Ilex

Ilex Paragon Anastigmat f4.5 lens in Ilex No. 4 Universal shutter

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
• 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)
• Graflex Speedioscope

Lenses

• Ilex Paragon Anastigmat E.F. f4.5/8.5-in
• Ilex Paragon Anastigmat, F4,5, Serie A focus, 12 inch
• Ilex Paragon Telephoto f6.3/9-in

Ilex Paragon F=9-inch f=6.3 Simmon Combat Camera PH-501 Picture by Dirk HR Spennemann. (Image rights)

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

[1]

with a 58mm screw mount [2]