February 2004 - Ensign Selfix cameras
At one time the Ensign company of Walthamstow
claimed to be "the largest camera manufacturer in the British
Empire." It has a long history of fine and innovative camera
manufacture.
The Selfix cameras were a series of high-quality
cameras manufactured after the Second World War which can be considered
to be superior in finish, and at least equal in perfornance, to the
finest similar equipment produced in Germany up to that time.
The brand-name "Selfix" was
used in pre-war times for Ensign roll-film cameras, and some of these
were reintorduced in 1945. The first post-war design appeared in 1949,
and was designated the Ensign Selfix 8/20.
The Ensign Selfix
8/20 was described a contemporary catalogue as "probably
the finest roll-film camera, designed successfully to beat all the
German competition both in optical and mechanical performance".
The camera body is die-cast metal covered in black morocco leather.
A tripod bush is in the centre of the base plate. The camera has a
105 mm.f/3.8 Ross Xpres lens and an Epsilon 8 speed shutter. There
is a standard cable-release socket but the flash sync socket is not
standard and the special Ensign connectors are virtually unobtainable.The
top of the camera body is finished in satin chrome. In the centre
of the top plate is the folding Albada finder. The Selfix 8/20 takes
either 8 or 12 exposures on 120 rollfilm. There are folding masks
in the back of the camera to allow either format to be selected and
the viewfinder has markings for both. In 1952 this camera cost £29
4s.
The Ensign Ranger
uses the same camera body as the Selfix 8/20, but it is fitted with
lower-cost lens (Ensar f/6.3) and shutter (Trikon three-speeds). There
is no provision for taking 12 pictures on 1220; this camera willm
only take 8 pictures on 120. In 1952 it cost £12 19s. 6d.
In 1953 the Ensign
Ranger Special appeared. This is similar to the 8/20, with satin-chomed
top-plate and provision for taking 8 and 12 exposures on 120 rollfilm.
It has a Rosstar f/4.5 lens in an Epsilon four-speed shutter. In 1953
it cost £13 18s 3d.
The Ensign Selfix
820 Special is an 8/20 with a different top-plate assembly, which
includes an uncoupled rangefnider and an optical viewfinder.The optical
viewfinder has a sliding mask for the 6 cm. x 6 cm. format. There
is an accessory shoe on the top of the rangefinder. The Epsilon shutter
fitted to the 820 Special will usually have a standard 3 mm. co-axial
connection for flash. The camera cost £26 10s. in 1953.
The Ensign Selfix
16/20 (later called the Model II) was probably the closest Ensign
ever got to producung a "miniature" camera in the post-war
period. It would be interesting to know why they didn't attempt a
35 mm. camera. The design of the 16/20 follows the principles of the
8/20, but the top pplate and the Albada viewfinder are combined in
a "streamlined" shape. The Epsilon shutter is smaller and
has a top speed of 1/300 sec. The lens is a Ross Xpres f/3.5 75 mm.
The Selfix 16/20 gives 16 pictures on 120 film. The body release incorporates
a blunt oin which presses into the user's finger if the film has not
been advanced before attempting to take the picture. The Ensign Selfix
16/20 cost £27 19s. in 1952.
The Ensign Selfix
16/20 Model I is a cheaper version of the Selfix 16/20. The Epsilon
shutter has no slow speeds and the lens is an Ensar f/4.5. The top
plate is trimmed with leather and carries an optical viewfinder. There
is no depth of field calculator or double-exposure prevention. It
cost £17 14s. 10d. in 1952. (picture)
The Ensign Selfix
16-20 Model IV is based on the Model I. It has a Rosstar f/4.5
lens and an eight-speed Epsilon shutter. In 1953 it cost £16
8s.
The Ensign Selfix
12/20 takes 12 pictures on 120 film. The design is similar to
the 16/20, and the 12/20 uses the same lens and shutter as the 16/20.
The shutter release and the camera front release are two chromium
plated tear-drop shaped at the front of the top plate. In 1952 the
camera cost £28 3s. 4d. (picture)
The Ensign Selfix
12/20 Model I is a cheaper version of the 12/20. The Albada viewfinder
is replaced by a plastic-moulded optical viewfinder and the lens is
a Rosstar f/4.5 with a four-speed Epsilon shutter. The camera cost
£17 11s. 2d in 1953.
The Ensign Selfix
12/20 Model IV is the same as the Model I, but with an eight speed
shutter. In 1953 it cost £20 5s. 6d.
The Ensign Selfix
12-20 Special incorporated an uncoupled rangefinder and optical
virewfinder. In 1955 it cost £28 9s. 9d.
There were also two Autorange cameras
which were derived from the Selfix design and which included coupled
rangefinders.
It appears that Ensign camera production
ceased in about 1955. Remaining stocks of cameras were sold by Dixons
at much-reduced prices.
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