HOUGHTON ENSIGN FOLDING KLITO replacement lens?

[alex66]

I picked up one of the above as a do upper, I fancied the challenge but need to find a suitable lens. The hole for the lens is roughly 35mm in diameter. So what lenses would be useable with a built in shutter, part of me would like to have x sync but it is not a breaker. It should cover roughly quarter plate in size as well, I do not have a large amount of money to buy one alas. It will be used 90% of the time for shooting portraits. What do I look for in a lens where I see very little details of the coverage of any used lenses.
If it does not have X sync I will build some form of light bank at some point.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Ian Grant]

Well there's quite a few versions of the Folding Klito and also a number of lens/shutter combinations. Unfortunately the Houghton's adverts I have don't state what focal lenght. Chances are it needs a lens around 135mm to 150mm, Can you measure the distance from the lens plate to the focus screen at Infinity ?

My 1910 BJP lists the Folding Klito's but by 1921 Houghton had improved the camera now calling it an Ensign Klitoand it had a better front standard it took 1/4 plate or 9x12cm holders..

If you want flash sync then you need a post WWII lens/shutter combination, maybe a cheap Xenar in a Synchro Compur #0 shutter, or A Skopar, also look for lenses like a Wray Lustar or a Ross Xpess in Epsilon shutters.

MWClassic usually have some reasonable priced older lenses but they are often in Dialset Copmurs. Houghtons used Koilos shutters in 1910, also Beck Symmetricals in Sausch & Lomb shutters, they have a Becxk lens for £19 but no FL given and the B&L shutters a bit iffy

First though see what focal lenght will work on the camera.

Ian