I have long been interested in trying a camera with larger negatives, but because the Fuji GW690 is rather expensive for something that might turn out to be of no more than novelty value, I have thought about getting an old foldable camera for some time. I recently acquired one – an Ensign Selfix 820. Trying the shutter it was obvious that the shutter was hopeless at anything longer than 1/25 sec. 1 sec sounded more like 4 or 5 sec, because it seemed to stall before the end. In addition, I was not sure that the lens was ending up parallel to the film plane. The camera is versatile in that it has two flaps that can be folded down so you can choose whether to take twelve 6×6 or eight 6×9 shots. Clever, though I guess most readers will be familiar with the idea.
Finally, when I put a dummy film (the paper backing from a used roll) I failed to see the frame numbers for 6×6 in the little red window in the back (there are of course two windows).
That meant there was no choice but to test with 6×9. Despite that, I decided it was worth putting the cheapest film I had (Kentmere 100) through it. Being prepared for a complete disaster (as happened with another camera that is now en route to a repairer), I just took my local railway station, and was surprised to find that the exposures weren’t too bad.
So I loaded the camera with a roll of FP4+ and took it to Birmingham for a morning, to see what I could get. These are the results. The film was developed in ID-11 and then scanned at 3200 dpi. The only adjustments on the computer were applying auto levels in the Epson scanner app, straightening horizons and cropping to get rid of black borders, and some removal of dust spots. Nothing else. The first is probably my favourite.
Now several of the Town Hall in the city centre.
I put this crop in (1:1) to show what the detail is like. Given that it is a 1:1 crop from an image that is over 70 megapixels. I haven’t compared this with ones taken on my OM4, but it does not look too bad to me.
Now one showing the tram. If it were a better image I’d have corrected the error in cropping it.
And finally one of New Street Station, not from directly outside.
Overall I was happy with most of the shots, though there is room for improvement, more care over focusing (I left it on infinity). Probably not a sufficient improvement over 35mm shots, let alone a high megapixel DSLR, to justify the cost of 75p per negative (plus cost of processing) but I like some of the results and it was an interesting experience.
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Curtis Heikkinen on Ensign Selfix 820 and a roll of FP4+ in Birmingham
Comment posted: 01/05/2025
Comment posted: 01/05/2025
Jeffery Luhn on Ensign Selfix 820 and a roll of FP4+ in Birmingham
Comment posted: 01/05/2025
Your photos are spot on sharp! Nice tones and composition, too. The lens in that camera is an anastigmat, which signifies that it's designed to correct for the most common distortions. I'm not familiar with that brand of camera, nor do I know when it may have been made, but It might be similar to a Tessar design lens used in Voigtlander, Zeiss, and other folding cameras. I'm a big fan of folding cameras and own a few 6x9cm Zeiss models with 105mm lenses. Despite the elevated cost of Zeiss cameras, I'd be happy with your results. If you continue to shoot with it in bright sunlight, I'd recommend using Pyro CMK developer for its ability to hold highlight detail in contrasty scenes. It's a two-solution developer that you mix right before processing. The two ingredients last forever in their separate bottles. It's hard to find a cheaper developer because the dilution is 1:100. If you're inclined to mix your own soup, D-23 is super simple to make and it's also a compensating developer that tames extreme scene brightness range. It too, is cheap to make. I guess the film is the main cost factor, and it's impossible to avoid that expense if you want to use dependable stock. I teach photography at a college and there is always out of date 120 size film, so I'm on a free ride until the supply dries up. But since I always order more than we need, that won't happen while I'm in charge! Anyway, keep shooting with that camera. I think you have a good eye, a grasp on exposure, and the camera is performing well.
Comment posted: 01/05/2025
Gary Smith on Ensign Selfix 820 and a roll of FP4+ in Birmingham
Comment posted: 01/05/2025
I think the shots you included are great and it appears that the camera works (at least at shutter speeds above 1/125).
Thanks for sharing!
Comment posted: 01/05/2025
Keith Drysdale on Ensign Selfix 820 and a roll of FP4+ in Birmingham
Comment posted: 02/05/2025
Louis A. Sousa on Ensign Selfix 820 and a roll of FP4+ in Birmingham
Comment posted: 02/05/2025
Roger on Ensign Selfix 820 and a roll of FP4+ in Birmingham
Comment posted: 03/05/2025
I have wondered whether better results could be obtained using a tripod, but the problem is that the position of the tripod bush, at one end, in the middle of a circular disk, makes it near impossible to fix the camera securely. The only solution I can think of is to modify a long quick-release plate so that the gap between the plate and the body of the camera is filled up, giving some grip. I haven’t tried using the other tripod bush (the one for portrait orientation) because they seem too near the camera body to attach a reasonably sized ball head. But maybe the answer is to decide that if I am carrying a tripod, I have no excuse for not taking out a Bronica, or some other heavy camera.
Ibraar Hussain on Ensign Selfix 820 and a roll of FP4+ in Birmingham
Comment posted: 03/05/2025
Nice tone detail and composition
It’s a camera I’ve been looking at for quite a while
Lovely engineering and camera
Comment posted: 03/05/2025
Comment posted: 03/05/2025
Comment posted: 03/05/2025
Steviemac on Ensign Selfix 820 and a roll of FP4+ in Birmingham
Comment posted: 04/05/2025
Roger on Ensign Selfix 820 and a roll of FP4+ in Birmingham
Comment posted: 04/05/2025
Leon on Ensign Selfix 820 and a roll of FP4+ in Birmingham
Comment posted: 04/05/2025
Regrettably an all to familiar tale of how British industry ignored / dismissed the advancing tide of superior (Japanese in particular) technological innovations across many aspects of consumer products. Until it was too late.
Very sad. We really had great products. But thinking British was best and always would be we ignored the obvious and failed to capitalise and innovate in many of our industries with tragic results. Photographic goods was just one of many to get swept away.
Roger on Ensign Selfix 820 and a roll of FP4+ in Birmingham
Comment posted: 04/05/2025
Comment posted: 04/05/2025