KI Monorail - Antique and Vintage Cameras

KI Monorail

1954

Type U

Kennedy Instruments Ltd

London

England

Ilford Ltd

Ilford

England

Image of KI Monorail

Shutter:
Synchro Compur speeded 1 - 1/400, B, T. Delayed action. X, M synchronisation. Button to open the shutter after it is set.

Construction:
Metal, leather bellows.

Format:
36, 24 x 36 mm exposures on 35mm film held in cassette.

Focusing:
Bellows.

Attributes:
Ground glass screen. Focusing magnifier.
Auto stop on film-advance.
Removable lens panel. Bellows replaceable by bag. Tripod head with rack movement to rail. Removable film holder. Light baffle in place when removed from camera. Revolving back.

Movements:
Rise, swing and tilt to front and rear standard.

With:
Film cassette , version with Ilford name plaque.

The KI was produced by Kennedy Instruments, at the time part owned by Ilford. It is a monorail with a full set of movements but for 35 mm film. The review in the BJA asks the question why such a camera was required? There can not have been many applications requiring such extensive camera movements where a larger format camera could not have been used. It must also have been difficult assessing the effect of movements with the small image size.

The camera is extremely well built with friction adjustments to most of the movements. Two types were produced. Type U intended for general use had a complete set of movements; type F had restricted movements intended for applications such as macro or microscopy.

Recommended lenses were: f3.5 2"; f3.5 3"; f4.5 4" and f6.8 2 ⅜", all by Dallmeyer.

The camera was marketed by Ilford from c.1958. Different patterns of tripod head exist. A right-angle finder and bag bellows were available as accessories. The price was £180 without a lens.

References & Notes:
BJA 1962, p. 173.; AP 13/5/64, p. S22. Illustration of a type F.

Illustrations:
A KI with bag bellows is shown in Christie's Cat. 25/7/96 lot 275.

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KI Monorail