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More from the Microcord


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Microcord.jpg.77be8efa19b4bf688989da99bcd5ac16.jpg I decided to give my M.P.P. Microcord another airing during our annual bus trip. This year we went to Cromer on the North Norfolk coast. During one of the hottest Summers in recent years we managed to choose the one place in Britain which was dull, cold and windy. The first hour was spent scouring charity shops in search of warm tops.

 

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The Microcord was a British TLR with Rolleicord style knob wind, but Rolleiflex style setting wheels. It has the well regarded Ross Xpres lens. The later Microflex has lever wind and a four element Micronar lens, but proved monumentally unreliable.

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It was so cold, I don't think there would have been in any danger of the sun melting the wax in Icarus's wings.

 

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The film was an Ilford Pan F Plus 50 ISO. The MPP has the old range of shutter speeds, so I set it on 1/50 and varied the aperture to suit. It's surprising how much easier it is to apply the sunny 16 rule when the ISO coincides with an available shutter speed.

 

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Great results again from the Microcord, John; I like the subdued tones that cloudy weather provides. That's a very good lens. I have a couple of Ensign folders with the Xpres lenses and they're certainly good performers, and I've read somewhere that the Xpress was an improvement. I recall using using a M.P.P. view camera in 5x4 format years ago, and it was typically English, built like a tank. Edited by rick_drawbridge
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Thanks again for the comments. It might be worth adding that I also had a Microflex for a while. True to type, it seemed to be trying to work at first, but the mechanism soon jammed up and the shutter wouldn't cock or fire. A shame, as it was in super condition, as they are often found, having been inoperative for decades. Apparently just loading the film by turning the spool rather than using the handle can be sufficient to break it. I eventually sold it as a display item only, I think for more than I originally paid for it. It came with its original manual, which stated among other things that the Micronar was a 4 element lens - I had assumed they were 5 element, like the Planars.

 

Another TLR which is often found in near mint condition, but inoperative, is the Rollei Magic.

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