Miranda Sensorex.

<p>Great pics, as usual, <strong>Tony</strong>; "Sea and Sky" would be my favourite, too. The Sensorex is another of those Chrome-Age cameras that looks as if Detroit had a hand in the design, right down to the grille in front of the prism. Despite their reputation for delicacy, the four or five Miranda SLR's that I have are still working beautifully, and the Auto Sensorex EE has one of the most accurate meters and exposure systems I've encountered in cameras of that era. One has to admire the build quality and attention to detail; the Soligor/Miranda lenses were pretty good performers, and I think you'll like the 28mm. Nice post; many thanks.</p>

<p>Paul, I just used indirect window light with a white card for a kicker...Sony NEX6 with a 55mm Micro-Nikkor. Jack has some Jack Russell...somewhere :)<br>

Yes Mike, the 50mm 1.9 is very common, I think I have three! It is a well rated lens though, and probably sharper than the 1.4, but I do like lots of glass!<br>

Rick, thanks for that. I have another two Mirandas, one just jammed, the other has a advance lever that won't reset, and neither has a working meter. I still like them though, and will see how the 28 goes, there is a 200mm out there too...does it never end!</p>

<p>Rick Drawbridge wrote:<br />"... The Sensorex is another of those Chrome-Age cameras that looks as if Detroit had a hand in the design, right down to the grille in front of the prism ..."<br>

My thoughts exactly. Most Nikon and Canon SLRs of this era looked like precise and functional photographic tools, as did Leica rangefinders. The earliest Miranda SLRs also had a clean and functional look. But some of the later Miranda SLRs such as the Sensorex incorporated bad 1950s and 1960s design with flashy and nonfunctional elements. Still, Tony Lockerbie's pictures in this thread show that the Miranda Sensorex was capable of making fine photographs.</p>

<p>Just catching up after a few PC and personal health issues. Tony, thanks for some really fine photos taken with your Sensorex, which as somebody has rightfully commented, always sounds more appropriate as the name for a contraceptive. Then again, I guess Miranda had to change from the name of the Sensorex's early relative the 'Automex', which had vaguely derogatory ethnic tones.<br>

Miranda cameras do have a reputation for problems, mainly with their shutters and lens diaphragms due to oil precipitation, but we should bear in mind that the last genuine Miranda was produced over 35 years ago. I reckon that early Mirandas were better built than the later ones, especially after the US importer AIC took over the company in the early 60s and seemed to have taken a decision that price was the main goal so increased production was needed. Pre-AIC Mirandas were made in much lower numbers, and when inflation is taken into consideration were more expensive. Keeping the Automex/Sensorex thing still in mind, a 1959-ish Automex 1 retailed at slightly more than a Nikon F - so no wonder not many were sold!<br>

Ah, now moving onto those 'slightly naughty' Miranda adverts done by Hal Rieff, size limitations of picture attachments here on the Forum make it something of a lost cause to post one or two. So, for those interested in seeing the creativity of the same guy who frequently photographed Betty Page (who definitely was more than a bit naughty for her time), here's a link to the Yahoo Miranda Group which has a hell of a lot of useful Miranda information, roadtests, sales brochures, pricelists etc - plus several of those adverts too ..... :<br>

http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mirandacollectors/info<br>

The Group is a 'Restricted' one but not because of Hal's adverts, it's just to keep the spammers at bay. If you have an interest in all things Miranda, you'll be pleasantly surprised at just how much stuff there is to view. (Pete In A Warm Perth)</p>

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<p>Oh, what the hell! Here's a scan of a 1957 'Slightly Naughty' Miranda advert from Hal Rieff, which AFAIK is the first one he ever did for Miranda. Afficianados will note the absence of the 'John Steed' lookalike in bowler hat and with his typically British umbrella, using his Miranda to take a pic of the nubile 'Miranda' lady. Those came later, when the 'Avengers' TV series had become popular ............... (Pete In Perth)</p><div></div>

<p>I guess I ought to add that the camera shown at middle right of the, er 'Resting Nude Lady', is a Miranda Model A. It was the second Miranda produced and was quite a 'Leap Forward' compared to the original Miranda T, now featuring great stuff like lever wind and rewind, plus an automatic lens with Exakta-style APD external shutdown. The one thing that it didn't have was an instant return mirror, but that was rectified the following year with the Miranda B and C models, undoubtedly following some kind of closed-door deal between Asahi and Miranda. <br>

I suppose we tend to laugh at this sort of innovation today, some 55 years down the line. However, back then it was cutting edge stuff and really set the scene for the 35mm SLR to become the serious camera of choice for a professional or dedicated amateur. All it needed now was to incorporate a coupled metering system, which was achieved in 1959 with the first Automex. Ah, memories ...... (Pete)</p>

<p>Thanks Pete, I knew you would come through with the mention of a Miranda. The more I use them, the more I like these cameras.</p>