- Antique and Vintage Cameras

Folding Reflex Serial Numbers

Click on the graph to display an interactive version in a new window.

The graph above plots camera serial numbers against lens numbers. Most of the data comes from sales catalogues and similar sources and, of course, may suffer from transcription and other errors. The lens scales should not be compared one to another as they do not reflect the different rates of production of the lens makers.

Production
The period covered by the graph is from 1921 when the Folding Reflex was introduced through to the early 1950s. The Special model with f2.9 or f3.5 lens was introduced in 1925, this corresponds to a serial number around FR270. Production seems to have been steady until we get to cameras around number 600. The Ross serial numbers for that time date to just after 1930. It is unlikely that demand fell away so sharply, quite possibly N&G bought a small batch of lenses around 1930 that was used up during the decade. Camera FR621 is interesting as the lens dates to the start of the second World War.

One camera is fitted with a Zeiss Tessar lens made around 1927, the camera is a few years earlier, and is part of a hand-full that are fitted with later lenses. These can be seen by the spike near FR300.

A letter from N&G states that camera FR511 was purchased in 1927, this conforms to the lens number.

Following the second World War production of the Folding Reflex may have restarted or pre-war parts were used to assemble new cameras. A small group of cameras with numbers in the 670 range are fitted with post-war Ross lenses all with similar serial numbers.1

Production Numbers
It looks as though not many more than 680 cameras were made.

Folding Reflex

No.LensDateSource (C = Christie, P = Phillips, S = Sotheby)
FR19102108RossMallams 12/2011
FR27100097RossTeamworkf4.5
FR43119441DallmeyerC 20/7/95, 415
FR4498298DallmeyerC 10/11/88, 128. C 15/10/98, 326. SAS 10/2018f4.5 Serrac. Recovered
FR50astons 3/20Ross
FR52DallmeyerC 15/1/87, 394f4.5
FR59101085RossC 12/1/89, 148f4.5 Xpres
FR61Teamwork, Bonhams 11/2011
FR66Teamwork
FR90107046TTHf4.5 Aviar with Dall. tele 103056
FR99101744Rossf4.5 Xpres
FR102101470RossTeamworkf4.5
FR113102102RossC 11/12/02, 51f4.5 Xpres
FR138C 24/4/86, 195; 21/8/86, 70
FR146102721RossC 25/11/93, 351
FR154102881RossAstons 6/20f4.5
FR170103256RossC 14/1/93, 324
FR232104073Rossf4.5
FR238104215RossC 7/3/96, 269
FR249105921DallmeyerP 23/7/82, 134f4.5 Serrac
FR255807449ZeissS 9/81f3.5 Tessar
FR258104224Rossf4.5 Xpres
FR275106500RossC 29/9/88, 51
FR284108116DallmeyerC 17/7/01, 385f2.9 Pentac
FR288142759DallmeyerFolding Reflexf2.9 Pentac
FR295115093RossC 21/2/85, 58f4.5 Xpres
FR299104231RossTeamworkf4.5
FR304113483DallmeyerTeamworkf2.9
FR311106495RossC 15/5/06, 263f4.5
FR331113234DallmeyerC 20/11/01, 512f2.9 Pentac
FR337113487DallmeyerC 18/1/96, 455f2.9 Pentac
FR362RossSpecial
FR363117071DallmeyerTeamworkf2.9
FR364109182RossFolding Reflexf3.5 Xpres
FR370107461RossBreker 1/10/11f4.5 Xpres. Rising front catch
FR376107466Rossf4.5 Xpres
FR377107469RossC 17/1/85, 265f4.5 Xpres
FR379122291TTHf4.5 Aviar
FR387114404DallmeyerTeamworkf2.9 Pentac
FR396114396DallmeyerS 20/11/81, 412f2.9 Pentac
FR430115686DallmeyerC 19/8/82, 273f2.9 Pentac
FR436115685DallmeyerFolding Reflex
FR438C 9/7/98, 377
FR447117070DallmeyerC 1/9/94, 243f2.9 Pentac
FR465109260RossFlints 10/2017f4.5
FR485109245Rossf4.5
FR487109354RossC 12/1/89, 137f4.5 Xpres
FR488109255RossBonhams 11/5/04, 551With Dallmeyer Tele 118015
FR489109238RossFolding Reflexf4.5 Xpres
FR496110918RossFolding Reflexf2.9 Xpres
FR511110284RossTeamwork; C 17/2/04, 247f2.9, made in 1927 according to a letter by N&G
FR513110282RossTeamworkWith Dallmeyer tele 98962
FR515110285RossC 16/3/95, 316f4.5 Xpres
FR520RossC 19/9/95, 182f4.5
FR529110279RossC 11/4/85, 125f4.5
FR546RossC 14/1/93, 270f4.5
FR548113202RossC 14/1/93, 270
FR558113212RossC 13/1/94, 209
FR563115072RossSAS 6/20
FR564115074RossFlints 7/21
FR565115086RossC 28/8/97, 393; 27/2/86, 181
FR572113217RossC 14/1/88, 307f4.5
FR582122286TTHTeamworkf4.5 Aviar
FR585115080Rossf4.5 Xpres
FR590118258RossSelborne auctions 9/23f4.5
FR592108141RossScammell Auctions 15/9/2013f4.5 Xpres
FR595118254RossC 16/1/86, 165f4.5
FR609118271RossC 16/1/86, 81f4.5 Xpres with Dall. tele 143895
FR619116208RossC 18/12/96, 20
FR621142089RossTeamworkf2.9
FR631Special
FR637152469DallmeyerC 26/1/84, 241f2.9 Pentac. No catch on R.H.S
FR640C 9/7/98, 377
FR641127130Rossf4.5 Xpres with Ross tele 122678
FR658129594RossC 17/7/01, 386
FR666138732Rossf4.5. Sold in 1947 according to label
FR670DallmeyerTeamworkf2.9
FR671247300RossC 20/11/01, 513
FR675247306Rossf4.5
FR676TeamworkBought new in 1951
FR678247304RossC 19/2/02, 451
FR679247305RossP 27/10/82, 136Coated, flash sync.

References & Notes

[1] The BJA 1950 p. 497 says that the Standard model fitted with an f4.5 Xpres can be supplied in limited numbers. The following year (BJA 1951 p. 481) the Special model fitted with an f3.5 Xpres was also available. The Folding Reflex incorporated a complicated shutter that would have been expensive to make from scratch, most probably many parts or assembled shutters were left over from pre-war days and used to build new cameras.

N&G Early Sibyl

N&G Later Sibyl

Universal, Square Reflector

N&G Folding Reflex

N&G Nydia N&G Trellis

Adams

Sanderson

Dallmeyer

Houghton (Ensign, H-B)

Soho Kershaw

Thornton-Pickard

Luzo

Newman Sinclair Reflex

Frena

Periflex Corfield 66

Wrayflex Witness

Lenses -
Ross Dallmeyer

TTH Wray Beck Aldis

Ross-Zeiss Ross-Goerz

Carl Zeiss Goerz Meyer

Voigtländer Grubb

  Top