The beautiful Ilford Witness 35mm camera

[xayraa33]

https://mikeeckman.com/2022/04/ilford-witness-1953/

 

[Retro-Grouch]

In the evolution of cameras, the fifties remind me of what paleontologists call the "Cambrian explosion". It was a sudden, unprecedented, and never-repeated burst of evolutionary exuberance during which the ancestors of most present phyla emerged. In addition, strange creatures that don't seem to fit into any present schema arose, creatures that could have been, and showed every promise of being, precursors of entirely new directions in evolution. But these creatures vanished in the competition, leaving our present era perhaps the poorer.
If only the Witness had survived, perhaps we'd have a British-made digital rangefinder as an alternative to that other brand. And perhaps humans would be the pets of two-headed giant worms, our superiors in intelligence.

 

[santino]

It is beautiful. I love the dual mount. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Dralowid]

Some years ago I had it on 'good authority' that quality control was a bit of an issue. The same can apparently be said for Reids that were superb to start with and then went downhill after the company was bought (was it by Rank?).

 

[Retro-Grouch]

In many ways, British quality control often became something of an oxymoron after the war, particularly by the early Sixties. Anyone who ever owned an older British Leyland car knows what I'm talking about!