Rectaflex

Rectaflex was the name of an Italian camera maker from 1947 to 1953. It was also the name of their sole model, a 35mm SLR camera.

The original Rectaflex

The Rectaflex was a 35mm SLR camera with a focal plane shutter, interchangeable lenses and a pentaprism eye-level finder. It is the first SLR equipped with a pentaprism, together with the Contax S, also presented in 1947. Its chief designer was Telemaco Corsi.

The first prototype of the Rectaflex was a wooden mock-up, with a mirror eye-level finder, giving a left to right inverted image. For vertical pictures, the image was upside down, and that was a big drawback. The preseries model was called Rectaflex Standard 947, and had the pentaprism as well as a focal plane shutter from 1s to 1/1000, synchronised at 1/25.

The first production model was the Rectaflex series 1000 (serial number 1000 to 1999), quite similar to the preseries model. The Rectaflex series 2000 (s/n 2000 to 2999) added a split image device in the focusing screen. Note that Rectaflex series 1000 and Rectaflex series 2000 were not official designations, but a way to recognize the variants by way of their serial number.

The Rectaflex series 4000 (s/n 4000 to 5500) had no film cutter and a modified A/R lever. The Rectaflex series 16000 (s/n 16000 to 19000) had a triple sync plug and a film reminder under the rewind knob. The Rectaflex series 20000 (s/n 20000 to 23000) had an internally modified shutter and a reinforced bayonet mount.

The Rectaflex series 25000 (s/n 25000 to 32000) had a modified shutter to 1/1300, and two sync plugs only. Some of them had a new flattened release button. It is sometimes called Rectaflex 1300, because of its shutter speed, the previous series being called Rectaflex 1000.

The special variants

The Rectaflex Junior was a Rectaflex series 1000 transformed with a simplified focal plane shutter from 1/25 to 1/500. The Rectaflex series 1000 had reliability trouble, so an important number (between 500 and 1000) were converted.

The Rectaflex Gold was a Rectaflex series 25000 with gold-plated finish and lizard body covering. All were offered to VIPs, among which the Pope Pius XII, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Winston Churchill.

The Rectaflex Rotor was a Rectaflex series 25000 with a three lens turret. The estimated production was 200 to 300. In addition, some Rectaflex from various series were independently converted to the Rectaflex Rotor specifications.

A special version of the Rectaflex series 25000 existed with 24x32 format and a microscope adapter, for scientific use.

The Rectaflex Liechtenstein

After the Rectaflex 25000 the original Rectaflex company went down, and a new Rectaflex company was formed, partly controlled by the Prince of Liechtenstein. Telemaco Corsi did not play any role in it. They launched a Rectaflex 40000, often called Rectaflex Liechtenstein. It had a reshaped pentaprism cover, with the Liechtenstein blason, and other minor changes. The number produced is unknown and it seemed to be plagued by design faults. Some prototypes are known with internal diaphragm preselection.

The Recta

The Recta was a prototype rangefinder camera based on the Rectaflex. It had a focal plane shutter from 1s to 1/1000 and a 39mm Leica mount. Six were produced, with serial number 1001 to 1006. The known standard lens was the Isco Westar 50/3.5.

The Recta was designed by Telemaco Corsi in 1953, before the demise of Rectaflex.

The Rectamatic

The Rectamatic was the project of an advanced 35mm SLR camera, designed by Telemaco Corsi at the beginning of the 1960s, as a successor of the Rectaflex.

Bibliography

• Rectaflex, La Reflex Magica, Patrice-Hervé Pont, Ed. Fotosaga