Edixa Reflex

1957

Model II

Wirgin

Wiesbaden

West Germany

Lens:

f2.8, 50 mm Steinheil Cassar S, manual iris diaphragm to f16. Serial no. 1205943 .

Shutter:

Focal-plane, speeds 1 - 1/1000, B. Flash synchronisation. The fast speeds are set on the top dial the slow speeds are set by a ring under the top dial.

Construction:

Metal body, leatherette panels.

Format:

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

Focusing:

Helical to 2' 6".

Attributes:

Reflex viewing through taking lens. Removable waist-level finder. Ground glass focusing screen with condenser and split-image rangefinder.
Mirror lowered by film advance.
Exposure counter. Film reminder dial, scaled 6 - 400 ASA, 9 - 27 DIN.

Identification:

No sliding shutter lock. No plate surrounding flash sockets. Chrome tops to dials.

Serial Number:

88054 .

With:

f4.5, 35 mm Enna Lithagon. Pre-set iris to f16. Focus to 2.5 m. Serial no. 16589.
Waist-level finder.
Pentaprism finder in box. Serial number: 228398.
B+W filter 011 (skylight), 40.5 screw fitting, case, box with Biermann + Weber name.
Small outfit case marked Edixa.

Edixa Flex

Wirgin

Wiesbaden

West Germany

Lens:

f2.8, 50 mm Steinheil Cassarit, pre-set iris diaphragm to f22. Depth-of-field scale. Serial no. 1489940 .

Shutter:

Focal-plane, speeds 1/25 - 1/1000, B. Flash synchronisation.

Construction:

Metal body, leatherette panels.

Format:

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

Focusing:

Helical to 0.5 metre.

Attributes:

Reflex viewing through taking lens. Removable prism finder. Ground glass focusing screen with condenser.
Mirror lowered by film advance.
Exposure counter. Film reminder dial, scaled 6 - 400 ASA, 9 - 27 DIN.

Identification:

Sliding shutter lock. Plate surrounding flash sockets. Chrome tops to dials.

Serial Number:

197234 .

Notes:

Prism serial number: 242415.

With:

Removable accessory shoe.

Edixa Reflex B

c. 1958

Wirgin

Wiesbaden

West Germany

Shutter:

Focal-plane, speeds 1 - 1/1000, B. Flash synchronisation. The fast speeds are set on the top dial the slow speeds are set by a ring under the top dial.

Construction:

Metal body, leatherette panels.

Format:

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

Focusing:

Front cell to 0.8 metre.

Attributes:

Reflex viewing through taking lens. Removable waist-level finder. Ground glass focusing screen with condenser.
Mirror lowered by film advance.
Exposure counter. Film reminder dial, scaled 6 - 400 ASA, 9 - 27 DIN.

Identification:

Sliding shutter lock. Plate surrounding flash sockets. Chrome tops to dials.

Serial Number:

219337 .

With:

Waist-level view-finder.
Body cap.

The Edixa Reflex B replaced the Edixa IIA and shared the same specification.

Edixa Reflex D

Wirgin

Wiesbaden

West Germany

Lens:

f2.8, 50 mm Xenar, semi-automatic iris diaphragm to f22. Depth-of-field scale. Cable release socket on lens. 42 mm screw mount lens. Serial no. 6221702 .

Shutter:

Focal-plane, speeds 9 - 1/1000, B. Flash synchronisation. The fast speeds are set on the top dial the slower speeds down to 1 second are set by a ring under the top dial, speeds from 2 - 9 seconds are set around the re-wind knob. Delayed-action.

Construction:

Metal body, leatherette panels.

Format:

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

Focusing:

To 0.5 metre.

Attributes:

Reflex viewing through taking lens. Removable prism finder. Ground glass focusing screen with condenser.
Shutter lock. Exposure counter. Film reminder dial.

Identification:

Sliding shutter lock. Plate surrounding flash sockets. Chrome tops to dials.

Serial Number:

223181 .

Notes:

Serial number on prism: 245632.

With:

Waist-level view-finder in box.
Split-image focusing screen in box.
Accessory shoe.

Bellows unit, extending from 36 - 124 mm, exposure factor scales for 35, 50, 105 and 135 mm lenses.
Edixa double cable release.
Instructions. Ever-ready case.

Edixa-Mat Reflex B-L

Wirgin

Wiesbaden

West Germany

Lens:

f2.8, 50 mm Iscotar, automatic iris diaphragm to f16. Depth-of-field scale. Auto or manual switch and cable release socket on lens. 42 mm screw mount lens. Serial no. 623420 .

Shutter:

Focal-plane, speeds 1 - 1/1000, B. Flash synchronisation. The fast speeds are set on the top dial the slow speeds are set by a ring under the top dial.

Construction:

Metal body, leatherette panels.

Format:

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

Focusing:

Front cell to 0.8 metre.

Attributes:

Reflex viewing through taking lens. Removable prism finder. Ground glass focusing screen with condenser.
Instant-return mirror. Shutter lock. Exposure counter. Film reminder dial.

Identification:

Sliding shutter lock. Plate surrounding flash sockets. Black tops to dials.

Serial Number:

319394 .

Notes:

Serial number on prism: 544907. Retailer's label: Fotohaus Kleinholz, 112 Hohe Strasse, Cologne.

With:

Waist-level view-finder in box.
Extension tubes.
Instructions. Ever-ready case.

The L suffix indicates that the shutter speeds were in linear progression.

Edixa-Mat Reflex D-L

Wirgin

Wiesbaden

West Germany

Shutter:

Construction:

Metal body, leatherette panels.

Format:

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

Attributes:

Reflex viewing through taking lens. Instant-return mirror. Removable prism finder. Ground glass focusing screen with condenser.
Shutter lock. Exposure counter. Film reminder dial.

Identification:

Sliding shutter lock. Plate surrounding flash sockets. Black tops to dials.

Serial Number:

325034 .

Notes:

Serial number on prism: 340051.

With:

Body-cap.
Ever-ready case.

Edixa-mat Kadett

c. 1962

Wirgin

Wiesbaden

West Germany

Lens:

f2.8, 50 mm Steinheil Edixa-Auto-Cassaron, iris diaphragm to f22. Auto or manual switch and cable release socket on lens. 42 mm screw mount lens. Serial no. 2307262 .

Shutter:

Focal-plane, speeds 1/30 - 1/500, B. Flash synchronisation.

Construction:

Metal body, leatherette panels.

Format:

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

Focusing:

Helical to 2' 6".

Attributes:

Reflex viewing through taking lens. Removable roof pentaprism. Ground glass focusing screen with condenser.
Instant-return mirror.
Exposure counter. Film reminder dial, scaled 6 - 400 ASA, 9 - 27 DIN.

Serial Number:

336715 .

Notes:

Serial no. on pentaprism: 463112.

With:

Waist-level view-finder in Edixa case.
Edixa 49 mm screw fit filters: UV; R6 filter (colour correction).
Extension tubes: 2, 6, 13.5 and 29.5 mm. Marked 1 - 4. In box with instructions. Edixa name on largest tube. Manual without aperture control. Two sets.
Bellows unit, extending from 36 - 124 mm, exposure factor scales for 35, 50, 105 and 135 mm lenses. In box.
Edixa double cable release.
Instruction book.
Ever-ready case.
Omnica Outfit Case. Marked Edixa.

The first Edixa Reflex appeared in 1955. A large number of models was produced, the Kadett being a budget priced option. Accessories made by Wirgin included bellows, extension tubes and a microscope adapter.

Combined the extension tube set gives 1:1 reproduction. The 2 mm tube has no thread it is simply a spacing ring that prevents the lens from being screwed fully home. The script on the extension tubes differ between the two sets shown here. The lens has a nice feature of a cable release socket to which the double cable release connects.

Further Information:

BJA 1957 p. 600. Shows accessories.

Edixa Models to c. 1961

The camera was introduced in 1955 as the Komet, the name was quickly changed to Edixa Reflex.

Model	Date
Edixa Reflex	1955	Speeds 1/25 - 1/1000
Edixa Reflex II	1956	Addition of slow speeds, 1 - 1/1000
Edixa Reflex IIa	1957	As model II plus internal mechanism to close the iris diaphragm

Edixa Reflex A		Same as model II
Edixa Reflex B		Same as model IIa
Edixa Reflex C		As for model B plus a selenium meter
Edixa Reflex D	1958	As for model B plus speeds down to 9s and delayed action

Edixaflex	1958	As for the original Edixa Reflex, speeds 1/25 - 1/1000

Edixa-mat Reflex B	1960	Edixa Reflex B with instant return mirror, 1 - 1/1000
Edixa-mat Reflex Standard	1960	Edixa Reflex B with reduced top speed of 1/500
Edixa-mat Reflex C	1960	Edixa Reflex C with instant return mirror, 1 - 1/1000
Edixa-mat Reflex D	1960	Edixa Reflex D with instant return mirror, 1 - 1/1000

Edixa-mat-Flex B		Edixa-mat Reflex B with reduced speed range, 1/25 - 1/1000
Edixa-mat-Flex AL		Edixa-mat Reflex C with reduced speed range, 1/25 - 1/1000

L suffix		Indicates that the shutter has linear progression, 1/30 rather than 1/25 etc.

The Edixa

was a popular camera selling at a competitive price into the advanced amateur market. It had, though, a reputation for being poorly manufactured and somewhat unreliable. The quality control and assembly techniques at Wirgin did not do justice to the design which put in competition with the Exakta and other East German cameras at a time when West German manufacturers concentrated on rangefinder models or cameras fitted with leaf shutters. Perhaps the low price meant that a higher build-quality was not possible. By the early 1960s Japanese SLRs were becoming dominant, the models from Asahi competed directly with the Edixa and Nikon took over the professional market. It would have been interesting to see how a 'professional' model Edixa built to a higher standard would have sold.

In 1960 the top of the exposure counter, speed dial and re-wind knob were changed from a silver to a black finish.

A wide range of lenses was a available from West German manufacturers ranging in quality from the very good, Schneider, to the very poor. Some early lenses were fitted with a shutter release control similar to the Exakta. The lens thread is 42 mm but the thread does not start in the same position as on later Pentax cameras.

References & Notes:

Emanuel, Edixa Reflex Guide. https://www.fotohistoricum.dk/riess_wp/de-andre/hos-wirgin-d/at-wirgin-gb/ [accessed 2023].

Early Photography

Edixa Reflex

1957

Model II

Wirgin

Wiesbaden

West Germany

Lens:

Shutter:

Construction:

Format:

Focusing:

Attributes:

Identification:

Serial Number:

With:

Edixa Flex

Wirgin

Wiesbaden

West Germany

Lens:

Shutter:

Construction:

Format:

Focusing:

Attributes:

Identification:

Serial Number:

Notes:

With:

Edixa Reflex B

c. 1958

Wirgin

Wiesbaden

West Germany

Shutter:

Construction:

Format:

Focusing:

Attributes:

Identification:

Serial Number:

With:

Edixa Reflex D

Wirgin

Wiesbaden

West Germany

Lens:

Shutter:

Construction:

Format:

Focusing:

Attributes:

Identification:

Serial Number:

Notes:

With:

Edixa-Mat Reflex B-L

Wirgin

Wiesbaden

West Germany

Lens:

Shutter:

Construction:

Format:

Focusing:

Attributes:

Identification:

Serial Number:

Notes:

With:

Edixa-Mat Reflex D-L

Wirgin

Wiesbaden

West Germany

Shutter:

Construction:

Format:

Attributes:

Identification: