British press cameras

[BetterSense]

What was the British camera of choice during the reign of the Speed Graphic as the main press camera in the US?

Did the British also use Speed Graphics to about the same extent that the Americans did? Or did they switch to medium format German cameras sooner? If there was a British equivalent, what was it?

 

[Theo Sulphate]

The MPP:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Precision_Products

 

[Sirius Glass]

Photographers in the UK could not buy Graphics because of economic restrictions. The response was the MPP.

 

[jeheikki]

Hi!
Before ww2 british were importing a lot of presscameras, mainly medium sized upto 9x12 from germany and there seemed to be a lot of cooperation between German and British manufacturers at least with providing parts. Of course ww2 ended that and already slightly before, during and after the war British companies were using old stocked parts of German presscameras to make new British ones. Later brits started to copy american cameras and also there were few attempts to make newer versions of older German cameras. But it seems there were quite a lot of medium format cameras in use in uk and in europe in general already before ww2. I have noticed that in UK there was a big scene of refitting, repairing, combining etc... or what one would now call modding of old german cameras that lasted long way past the wartime.
On my website there are several typical examples of what was the idea of a presscamera in europe and also some unique British attempts in doing one based on the idea of the American presscamera.
www.presscameras.org

Jani

What was the British camera of choice during the reign of the Speed Graphic as the main press camera in the US?

Did the British also use Speed Graphics to about the same extent that the Americans did? Or did they switch to medium format German cameras sooner? If there was a British equivalent, what was it?

 

[Ian Grant]

Photographers in the UK could not buy Graphics because of economic restrictions. The response was the MPP.

Not totally true, Kodak Ltd (UK) distributed and sold Sped Graphics and other Graflex cameras for many years between the First and Second world wars, that was in the UK as well as Europe.

After WWII there were severe Import restrictions cameras could only be imported into the UK with a special licence on an individual basis. MPP began making the Micro Technical based on the Linhof Technika (also the Microcord based on the Rolleicord).

The MPP Micro Press is an enigma, it's claimed to be a British made camera but in fact is mostly Graflex parts except the back, front and range finder. The cameras wooden body, shutter, track bed and rails, front standard, bellows, shutter release, are all made by Graflex. Basil Skinner who wrote the so called definitive book on MPP states there were no business links between MPP and Graflex the inference is the camera is a copy, however this is totally untrue.

Essentially the Micro press was a way of getting around the Import restrictions, parts could be imported but this was probably bordering on the wrong side of the restrictions. MPP had in fact already built and shown prototypes of their own Press camera in 1949 which was a Micro Technical with a Wray shutter. There would be no point re-tooling to copy the Speed Graphic it just doesn't make economic sense when they already made their ow track bed, front standard.

Details are here.

Ian

 

[Ian Grant]

Hi!
Before ww2 british were importing a lot of presscameras, mainly medium sized upto 9x12 from germany and there seemed to be a lot of cooperation between German and British manufacturers at least with providing parts. Of course ww2 ended that and already slightly before, during and after the war British companies were using old stocked parts of German presscameras to make new British ones. Later brits started to copy american cameras and also there were few attempts to make newer versions of older German cameras. But it seems there were quite a lot of medium format cameras in use in uk and in europe in general already before ww2. I have noticed that in UK there was a big scene of refitting, repairing, combining etc... or what one would now call modding of old german cameras that lasted long way past the wartime.
On my website there are several typical examples of what was the idea of a presscamera in europe and also some unique British attempts in doing one based on the idea of the American presscamera.
www.presscameras.org

Jani

Before WWII British press photographers used various cameras, quarter plate dominated and many used Reflex cameras. I have a Dallmeyer Press reflex (actually re badged Houghton Ensign reflex) with a 6" f3,5 Dallmeyer Press lens., a different Dallmeyer Press reflex was in fact a re-badged TP Ruby reflex and also had a sports finder, there were plenty of competitors as well

A very popular Press camera was the Sanderson, introduced 1898, (part of Houghtons) and there were many similar offerings from other UK manufacturers. While Kodak Ltd imported and distributed Graflex cameras you see few second hand pre WWII models here in the UK.

Many Britsh manufacturers were also importers so Houghtons and also Butcher (who they owned from quite early on) and other UK companies had close links with smaller German companies like Huttig who manufactured for them or re-badged models but this was really for the amateur market. The 9x12 Avus style camera was the norm for Press use on the Continent but here in the UK the reflex and hand camera like the Sanderson, and a few Speed Graphics are what you tend to see where groups of press photographers are photographed with the odd Avus style or strut camera.

Ian.