N&G Folding Reflex

1921

Newman & Guardia Ltd

London

England

Lens:

f4.5, 136 mm Ross Xpres, iris diaphragm to f32. Bayonet mount lens. Serial no. 109238 (c.1926).

Shutter:

Focal-plane speeded 1/10 - 1/800, B, T. Width of slit is varied by second blind to regulate exposure.

Construction:

Leather covered metal and wood body.

Format:

2 ½" x 3 ½" plates held in double dark-slides.

Focusing:

Helical to 5 feet. 2.5 feet with close-up tube.

Attributes:

Reflex viewing through taking lens. Full-size ground glass screen. Magnifier in hood. The mirror trips and is raised by a spring, lowered by hand. Leaf springs near the focusing screen dampen the mirror action.
Revolving back, the inner frame of the back is removable to attach a changing box or roll-film back.

Identification:

Version with rising front catch.

Movements:

Rising front, tilting front.

Serial Number:

FR489 .

With:

f5.5, 292 mm (11") Ross Teleros telephoto lens. Iris diaphragm to f32. Focus to 13 feet. Serial no. 121677 (c.1931).
Close focus tube for telephoto, range: 18 - 10 feet.
Hooded focusing screen.; 3 metal double dark-slides (1 - 6), aluminium body and sheaths.; Film pack adapter.
Folding lens hood by N&G.; K1, yellow filter, in case.; K2, yellow filter, in case.; Fitted case by N&G.; Single sheet instructions.

The Folding Reflex was a very neat and elegant design. It was simple to set up and fold down as the advertisements claimed. Often though the focal-plane shutter no longer works. Another problem is the catch which holds the focusing screen in place, this was prone to get distorted (it is made of aluminium) and no longer works well.

The camera came in two models, the original (later called the Standard) with an f4.5 lens and, in early 1925, a model of slightly different dimensions fitted with an f2.9 or f3.5 lens, called the Special. The original was introduced in May 1921. Various standard lenses were offered as well as telephotos.

Some versions of the Standard (? late) have a catch fitted to the rising front which engages at the normal position. Price with 3 slides in 1922 was £55.0.0, later this was reduced.

A small number of cameras were made post-war around 1950.

References & Notes:

N&G Cameras.; N&G Serial Numbers.; Folding Reflex shutter.; BJA 1922, p. 19.; BJA 1923, p. 19.; BJA 1924, p. 12.

Newman & Guardia Company Details

Early Photography