Corfield Periflex

The story of Corfield Cameras resembles the case of Clarus in the US. Both companies began about the same time as the brainchild or obsession of an undercapitalized founder trying to punch above his weight. Both created a product without previous experience in the field, both companies were relocated from their breeding grounds, both needed external funding, which turned hostile, and the founder was catapulted out of both.

The Corfield company was founded by two brothers, the prominent being Kenneth Corfield, who, armed with much enthusiasm and no product-specific experience, embarked on providing the British answer to the prevailing Germans’ compact cameras.

In the early 1950s, the British camera industry was stuck with pre-war types and hardly graduated over the Klapp model. Ensign, the market leader, did not have any 35mm camera. Agilux, Ilford and Reid had costly 35mm rangefinders, with Wray offering compact SLR models.

At that time, the growing middle class in the UK saw enough free income to spend on more than bare necessities. With that, the British industrial might that swelled during wartime sought peacetime output, and surplus materials were cheaply available, as seen in the Land Rover case. Compounding that, import restrictions were still in place, and any external consumer product = luxury product, was either unavailable or prohibitively expensive.

As such, the ground was ripened for a British home-grown Leica alternative, and I guess this was behind the Corfield brothers’ venture. However, this venture was not a classic camera maker’s startup.

Looking at Germany at that time, give or take a decade, dozens of camera makers mushroomed. One or more of three terms was common to all: a lead person who came from the industry, physical location with a legacy of fine industry, meaning an available pool of tradespersons and artisans to draw from, or established machine shop looking to expand in a new field.

With Corfield, neither term existed. While having a lot of goodwill and passion, the founders did not come from the industry. Wolverhampton, a city within greater Birmingham, was known as the bicycle capital of the UK, while Birmingham was a heavy industry hub, a good place to buy a steam engine. And, the brothers had scant actual production experience.

Corfield’s first product was a dark room use lightmeter, followed by a rangefinder accessory. Together with that, they held a distribution agreement with mid-class German manufacturers, Ihagee, Leidolf and Minox, which provided an inside view into this highly specialized niche.

The first product they toyed with was a subminiature camera, probably of the same concept as Minox. It did not mature. Looking at the legend in the making, the Leica, they changed course and aimed at this segment. The idea was to beat the Germans in their own game with a compact rangefinder camera but with the features of the SLR, which was the next big thing to come.

The wise decision was to use the M39 lens mount and bank on Leica’s standard lens offering. The unwise was to create a unique through-the-lens viewer, the aptly named periscope. The product was named Periscope Reflex, or Periflex for short.

Leica or compatible lenses were expensive, so they relied on a local glass supplier, British Optical Lens, whose owner took a stake in their company. Later, they sourced glass from Enna, Germany. Corfield lenses were branded Lumar or Lumax.

The first model, introduced in 1953, known as the Periflex 1, was awkward. A turret on the top fascia held the periscope tube, which was dropped down manually for focusing. An external viewer was mounted in the accessory shoe, using a focal length to match the lens. Viewing through the periscope was useless, for lack of other word. It was as if I were looking at the subject through a drinking straw. Virwer at that time were small, but here it was exceptionally tiny. Production was scant, a few dozen a week. All cameras made were promptly sold, either because of the lack of other high-end cameras or because of the “Rule, Britannia” sentiment.

In 1959, the company was relocated to the north tip of Northern Ireland, most likely for government benefits and tax incentives. In hindsight, it seemed risky, as there was no ready pool of tradespeople to draw from. It is said that the company had to import key personnel from England and train local production hands. It’s not a good entry to this industry. Further, the political climate in Ireland was unfavourable, with boiling undercurrents.

Continued production with shepherds turned fine machinists, and the company’s finances turned sour, so they took on the mighty Guinness as a stakeholder. Guinness was not interested in making cameras, but, as mentioned above, it was after government incentives or tax rebates. Under the agreement, Corfield should have also acted as a machine shop making brewery parts.

After the Periflex 3 and 2, the company went backwards. Models were less innovative and distracted from the initial idea of making a Leica-compatible camera. A basic medium-format SLR, the Corfield 66, was introduced in 1960, but only a few hundred were made. At that stage, either Guinness’ patience had expired, or the incentives had ended, so they lost interest in the venture. In 1961, Kenneth Corfield was shown the door.

Kenneth Corfield had set up a new shop in England and continued making some Corfield 66 runs. Much later, he developed a wide-angle model, the Corfield WA67.

In Northern Ireland, the plant had become a motor parts machine shop, had changed hands and was finally shut down in 1971.

Corfield Periflex model summary

Periflex 1, 1953, early model, black with brown pigskin.
Periflex 1, 1953, interim model, black body and black leatherette.
Periflex 1, 1954, late model, with a bright aluminum finish and black leatherette.
Periflex 3, 1956, auto drop down periscope.
- Periflex 3a, 1959, as 3, with lever winder.
- Periflex 3b, 1961, as 3a, all black.
Periflex 2, 1958, a scaled-back version of the Periflex 3.
Periflex Goldstar, 1961.
Periflex Interplan A, 1961, LTM mount, no periscope.
- Interplan B, 1961, 42mm mount.
- Interplan C, 1961, Exakta mount.
Maxim, a camera that had not matured to fruition.
Corfield 66, 1961, a #120 format SLR.

Extracurricular models

More Corfield 66 are said to have been made by Corfield in England after he was sacked from the company.
Corfield WA67, 1995, a wide-angle #120 format.
In the company’s early years, Corfield made the VP Twin, a #127 format sold in the US by Edbar. Before 1952, it was made in the UK by another unknown manufacturer.

Periflex 1

The Periflex idea was an SLR-concept camera with a body as compact as a traditional rangefinder.
A plunging viewer, a periscope-like tube, slides down in front of the focal plane shutter.
Aluminum body, much lighter than the compatible brass German cameras.
The first model, commonly known as Periflex I, was presented in 1953. It had a black top and bottom with a brown pigskin cover. 200 to 400 units were made, depending on the source you read. Watch for serial numbers to ensure it is a genuine first run. These models fetch about USD 1,000 in auctions. Some are offered at cheaper rates on eBay, but I would suspect they were of a later series, redressed and repainted. See FED redressed as Leica.
The model continued the same year with a black body and leatherette. Later, the body changed to an aluminum finish with black leatherette.
Early versions had the shutter speed marks engraved on the top fascia around the selector. Later models added a ring carrying the marks.
On top is cover are the winder with an embedded, manual reset frame counter, a pinhead button to allow rewind, a shutter speed selector, the periscope viewer, a cold accessory shoe and the rewind knob.
Use an add-on viewer to match the lens used.
To set the shutter speed, pull up the knob and turn.
Cock the shutter by turning the speed dial counterclockwise in the arrow’s direction. It feels a bit odd, as you expect the knob to turn freely, while here it pulls the shutter curtains against its spring.
It takes winding it all the way till it catches; there is no ratchet mechanism to hold it halfway.
To release the trigger, both the speed selector and film winder must be wound to eliminate double exposure.
To focus, push the side periscope pin down with the left thumb, looking down through it. Then, compose through the add-on viewer.
An optional add-on viewer was available for eye-level periscope viewing.
To open the back, turn the thumb dial at the bottom to align the chevron with the dot on the body and slide the back off.
On the inside of the back cover is a black, polished glass pressure plate glued on what looks like foam or thick felt. Later models changed it to dimpled metal on a springy mount. Users could bring back the cameras to replace the glass plate.
A large take-off drum has a groove to take the film leader, with no fancy easy-load features.
No film guide cogs as are found on most 35mm cameras. That means that frame distance will extend as the film roll on the drum grows thicker. It had no importance as, at the time, processing was done manually, and the minilabs did not exist.

Periflex 3

Taller body than the Periflex 1 to accommodate the auto drop-down periscope mechanism.
The periscope drops down with film winding and shutter cocking, both by winder knob.
As with the auto-return SLR mirror, the periscope rises before the shutter curtain opens.
Cleaner top, having a large winder knob with embedded, manual reset frame counter, rewind release pin, a cold shoe, and a shutter speed dial surrounding the rewind knob.
The back has two viewer windows. The left is a straight viewfinder window for composing, and the right is the periscope window for focusing. Both are tiny, bordering on nuisance.
The front viewer window has a replaceable threaded lens to match the taking lens, so there is no need for an add-on viewer.
The trigger button is at the front. Two sync ports are marked X and M.
EV is marked around the shutter speed dial.
At the front is a film speed memo window.
Periflex 3a is similar to 3 but with a lever winder, Zebra-style controls and split-image focusing.
Periflex 3b, similar to 3a, all black.

Periflex 2

Introduced after the Periflex 3.
A scaled-back version of the 3.
Speeds up to 500.
Fixed front viewer lens, no fim memo window, no EV scale.

Periflex Goldstar

It has a different styling but is technically similar to the Periflex 3, with a top speed of 300.
The speed selector is an inverted cone, and it’s finger-unfriendly.
As in models 2 and 3, two tiny viewers.
A lever winder, with a film speed memo around it and frame counnter nestled within.
Back to a replaceable front element in the front viewer window to match the lens used.
A tricky drop-down/pop-up rewind button. In a sunken position, push aside the pin in the center. To drop down, push the said pin and drop down the knob.
The front has a trigger button and an LTM M39 mount.

Preriflex Interplan

An entry-level model.
Three models, Interplan A with LTM, B with 42mm mount and C with Exakta mount. All three were LTM; the B and C had premounted adapters.
No periscope, a generic viewfinder camera.
Top speed 300.

Others

An entry level model, the Maxim, was developed but had not matured into production.
Corfield 66, a #120 format SLR, was made in 1961. It is said that production was limited to about 300. Another source cites production continued back in the UK after the founder, Kenneth Corfield, was fired. I have no further information.
Further to above, outside of the Corfield factory, Kenneth Corfield had developed a #120 format wide-angle camera, the Corfield WA67. Not many were made, and little information is available about it.

General notes

Bad leatherette is typical of all models from the early to the 66. The four units I have, as well as the pictures shown online, all peel. A contributing culprit could be that the body ends in rounded surfaces, with no straight edge to hold the glued edge once the leatherette ages and hardens.
Screws on these cameras are BA standard, an ancient British standard that had long gone.
Cameras can use most LTM lenses, save for collapsible lenses or lenses with deep mounts that will clash with a down periscope.

Camdex list number	12422	12423	12419
Brand	Corfield
Model	Periflex 1 chrome	Periflex 2	Periflex Gold Star
Manual	Butkus		CJ’s
Value	Periflex I black / brown Periflex I black / black Periflex I silver / brown	Periflex 3 Periflex 2	Periflex Gold Star
Format	35mm
Introduced	1954	1958	1961
AKA
Country	UK
Qty made
Initial price
Currency
Type	Compact SLR / periscope
Body material	Metal
Mode	Manual
Weight	410 gr, Body only	560 gr, Body only	575 gr, Body only
Class average weight	603 gr, Body only
ASA range	N/A
Kit lens	3.5/50	2.8/45	2.4/50
Lens make	Lumar X	Lumax	Lumax
Filter size	37mm slide on
Lens mount	LTM
Mount size	M39
Aperture
Shutter	Focal plane cloth horizontal
Shutter make
Trigger	At front of body
Winder	Knob	Knob	Lever
Shutter cocking	Speed selector	Winder	Winder
Light meter	None
Lock	No
Speeds	B, 1-1000	B, 1-500	B, 1-300
Mirror	Periscope, manual drop	Periscope, auto return	Periscope, auto return
Viewer	Periscope	Periscope and viewer	Viewfinder and periscope
DOF preview	No
Exposure lock	No
Exposure compensation	No
Shoe	Cold
External sync	X	X/M	X/M
Timer	No
Battery, original	N/A
Sync speed	60
Battery, replacement	N/A
Battery voltage	N/A
Integral flash	N/A
Other
More	Flynn Graphics Mike Eckman CJ’s Classic Cameras Dan Cuny corfield.org Film Wasters Collection Appareils History Website Industrial Museum Grace guide Ruimoraisdesousa