company Karl Braun KG became Carl
Braun Camera-Werk Nuremberg.
Parallel to camera production, the development and construction of slide projectors began. In 1955, Carl Braun Camera-Werk Nuremberg launched one of the first semi-automatic slide projectors with a magazine onto the market under the brand name Paximat. Further innovations in slide projector technology included devices with cable or radio remote control, automatic focusing, the use of the even brighter halogen lamp and devices with infinitely variable brightness control of the projection lamp. In 1983, the Paximat Multimag was the sensation in the slide projector market. For the first time, it was possible to use all important magazine systems in one slide projector.
In addition to the high-quality Paximat Multimag models, the inexpensive slide projectors in the Novamat series have also established themselves on the market. The Novamat devices with built-in daylight screen are particularly popular.
Over 4 million slide projectors have been built to date and sold in 120 countries around the world. The brand names Paximat and Novamat now occupy a leading position in the slide projector market. In addition to the slide projector programme, the range of slide accessories has also been expanded, such as slide control units, high-quality projection lenses, projection screens, projection tables, slide frames, slide magazines and an automatic slide mounting device. The Braun projection programme was systematically expanded with the addition of state-of-the-art overhead projectors in 1999.
In addition to the successful introduction of Braun digital cameras and digital accessories, the Braun Multimag SlideScan 3600 has been causing a stir in the market since mid-2003. This scanner was developed on the basis of the Paximat Multimag slide projectors and enables slides to be scanned directly from six different slide magazines for the first time. The Braun Multimag SlideScan slide magazine scanner thus bridged the gap between conventional slide photography and the digital medium, which was to become an important mainstay for the company in the future. In March 2005, the successor model Braun Multimag SlideScan 4000 followed and in 2012 the Braun Multimag SlideScan 6000, consistent further developments now with even higher resolution, digital ICE technology and Magic Touch dust and scratch removal, as well as a higher scanning speed.
In 2004, the company changed its name to BRAUN Photo Technik GmbH, moved into new premises in Nuremberg and began to expand its product range as a full-service provider in the multimedia sector. In 2006, the success story of digital picture frames began, which continues to this day and is an example of the long-term product cycles at BRAUN. From 2007, BRAUN binoculars also made a very successful return to the diverse product range and continue to enjoy unbroken popularity. BRAUN was also one of the first suppliers of a trendy action cam with an underwater housing for a wide range of buyers. The first model was launched on the market in 2010, and the portfolio of action cams is constantly being updated to this day.
In 2016, the company moved to a newly completed performance centre in Baden-Württemberg.