While rearranging my darkroom/camera collection I came across an interesting variation on the venerable Pax camera.
If you are not familiar with the Pax, it is a 1950s 2/3 size copy of a Leica, starting with a IIIf and then graduating to an M3 or M2, or something, with either knob or lever wind. They are really cute, complete with coupled rangefinder and a non-interchangeable lens, although add-on accessory wide and tele-lenses were available.
Edinex, made by the Wirgin folks, was a 1930s-1960s series of compact cameras, bottom loading, that had a collapsible lens/shutter of many variations. They're not bad little cameras, crude but serviceable.
The shutter on the Pax is rather cheap, however, so what do you do if it dies and you are a handy sort and you just happen to have an Edinex laying around? Mix and match, of course.
I found this rather odd combination (the one on the right) at a local thrift store decades ago. As you can see, it looks like a Leica, although smaller, but what's up with that lens?
It's actually a pretty good Retina/Xenon by Schneider, and f-2, no less. It has a front focusing lens element, and a compur-rapid shutter, so where did it come from?
From an Edinex. Mine (the one on the left) is a lower-end model, with a 2.8 Steinheil lens and Prontor II shutter, but McKeown's says they made a lot of variations, up-to and including compur shutters and faster lenses. So sometime or another someone took a Edinex and made themselves a Compur-Rapid "Leica," complete with collapsible lens. They did a very neat professional job, too.
A quick frosted-tape test shows the focus scale seems to be reasonably accurate. Haven't actually shot film in it, but I certainly could. The lens is clear, shutter is a champ at all speeds.
Sadly, the rangefinder in the Pax doesn't work any more, but that's a small price to pay for beauty.
If you are not familiar with the Pax, it is a 1950s 2/3 size copy of a Leica, starting with a IIIf and then graduating to an M3 or M2, or something, with either knob or lever wind. They are really cute, complete with coupled rangefinder and a non-interchangeable lens, although add-on accessory wide and tele-lenses were available.
Edinex, made by the Wirgin folks, was a 1930s-1960s series of compact cameras, bottom loading, that had a collapsible lens/shutter of many variations. They're not bad little cameras, crude but serviceable.
The shutter on the Pax is rather cheap, however, so what do you do if it dies and you are a handy sort and you just happen to have an Edinex laying around? Mix and match, of course.
I found this rather odd combination (the one on the right) at a local thrift store decades ago. As you can see, it looks like a Leica, although smaller, but what's up with that lens?
It's actually a pretty good Retina/Xenon by Schneider, and f-2, no less. It has a front focusing lens element, and a compur-rapid shutter, so where did it come from?
From an Edinex. Mine (the one on the left) is a lower-end model, with a 2.8 Steinheil lens and Prontor II shutter, but McKeown's says they made a lot of variations, up-to and including compur shutters and faster lenses. So sometime or another someone took a Edinex and made themselves a Compur-Rapid "Leica," complete with collapsible lens. They did a very neat professional job, too.
A quick frosted-tape test shows the focus scale seems to be reasonably accurate. Haven't actually shot film in it, but I certainly could. The lens is clear, shutter is a champ at all speeds.
Sadly, the rangefinder in the Pax doesn't work any more, but that's a small price to pay for beauty.
