Ilex

Ilex Paragon Anastigmat f4.5 lens in Ilex No. 4 Universal shutter image by Tyler Yip (Image rights)

Ilex Manufacturing Co. was one of America's three main suppliers of lenses for view cameras. It was founded in 1910 by the former Bausch & Lomb shutter designers Rudolph Klein and Theodor Brueck. They invented a delay mechanism that made shutters working independently from climate conditions. Their lens brand was Paragon.

Shutters

Many of the Universal shutters have the speeds T, B, 1/100, 1/50, 1/25, 1/10, 1/5, 1/2, and 1 sec. Most ACME shutters have additional 1/150 sec.

Ilex press shutters

Press shutters are everset leaf shutters. When a "Synchro" variant exists the other variant is unsynchronized.

• Ilex Universal
• Ilex General
• No. 1 Universal
• No. 2 ACME
• No. 3 ACME Synchro

Precision press shutter with extra lever for setting shutter delay for individual flash synchronization with different types of flashbulbs or flashguns

• No. 4 Universal
• No. 4 ACME
• No. 4 ACME Synchro
• No. 5 Universal

with speed only up to 1/50 sec.

• No. 5 Universal Synchro

with speed only up to 1/50 sec. and with switch for M, X or nor flash sync

electric shutters

• No. OO Universal Electronic

with mechanical speed setting (three speeds plus T and B)

• No. 1 Synchro Electronic

with electric shutter speed control

others

• Ilex Precise (in Argus cameras)
• Ilex General
• Graflex Speedioscope

Lenses

Ilex Paragon f6.3/9-in (=225mm) for Simmon Combat Camera PH-501 image by Dirk HR Spennemann (Image rights)

• nuArc 8 1/4" f 5.6 Widefield Process Paragon
• Oscillo Paragon f1.9 3-inch (80mm)
• Oscillo Paragon f1.3 3-inch (80mm)
• Paragon Anastigmat f4.5 3 1/2"
• Paragon Anastigmat f4.5 E.F. 6 1/2" (also with label: f4.5 163mm)
• Paragon Anastigmat f4.5 E.F. 8 1/2-in
• Paragon Anastigmat, f4.5, 12 inch (305mm)
• Paragon Anastigmat, f4.5, Serie A focus, 12 inch
• Paragon Telephoto f6.3/9-in

Links

• Ilex shutters for large format photography at S.K. Grimes
• Repair notes of an Ilex Precise, of an Ilex Acme No.2 and drawing of an Ilex Universal at Daniel Mitchell's camera site
• Ilex Lenses by Eric Fromm at Gallery-Photo