Difference between revisions of "Ensign Reflex"

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(A bit more text, and a link to an example at Westlicht.)
(Moved tropical camera picture to the top, made it bigger, added a margin. 'series' > 'range', and bolded the camera names. Replaced 'closed' picture with one showing the lens.)
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|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/century_graphic/4638486943/in/pool-camerawiki
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|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ricksoloway/2226354586/in/pool-camerawiki
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|image= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2129/2226354586_44b9c6a6b6.jpg
|image_align= right
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|image_text= Ensign Special Reflex, c1930s
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|image_text= Ensign Special Reflex, quarter-plate tropical version
|image_by= Dustin McAmera
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|image_by= Rick Soloway
|image_rights= with permission
 
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|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/century_graphic/4638486931/in/pool-camerawiki
 
|image= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3345/4638486931_7e891456c5.jpg
 
|image_align= right
 
|image_text= Ensign Special Reflex, closed
 
|image_by= Dustin McAmera
 
 
|image_rights= with permission
 
|image_rights= with permission
 
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The '''Ensign Reflex''', '''Ensign Deluxe Reflex''', '''Ensign Popular Reflex''' and '''Ensign Special Reflex''' are a range of large wooden-bodied box-form [[SLR]] cameras built in England by [[Houghton and Ensign|Houghton]] from about 1908 into the 1930s. They are very similar to the [[Soho Reflex]] range made by [[Marion]]. The cameras have a focal-plane shutter (typically with speeds from about 1/10 to 1/1000 second, plus 'T'; the range of speeds varies with the plate size), and no front shutter. They are designed to be used at a high waist-level (with the face applied to the top of the folding leather focusing hood to view the ground-glass screen at the top of the body), but can also be used as a view camera, with a second ground-glass screen fitted to the back.
  
 
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The lens is mounted in a wooden panel on the front of the bellows, which allows a little front rise (as in the picture below). Focusing is by rack-and-pinion extension of the bellows (the rail on each side of the bellows has teeth on the bottom edge, which mesh with toothed wheels connected directly to the focusing knob on the left side). Some cameras (for example the tropical camera shown here) have focus distances engraved on the rails. The camera body is quite deep (front to back) to accommodate the mirror mechanism, so that a normal lens must be in a slightly sunken mount, almost flush with the lens board. There is a hinged metal cover over the lens, which when raised acts as a shade.
The Ensign Reflex, Ensign Deluxe Reflex, Ensign Popular Reflex and Ensign Special Reflex were a series of large wooden-bodied [[SLR]] cameras built in England by [[Houghton and Ensign|Houghton]] from about 1908 into the 1930s. They are very similar to the [[Soho Reflex]] range made by [[Marion]]. The cameras have a focal-plane shutter (typically with speeds from about 1/10 to 1/1000 second, plus 'T'; the range of speeds varies with the plate size). They are designed to be used at a high waist-level (with the face applied to the top of the folding leather focusing hood to view the ground-glass screen at the top of the body), but can also be used as a view camera, with a second ground-glass screen fitted to the back.
 
 
 
The lens is mounted in a wooden panel on the front of the bellows, which allows front rise. Focusing is by rack-and-pinion extension of the bellows (the rail on each side of the bellows has teeth on the bottom edge, which mesh with toothed wheels connected directly to the focusing knob on the left side). Some cameras (for example the tropical camera shown here) have focus distances engraved on the rails. The camera body is quite deep (front to back) to accommodate the mirror mechanism, so that a normal lens must be in a slightly sunken mount, almost flush with the lens board. There is a hinged metal cover over the lens, which when raised acts as a shade.
 
  
 
The cameras were made in a variety of plate sizes. Tropical versions were made of some models.
 
The cameras were made in a variety of plate sizes. Tropical versions were made of some models.
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{|class="floatright plainlinks" style="margin:0px 0px 15px 15px;"
{{Flickr_image
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|{{Flickr_image
|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ricksoloway/2226354586/in/pool-camerawiki
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|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/century_graphic/4638486943/in/pool-camerawiki
|image= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2129/2226354586_44b9c6a6b6_m.jpg
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|image= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3376/4638486943_905de896ec_n.jpg
|image_align= left
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|image_align=  
|image_text= Ensign Special Reflex,<br>tropical version
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|image_text= Ensign Special Reflex in standard finish, c1930
|image_by= Rick Soloway
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|image_by=  
|image_rights= with permission
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|image_rights=  
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}}
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|{{Flickr_image
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|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/century_graphic/4638486941/in/pool-camerawiki
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|image= http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4006/4638486941_9c94ff68c9.jpg
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|image_align=
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|image_text= Ensign Special Reflex, quarter-plate, with 6-inch f/4.5 Aldis-Butcher Anastigmat
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|image_by=
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|image_rights=
 
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|{{Flickr_image
 
|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/century_graphic/4638486919/in/pool-camerawiki
 
|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/century_graphic/4638486919/in/pool-camerawiki
|image= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4638486919_a12ef725bc_m.jpg
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|image= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4638486919_a12ef725bc_n.jpg
|image_align= center
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|image_align=  
 
|image_text= Nameplate Detail
 
|image_text= Nameplate Detail
|image_by= Dustin McAmera
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|image_by=  
|image_rights= with permission
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|image_rights=  
 
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|colspan=3|<center><small>Images by {{image author|Dustin McAmera}}</small> {{with permission}}</center>
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Revision as of 10:37, 15 June 2012

This article is a stub. You can help Camera-wiki.org by expanding it.

The Ensign Reflex, Ensign Deluxe Reflex, Ensign Popular Reflex and Ensign Special Reflex are a range of large wooden-bodied box-form SLR cameras built in England by Houghton from about 1908 into the 1930s. They are very similar to the Soho Reflex range made by Marion. The cameras have a focal-plane shutter (typically with speeds from about 1/10 to 1/1000 second, plus 'T'; the range of speeds varies with the plate size), and no front shutter. They are designed to be used at a high waist-level (with the face applied to the top of the folding leather focusing hood to view the ground-glass screen at the top of the body), but can also be used as a view camera, with a second ground-glass screen fitted to the back.

The lens is mounted in a wooden panel on the front of the bellows, which allows a little front rise (as in the picture below). Focusing is by rack-and-pinion extension of the bellows (the rail on each side of the bellows has teeth on the bottom edge, which mesh with toothed wheels connected directly to the focusing knob on the left side). Some cameras (for example the tropical camera shown here) have focus distances engraved on the rails. The camera body is quite deep (front to back) to accommodate the mirror mechanism, so that a normal lens must be in a slightly sunken mount, almost flush with the lens board. There is a hinged metal cover over the lens, which when raised acts as a shade.

The cameras were made in a variety of plate sizes. Tropical versions were made of some models.



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