3 Great American TLRs of the 1940s:
When you couldn’t buy a brand-new Rollei these were your best shot.
By Jason Schneider
Imagine that it’s 1946, World War II has just concluded with a magnificent Allied victory, and you’re an American photo enthusiast who’s itching to acquire a brand-new, pro caliber 2-1/4 x 2-1/4 twin lens reflex. The Rolleiflex would be the obvious top choice, or you might consider a high-end Zeiss Ikoflex with a 75mm f/3.5 Tessar lens. However, neither was available in the U.S. because Germany’s amazing postwar recovery was just getting started, and it would take about 2 more years for adequate supplies of German cameras to reach our shores. Since Japanese TLRs from Minolta, Mamiya, and Yashica weren’t imported yet (and Japanese cameras were held in low esteem) the only serious contenders for American buyers were made in the U.S.A., the Ciro-flex, and the Kodak Reflex I. Both are competent, workmanlike creations but neither is anything close to a Rolleiflex.
Ciroflex C of 1946-1947 was Ciro's top of the line at the time. It's no Rolleiflex, but it has its charms and it's a decent picture taker.
The best Ciro-flex offered in 1946 and 1947 was the model C, made by Ciro, Inc. originally of Detroit, MI until the factory was moved to Delaware, OH in late 1946 or early ‘47. A simple Spartan TLR with knob type film advance, red window frame positioning with no double exposure prevention, and a snail cam controlled focusing mechanism the “deluxe” model C had a Wollensak-made 85mm f/3.5 triplet lens labeled either Wollensak Velostigmat or Anastigmat, and a Rapax cock-and release shutter with speeds of 1-1/400 sec plus T and B. It also had a primitive form of parallax compensation said to be “so ineffective as to be virtually undetectable except by disassembly of the camera.” Like all Ciro-flexes it provided a 2-/14 square format on 120 roll film.
The Ciro-flex C’s viewing system is reasonably bright and easy to focus down to its minimum distance of 3 feet, and its 3-element lens performs quite well even at wide apertures thanks to its slightly longer than normal focal length that provides less falloff at the edges and corners of the field. In short, it’s a camera that performs better than expected given its modest specs, and it has a certain charm, kind of like a Model A Ford. But it’s no Rolleiflex, a camera more akin to a Mercedes-Benz, with better lenses, automatic first frame positioning and exposure counter, effective parallax compensation, crank wind, etc. However, you could buy the Ciro-flex C (or the later model D that added flash sync) for about $75, not cheap at the time, but affordable.
Magazine ad for the original Kodak Reflex TLR, now called the Kodak Reflex I, touts its reflex viewing system. I was well made but low tech.
The Kodak Reflex I introduced in 1946 was aimed at American enthusiasts who wanted a solid full-featured TLR but couldn’t obtain or afford a Rollei or the like. It featured an externally geared pair of 80mm f/3.5 Anastar (3-element anastigmat) lenses that focus down to about 3.5 feet, a self-erecting hood with a plain ground glass screen, a 5-bladed inter-lens Flash Kodamatic leaf shutter with 7 speeds from ½ to 1/200 sec plus T and B, and a combined shutter cocking and release lever. The camera has an ASA bayonet flash socket and syncs at all speeds, but for high-speed flash bulbs or strobe an additional sync lever must be cocked to trigger the flash properly. The camera provides 12 2-1/4 square images per roll of 620 film, a popular size in its day, and can take 120 film re-rolled onto 620 spools, or can be modified to take 120 rolls in the film supply chamber, using a 620 spool in the take-up chamber. The Kodak Reflex I is a competent performer and was originally offered at the then princely price of $120.
Things got much better for buyers of American TLRs in 1948, with the introduction of the Kodak Reflex II, the best 2-1/4 TLR Kodak ever made, and the debut of the Ansco Automatic Reflex, mechanically and conceptually the most advanced TLR ever produced in America. Ciro-flex fans had to wait until 1950 for the Ciroflex F, which added the best lens and shutter combo found on any Ciro-flex.
Salesman's brochure on the Kodak Reflex II, page 1 highlights new automatic film stop and Ektalite Field Lens that provided much brighter viewing.
The Kodak Reflex II of 1948, easily identified by its nameplate, looks almost the same as the original model I, but it’s a vastly improved camera. Its viewfinder is much brighter and easier to focus thanks to an Ektalite Field Lens, the first Fresnel lens ever used in a TLR, a feature soon copied by other makers. The lens was upgraded to a superb Lumenized (coated) 4-element 3-group 80mm f/3.5 Anastar (basically a front-cell-focusing Ektar). Its unique new automatic film stop feature can be turned off even in mid-roll (!), and it employs a new Flash Kodamatic shutter with speeds of 1/2 to 1/300 sec plus T and B, and multiple flash sync settings (requiring separate cocking of the sync lever when using M-class bulbs). Even its leather field case was made more convenient with a removable snap-on flap, and its eye appeal was enhanced with a handsome bright red Kodak logo on the front of the erected finder hood. All these advances were accompanied by a modest price increase of $15—the list price was $135.00 plus tax.
Salesman's Brochure on Kodak Reflex II, page II highlights improved 4-element 80mm f/3.5 Anasatar lens, reiterates convenience upgrades.
Salesman's brochure for Kodak Reflex II, last page (3) provides technical explanation of Ektalite Field Lens, the first Fresnel ever used in a TLR.
Based on user reviews the Kodak Reflex II performs very well indeed, capturing crisp, detailed images comparable to more modern TLRs, though its auto film stop
mechanism can be temperamental. Front cell focusing lenses like the 80mm f/3.5 Anastar have inherent optical disadvantages compared unit focusing lenses, but they’re usually noticeable only in the off-axis areas of close-ups shot at wide apertures. These classic cameras are currently available on the used market, often at attractive prices in the $75-$150 range. The chief drawback is that they’re designed for 620 film and will not accept 120 spools. Most experienced repair shops can modify a Kodak Reflex II (or a Kodak Medalist) to accept 120 spools in the supply chamber but modifying the take-up chamber is much more difficult and it’s easier and cheaper to use 620 take-up spools. Alternatives: Have a machinist trim down 120 film spool flanges, buy repackaged 620 film at $14-$21 per roll, re-roll 120 film onto 620 spools in the darkroom yourself, or fit a Polaroid or digital back.
The Ansco Automatic Reflex, the most advanced TLR ever made in the U.S.A. was hellaciously expensive and its lens wasn't up to its elite specs
The Ansco Automatic Reflex, released in late 1947, but not widely available until 1948, was the best made, most advanced 2-1/4x 2-1-/4 twin-lens reflex camera ever manufactured in the U.S. The Ansco Reflex went all out to capture the TLR market from the Europeans, but unfortunately it didn’t. By the time it went into production the retail price had risen to $275, equivalent to $3,237.41 in 2022 dollars! A substantial machine (2 lbs., 12 oz.), it’s exquisitely finished, and features focusing by left-hand knob, or by either hand using two ingenuous, interconnected front-mounted wheels. Film advance is automatic by short-throw crank, after you set frame number one in ye olde red window. The lens board is suspended in four self-lubricating grooves and focuses via four cams, an ultra-precise, durable, but very costly arrangement. The Ansco’s had a flash sync shutter with speeds from 1-1/400 sec plus B and an 83mm f/3.5 Ansco Anastigmat talking lens, both made by Wollensak. The good news: The Ansco Automatic Reflex takes widely available 120 film. The sad news: its lens is the same 3-element Wollensak Anastigmat found on middle-tier models of the Ciro-flex. No, t’s not a bad lens, but a camera of this caliber (and price!) deserved a lot better. Why did Ansco chintz out? Because the camera was so expensive to manufacture (they were slated to produce 5,000) they couldn’t afford a better lens and still turn a profit.
Top of the line Ciro-flex F of 1950 added an excellent 83mm f/3.2 Wollensak Raptar lens in a high-end Rapax shutter to the same bare bones TLR design.
If you’re wondering what happened to the lens that should have been fitted to the Ansco Automatic Reflex, look no further than the flagship Ciro-flex F of 1950. Unfortunately, by the time it went on sale, Rolleis and Ikoflexes were readily available so it didn’t set the world on fire. The model F is nothing more than Ciro-flex D or E upgraded with an outstanding 4-element 3-group 83mmm f/3.2 Wollensak Raptar lens in a superior, better constructed Rapax shutter with speeds of 1-1/400 sec plus B. Otherwise, it’s the same old same old “Ford Model A” Ciro-flex with a primitive snail cam focusing mechanism, red window only film advance, and no blank or double exposure prevention. But it sure takes great pictures on 120 roll film. I ought to know—I own 3 of ‘em. Prices vary but you can usually snag a clean one around $150 or even less.
Rare last Model Ciro-flex F produced after Graflex takeover of Ciro has Graflex Made In Rochester, NY markings.
When you couldn’t buy a brand-new Rollei these were your best shot.
By Jason Schneider
Imagine that it’s 1946, World War II has just concluded with a magnificent Allied victory, and you’re an American photo enthusiast who’s itching to acquire a brand-new, pro caliber 2-1/4 x 2-1/4 twin lens reflex. The Rolleiflex would be the obvious top choice, or you might consider a high-end Zeiss Ikoflex with a 75mm f/3.5 Tessar lens. However, neither was available in the U.S. because Germany’s amazing postwar recovery was just getting started, and it would take about 2 more years for adequate supplies of German cameras to reach our shores. Since Japanese TLRs from Minolta, Mamiya, and Yashica weren’t imported yet (and Japanese cameras were held in low esteem) the only serious contenders for American buyers were made in the U.S.A., the Ciro-flex, and the Kodak Reflex I. Both are competent, workmanlike creations but neither is anything close to a Rolleiflex.
Ciroflex C of 1946-1947 was Ciro's top of the line at the time. It's no Rolleiflex, but it has its charms and it's a decent picture taker.
The best Ciro-flex offered in 1946 and 1947 was the model C, made by Ciro, Inc. originally of Detroit, MI until the factory was moved to Delaware, OH in late 1946 or early ‘47. A simple Spartan TLR with knob type film advance, red window frame positioning with no double exposure prevention, and a snail cam controlled focusing mechanism the “deluxe” model C had a Wollensak-made 85mm f/3.5 triplet lens labeled either Wollensak Velostigmat or Anastigmat, and a Rapax cock-and release shutter with speeds of 1-1/400 sec plus T and B. It also had a primitive form of parallax compensation said to be “so ineffective as to be virtually undetectable except by disassembly of the camera.” Like all Ciro-flexes it provided a 2-/14 square format on 120 roll film.
The Ciro-flex C’s viewing system is reasonably bright and easy to focus down to its minimum distance of 3 feet, and its 3-element lens performs quite well even at wide apertures thanks to its slightly longer than normal focal length that provides less falloff at the edges and corners of the field. In short, it’s a camera that performs better than expected given its modest specs, and it has a certain charm, kind of like a Model A Ford. But it’s no Rolleiflex, a camera more akin to a Mercedes-Benz, with better lenses, automatic first frame positioning and exposure counter, effective parallax compensation, crank wind, etc. However, you could buy the Ciro-flex C (or the later model D that added flash sync) for about $75, not cheap at the time, but affordable.
Magazine ad for the original Kodak Reflex TLR, now called the Kodak Reflex I, touts its reflex viewing system. I was well made but low tech.
The Kodak Reflex I introduced in 1946 was aimed at American enthusiasts who wanted a solid full-featured TLR but couldn’t obtain or afford a Rollei or the like. It featured an externally geared pair of 80mm f/3.5 Anastar (3-element anastigmat) lenses that focus down to about 3.5 feet, a self-erecting hood with a plain ground glass screen, a 5-bladed inter-lens Flash Kodamatic leaf shutter with 7 speeds from ½ to 1/200 sec plus T and B, and a combined shutter cocking and release lever. The camera has an ASA bayonet flash socket and syncs at all speeds, but for high-speed flash bulbs or strobe an additional sync lever must be cocked to trigger the flash properly. The camera provides 12 2-1/4 square images per roll of 620 film, a popular size in its day, and can take 120 film re-rolled onto 620 spools, or can be modified to take 120 rolls in the film supply chamber, using a 620 spool in the take-up chamber. The Kodak Reflex I is a competent performer and was originally offered at the then princely price of $120.
Things got much better for buyers of American TLRs in 1948, with the introduction of the Kodak Reflex II, the best 2-1/4 TLR Kodak ever made, and the debut of the Ansco Automatic Reflex, mechanically and conceptually the most advanced TLR ever produced in America. Ciro-flex fans had to wait until 1950 for the Ciroflex F, which added the best lens and shutter combo found on any Ciro-flex.
Salesman's brochure on the Kodak Reflex II, page 1 highlights new automatic film stop and Ektalite Field Lens that provided much brighter viewing.
The Kodak Reflex II of 1948, easily identified by its nameplate, looks almost the same as the original model I, but it’s a vastly improved camera. Its viewfinder is much brighter and easier to focus thanks to an Ektalite Field Lens, the first Fresnel lens ever used in a TLR, a feature soon copied by other makers. The lens was upgraded to a superb Lumenized (coated) 4-element 3-group 80mm f/3.5 Anastar (basically a front-cell-focusing Ektar). Its unique new automatic film stop feature can be turned off even in mid-roll (!), and it employs a new Flash Kodamatic shutter with speeds of 1/2 to 1/300 sec plus T and B, and multiple flash sync settings (requiring separate cocking of the sync lever when using M-class bulbs). Even its leather field case was made more convenient with a removable snap-on flap, and its eye appeal was enhanced with a handsome bright red Kodak logo on the front of the erected finder hood. All these advances were accompanied by a modest price increase of $15—the list price was $135.00 plus tax.
Salesman's Brochure on Kodak Reflex II, page II highlights improved 4-element 80mm f/3.5 Anasatar lens, reiterates convenience upgrades.
Salesman's brochure for Kodak Reflex II, last page (3) provides technical explanation of Ektalite Field Lens, the first Fresnel ever used in a TLR.
Based on user reviews the Kodak Reflex II performs very well indeed, capturing crisp, detailed images comparable to more modern TLRs, though its auto film stop
mechanism can be temperamental. Front cell focusing lenses like the 80mm f/3.5 Anastar have inherent optical disadvantages compared unit focusing lenses, but they’re usually noticeable only in the off-axis areas of close-ups shot at wide apertures. These classic cameras are currently available on the used market, often at attractive prices in the $75-$150 range. The chief drawback is that they’re designed for 620 film and will not accept 120 spools. Most experienced repair shops can modify a Kodak Reflex II (or a Kodak Medalist) to accept 120 spools in the supply chamber but modifying the take-up chamber is much more difficult and it’s easier and cheaper to use 620 take-up spools. Alternatives: Have a machinist trim down 120 film spool flanges, buy repackaged 620 film at $14-$21 per roll, re-roll 120 film onto 620 spools in the darkroom yourself, or fit a Polaroid or digital back.
The Ansco Automatic Reflex, the most advanced TLR ever made in the U.S.A. was hellaciously expensive and its lens wasn't up to its elite specs
The Ansco Automatic Reflex, released in late 1947, but not widely available until 1948, was the best made, most advanced 2-1/4x 2-1-/4 twin-lens reflex camera ever manufactured in the U.S. The Ansco Reflex went all out to capture the TLR market from the Europeans, but unfortunately it didn’t. By the time it went into production the retail price had risen to $275, equivalent to $3,237.41 in 2022 dollars! A substantial machine (2 lbs., 12 oz.), it’s exquisitely finished, and features focusing by left-hand knob, or by either hand using two ingenuous, interconnected front-mounted wheels. Film advance is automatic by short-throw crank, after you set frame number one in ye olde red window. The lens board is suspended in four self-lubricating grooves and focuses via four cams, an ultra-precise, durable, but very costly arrangement. The Ansco’s had a flash sync shutter with speeds from 1-1/400 sec plus B and an 83mm f/3.5 Ansco Anastigmat talking lens, both made by Wollensak. The good news: The Ansco Automatic Reflex takes widely available 120 film. The sad news: its lens is the same 3-element Wollensak Anastigmat found on middle-tier models of the Ciro-flex. No, t’s not a bad lens, but a camera of this caliber (and price!) deserved a lot better. Why did Ansco chintz out? Because the camera was so expensive to manufacture (they were slated to produce 5,000) they couldn’t afford a better lens and still turn a profit.
Top of the line Ciro-flex F of 1950 added an excellent 83mm f/3.2 Wollensak Raptar lens in a high-end Rapax shutter to the same bare bones TLR design.
If you’re wondering what happened to the lens that should have been fitted to the Ansco Automatic Reflex, look no further than the flagship Ciro-flex F of 1950. Unfortunately, by the time it went on sale, Rolleis and Ikoflexes were readily available so it didn’t set the world on fire. The model F is nothing more than Ciro-flex D or E upgraded with an outstanding 4-element 3-group 83mmm f/3.2 Wollensak Raptar lens in a superior, better constructed Rapax shutter with speeds of 1-1/400 sec plus B. Otherwise, it’s the same old same old “Ford Model A” Ciro-flex with a primitive snail cam focusing mechanism, red window only film advance, and no blank or double exposure prevention. But it sure takes great pictures on 120 roll film. I ought to know—I own 3 of ‘em. Prices vary but you can usually snag a clean one around $150 or even less.
Rare last Model Ciro-flex F produced after Graflex takeover of Ciro has Graflex Made In Rochester, NY markings.
