Ensign Klito de Luxe No.9

Ensign Klito de Luxe No.9 Plate Camera image by Nicholas Middleton (Image rights)

Ensign's Klito de Luxe No.9 is a vertical folding bed camera for the quarter-plate format.

The camera body is constructed from wood, the folding bed being made from aluminium, with external leather covering and bellows, and measures approximately 140 x 110 x 50mm when closed. It has double-extension bellows, secured by hinges either side of the front standard, and significant front rise (controlled by a lever to the side of the lens and shutter assembly, rather than the more common knurled knob at the top of the 'U' standard) and cross movements. The drop bed is provided with a patch of velvet that faces the lens when closed. As well as ground glass focus, there is a brilliant finder with spirit level and a focus scale on the drop bed with a click-stop for infinity when erecting the front standard.

In ascending order of expense, lenses provided for the Klito de Luxe No.9 were:

• Cooke Luxor Anastigmat f6.8
• Ensign Anastigmat f7.7
• Aldis Plano Anastigmat f6.8
• Zeiss Triotar Anastigmat f6.3
• Zeiss Tessar Anastigmat f6.3
• Zeiss Double Amatar f6.8
• Goerz Dagor Anastigmat f6.8
• Zeiss Double Protar f7

Lenses were set in an Ensign-Sector everset shutter as standard but Koilos and Compound shutters were also available at extra cost.