Topic: Interesting Camera Nr.36 - The Periflex series

[jojonas~]

while looking up the corfield 66, as mentioned in be ed in an earlier interesting camera thread, I was struck with this camera that I'd never heard about before..

they've all got a 39mm screw mount and look kind of like early rangefinders but here's the thing; it's got a periscope built in! a bit differently executed depending on model (first ones pointed out on the top and you pushed a lever down but later models had the thing built in with a top plate. basically it's a mirror that goes behind the lens and projects part of the image on a matt surface like any reflex finder. so you use this for critical focusing and then there's the ordinary viewfinder to compose with.

I think I've fallen for the golden star

about periflex on camerapedia:
http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Periflex

a review of the periflex 1:
http://www.griffinbyteworks.com/photography/equipment/periflex1.html

and the corfield story:
http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/CorfieldCameras/corfield.htm

camera photos from:  Rachel Rayns, baker.kristian and ishiguro (all flickr)

[Terry]

Seems like a still version of the Bell and Howell Filmo and Eyemo movie cameras.  They had a little focusing window that gave you a view of the center portion of the image through the taking lens.  Then you'd do your framing through a side-mounted parallax viewfinder.  Time-consuming and tedious to focus with, especially if you're trying to shoot footage of an ongoing war, as the users of those cameras were.  With the Filmo you had to rotate the lens out of the taking position to pull focus, then back into place to shoot.  As far as I can tell, the only reason they persisted into the 1950s was the US military, which couldn't be seen to buy German made reflex (ie, Arriflex) cameras.

[Skorj]

Love that machined aluminum! Smooth.

[jojonas~]

after some reading up, apparently only the first model needed the manual lever to be able to use the periscope. later ones, like the one in the last photo, had this mechanically automated so the periscope was lifted out of the way when the shutter was pressed.

I wonder what they go for, nowadays?

[Mil Mascaras]

I could have bought one for 25 quid, new looking, a month ago, if I had not lost my internet connection right before bidding. They don't pop up on ebay in large quantities so sometimes they go for much more. It's also not uncommon to find "buy it now" cameras at a very high price, and those stay around for a long time.

I'd not mind having one. There are some nice looking 45/f1.9 lumax lenses for it, too. I'm just waiting for the next London/Brighton/Wolverhampton camera fair but I always seem to be out of the country when those happen. Whoever is the first to get one, post some shots!

[jojonas~]

okidokey. thanks for the insight, mil

[moominsean]

periflex sounds like a nursing procedure or sex activity, or a med to flex your peri area. nice looking cameras, still!