ENSIGN SELFIX 16-20 MODEL I User manual

www.butkus.us

SELFIX l5-20
           MoDEL 1Calnef a

        ,NSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

BARNET ENSIGN ROSS LTD., LONDON, E.17

www.butkus.us
        ENSIGN SELFIX 16-20 CAMERA MODEL I
  l.  Catch holding camera back in   12. Socket for  synchroflash plug
      position.                               (see Fig. 6).
 2. Film winding knob.             13. View finder.
 3. Button for opening camera.
 4. Aperture scale plate (see Fig. 6).   Picture sizes:
 5. Pointer for aperture sizes (see       Sixteen 2i x l8 in. pictures on
     Fie.6).                                           standard size 20 or 62 roll films.
 6.  Rotating lens cell.
 7.  Shutter front plate with speed                               Recommended films:     markings (see Fig. 6).
                              ENSIGN ULTRACHROME_ 8.  Outer milled ring.
                                           fast and highly orthoch romatic.
 9.  Shutter setting lever.
t0.  Shutter release knob.            ENSIGN FINE GRAIN PAN-
                                                                                          fineil.  Socket for flexible cable release     a panchromatic film of very
     (see Fig. 6).                           grain and medium speed.

SPECIAI NOTICE

It shoufd be noted thar  it' is impossible to obtain the
raw optical glass from which high-class anastigmats are
made absolutely free from small air bubbles. Such air
bubbles have no unfavourable influence upon the
working of the lenses, and complaints concerning their
presence cannot be considered.

BARN ET ENSIGN ROSS LTD., LONDON , E.I7

www.butkus.us
         LOADING THE CAMERA WITH FILM
Opening the Camera Back        and swing outwards  the  hinged
  Slide the catch I in the direction   camera back (Fig. l).
indicated by the arrow on back catch    Inserting the Film
                                                               62  roll film is              Fie l.                    Standard size 20 or
                                     used in the Ensign Selfix 16-20 Model
                                                I Camera, taking sixteen  pictures 2f
                              x  lf  inches.
                               The camera is provided with two
                                              take-u p or  em pty spools, one in
                               each of the 20 and 62 film sizes.
                                     Before placing the full spool of film
                                      in position ensure that the approp-
                                            riate take-up spool is inserted. This
                                 can be determined by comparing the
                                       flange of the full spool of film with
                                the flange of the take-u p spool.
                                                               lf an empty spool is not already in
           www.butkus.us                    position at the winding end of the
                                camera  it should be fitted as fol-

lows: Press the spring spool pin from   open position to give clearance for
 inside the cham ber until the knob    inserting the spool. Place the full
 protrudes sufficiently for the latter   spool of film in the chamber, taking
 to be turned until the spool pin is   care that the tapered end of the
locked in its open position. The   paper is pointing towards the take-
take-up spool is then positioned by  up spool chamber containing the
 allowing the slotted end of the spool   empty spool on which the exposed
to engage the key of the winder   film is wound. Disengage the spool
knob 2, while the opposite end of  pin by turning the knob slightly,
the spool must engage the spool pin   thus allowing the pin to engage the
which is released  f rom its locked    spool.
 position by a slight turn of the knob.                                      After removing the gummed label
  To insert a full spool of film in the   which holds the paper leader in
feed or loading chamber the spring   place, pull the latter across the
spool pin situated on the side of the    rollers and insert the end in the wide
cham ber should be depressed   f rom    slot of the empty spool. (Fig. 2.)
inside the chamber until the knob     Give the winder knob 2 one or
protrudes on the outside of the   two turns in a clockwise direction to
camera. At the same time turn the   draw the paper taut (Fig. 3). In do-
knob in an anti-clockwise direction    ing this see that the paper leader is
until the spool pin is locked in its   centred between the spool flanges.

www.butkus.us
Any tendency to wind crooked must    Close the back of  the  camera,                                                                                                                    is   secu relybe  corrected before  Proceeding   making sure that   it                                       fastened by the catch.fu rther.


               Fig 2.

Turn the winding knob 2  unril   vation window ( Fie. 4) when the
fi rst, a warn ing hand, and then a   camera will be ready  f or the  fi rst
figure lappears in the ruby obser-   exposu re.

                 Fig. 4.                                     Fig.5.

www.butkus.us
  Close the ruby window by means   number of the scale denotes a
of the slide. This is most important   smaller aperture, needs a longer ex-
when using panchromatic film.        posure time, and increases the depth
                                of  field, €.9.,  t /8 is smaller than
 MAKING THE EXPOSURE           f 16.3, etc.
Opening the Camera Front            Focusing
  Pressure on the button 3  will    The scale of focusing distances  is
cause the  f ront of the camera to   given on the rotating front lens cell
spring open automatically, bringing   6 ( Fie. 6). The figure corresponding
the lens and shutter into position for   to the distance at which the subject
immediate use. The camera should    is estimated to be from the camera
be tilted in a slightly downwards   should be set against the pin, situ-
position to ensure that the camera   ated on the side of the shutter front
erection is not retarded by gravity.    plate. This pin also acts as a stop,
                                to prevent the lens being rotatedLens Apertures                                    past the infinity position.  The aperture of the lens is con-
trolled by the setting of the aperture   The Shutter
pointer 5 on to one or other of the    The function of the shutter is to
" t " numbers marked on the aper-    control the speed of exposure, which,
ture scale plate a (Fie. 6). A higher    in conjunction with the setting of the

lens diaphragm, determines the   pressing the knob l0 and closes as
 amount of light reaching the film.     soon as the Pressure ceases.
  The shutter speed numbers on the    When long-time exposures are re-
 front of the shutter 7 (Fie.6) repre-   quired turn the ring 8 until the red
sent fractions of a second, while the
 letters B and T stand for " Brief "                  Fig 6.
and "Time"  respectively.
  For instantaneous exposures turn
the outer milled ring 8 so that the
red index mark is brought opposite
the required speed. Set the shutter
by pulling over the lever 9 until it
stops. The shutter is released by
means of the knob l0 which musr
remain pressed until the  sh utter
operation is completed.
  For short-time exposures bring the
red index mark opposite the letter
B and pull over the shutter setting
iever 9.  The shurter opens by

www.butkus.us
index mark is brought opposite the   Holding the Camera when
letter T. The flexible wire release   Picture Taking
supplied with the camera is then       It is impossible to give hard and
screwed in socket ll.   After the   fast rules for holding the camera
shutter lever t  has been set by
sliding it along its groove, the shut-                                                              Fis. 7.ter is operated by the wire release
as follows:-
  (a) To open the shutter press in
       the head of the wire release,
       then remove the pressure.
    ( b)  lmmediately the required ex-
      posure has been given the
        shutter is closed by a further
       pressure on the head of the
       wire release.
The View Finder
  The camera is provided with an
optical direct vision finder for eye-
 f evef sighting  ( Fig. 7 \.

when making an exposure. The   any kind, as movement will spoil the
important point is that it must be   sharpness of the pictu res. Figs. 8
held firmly and without vibration of  and 9  illustrate the recommended


                 Fig. 8.                                       Fig. 9.

www.butkus.us
ways of holding the camera ready to     For short-time exposures and ex-
release the shutter when making an    posures of long duration a firm stand
ex pos u re.                          or rigid tripod should be used. The
                                camera is bushed for screwing it to
                           a tripod. For table top exposures
                                   the baseboard leg should be brought                Fie. l0                                       into position.

                          CLOSING THE CAMERA
                              The camera is closed 6y pressing
                            on the struts with the two thumbs
                                                                        ( Fie. l0). The thumbs may then be
                                  removed to raise and close the base-
                                          board.

                        UNLOADING THE FILM
                          When the last exposure has been
                                  made, wind off the whole length of
                                         film. By looking through the obser-
                                      vation window it will be seen when
                                           l2

the paper is completely wound on     Transfer the empty spool to the
to the take-up spool.                  opposite chamber. The camera is
                                  then ready for reloading.  Slide the catch land  open the
camera back.
   Pull out the spool pin and remove                    Fie.  I l.
the spool of film  ( Fie.  I | ).   This
operation is  facilitated by  firstly
pressing the completed spool slightly
away from the film winder, when the
spool pin knob will be partially pro-
truding. lt can then be readily ex-
tracted to its full extent. By turning
in an anti-clockwise direction the
spool pin can be locked in the pro-
truding position.
  Fasten the end of the exposed
spool by sticking down the cover
paper with the gummed " exposed "
label which will be found attached
to the end of the backing paper.
                                             l3

www.butkus.us
    ENSIGN SELFIX 15.20 CAMERA MODEL I _ EXPOSURE TABLE
The following table gives a rough idea of the exposures-  and__-stops_ for valious subjects,usine the po"nular mEdium speed' films, such as the Ensign Ultrachrome, from l0 a.m.
until- 2 p.rir.'in bright sunshine during April, Vuy, June, July, August and September.For more detailed information an exposure guide or meter is recommended.
           Sun;acr.                   f/4.5               f /s.6       f/B         t/rr        f/16
 t'                                                                                                                              | /300      1/100                | /s0   ,?fitt, '::"'o:: '"1.. "'":1
                                  light  Open landscapes2.                  with                                             r/300      1/100       L/50                 | /'25                                                                     ....                      scenes              Beach   foreground.
3. Average landscapes with ob-   jects        in foreground.
     f igures           in open.                            1/100              | /s0                | /25
   River scenes.
4. Heavy foreground, buildings
                                                                                               1 /s0                   l /2s   or  trees occupyrng greater     1/100   portion of picture
5. Portraits or groups taken out     1/100       r/s0               | /25   of doors
6. Very dark, near objects                       | /s0       r/2s
In other conditions the exposures are multiplied as follows  :       In October, November, December, January, February-     and March       Light clouds over whdle sky but able to cast visible shadow                 2,
      Heavy clouds over whole sky       With' Super-Speed Film        ...:                                                                                                                                         +I4
NOTE-Bear in mind that modern roll films, while of greater speed, also resist  the  effect
        of over-exposure. When in doubt a longer exfosr..re should, therefore,  be  given.
                                            l4

www.butkus.us
{rr*g,t
   ROLL FIL}I
Ensign roll   fi lm is ar presonr
available either in Ultraclrrome
     fast highly orthochromatic-afi lm which adds greatly ro the
scope and speed of  all your
picture making-or in Fine Grain Panchromaric-a film to give
you correct rendering of all subjects in monochrome. Ensign
Panchromatic films always give splendid enlargements because of
their extremely fine grain. Ensign roll films are made in sizes ro
fit all the popular roll film cameras.
t5.75(1. Fl,l,.3l:J6.