MicroPress Early and Normal
Types
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Early: These cameras have leather
trim,and the rear frame sight swings up like a
Graphic on an axis at 90' to the lens axis. There is
no serial number in the gate or logo on the front.
Built in focal plane shutter.
Scarce or
prototypic. (Illustrated list 04/1951 when production
was begun.?)
Price £385.00 at
04/1951.
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Normal Type: Probably most cameras were
for cut-film 5x4 only and have a plain spring back
like a MkV1. The back sight is now a small unit
hinged fore-and-aft like MkV1.
Register. 0.2 inch but some cameras
have been noted modified to International Back
standard. These can be indentified by the ground
glass screen which can be unclipped. For more
information on Registers see the footnote at the MicroTechnical
Cameras
page.
Replacement Bellows are available from Camera
Bellows Ltd., of Birmingham, England. See Links
Page.
Technical
Information Links .... Lens
Boards
- Register - Ground
Glass Screens - Track
Links
MicroPress Late and
International Back Versions
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Late: Certainly a fair number also
were made with an international back. These were like
the MPP MkV11 and used some MkV11 components but were
without the rotating back, etc. Built in focal plane
shutter.
One other variation
was that some bodies have the rangefinder cams
retained by a slotted head screw, while others use a
nurled finger screw. A viewfinder shoe was now
fitted. MicroPress bodies with international backs
are more common late on but there seems not to be a
sharp changeover in type.
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Register. 0.2 inch for cameras not to
International Standard. International Backs are
indentified by the ground glass screen which can be
unclipped. For more information on Registers see the
footnote at the MicroTechnical
Cameras
page.
Accessories. Most accessories listed were
plate and film holders which were common to the MkV1
and MkV11 which see.
- Lens Panels
£0.50 (1956), £0.25 (1951)
- Fitting
Lenses £2.00 other than the standard
lens.
- Carrying
Cases to match.
- Cam Plates
£1.00 (1951)
Replacement Bellows are available from Camera
Bellows Ltd., of Birmingham, England. See Links
Page.
Technical
Information Links .... Lens
Boards
- Register - Ground
Glass Screens - Track
Links
Prison Mugshot (Berthillon
Camera)
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A simple camera with
a rigid tubular body and sliding quick-change back
for full-face and profile pictures of new admissions.
They had a finder and tape measure, and were
pre-focussed, normally for the 135mm f4.7 Xenar in
use. Some had a 150mm f4.5 but this was unusual.
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Three
Position Back
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Backs were generally
plain for cut film and plates only and the same as
the MicroTechnical Mk VI. Shown below is a three
position back which gave left side, full face and
right side shots on one piece of film.
They were replaced
by a Photo-Me-booth type unit in 1990 approx. and the
MPP units sold off. They must be scarce as there was
only one per H.M.Prison. These are not a camera for
normal use!
Technical
Information Links - Register - Ground
Glass Screens
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MPP / Iloca 35mm Camera
Production
- 1957?
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There is
little information available but MPP were involved
with Iloca of Germany in a 35mm project and a few
35mm cameras exist with the logos of both firms on
the top plates. The equivilent Iloca model is the
Rapid 1L which sold in Germany for 189DM. This model
is rare in the U.K. probably because it was marketed
by MPP under their own badge.
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It
is likely the cameras were made in two batches (March
1957 and April 1957) as the last three digits of the
body serial numbers seem to indicate month and year
of production.
Cameras
have been noted at body nos. 905390 357, 905666 357,
910715 457, 910816 457 and 911133 457.
There
are variations. Some, including 905390 357, have
metal light meter covers whilst others have black
plastic covers. A clip on incident reading attachment
has also been noted on one camera.
It
is not known how many of these cameras were sold by
MPP.
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The
camera shown has a rigid cast alloy body. The lens is
a f2.8 50mm Cassarit in a Compur Rapid shutter.
Focussing is infinity to 3 feet. It has a built in
but uncoupled selenium Metrawat light meter with a
hinged front cover / sensitivity filter.
An
unusual feature is the totally removable back. The
back is opened by lifting the rewind knob and turning
clockwise against a fairly stiff spring.
It is
likely that this model was sold only for a short
while due to import restrictions in the U.K. coming
to an end which then allowed unrestricted sales of
foreign cameras.
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