Ensign Ranger II

Produced between 1951 and 1952, this camera is a simple folding camera with a 105mm f/6.3 Ensar Anastigmat lens. It has a folding frame viewfinder and shoots 8 frames of 6x9cm on 120 film.  Its Trikon shutter shoots from 1/25 to 1/100 and has a Bulb and Time setting. It has a bayonet fit flash socket and two tripod sockets to allow portrait or landscape shots. On some models there is also a cable release for long exposures. The camera can also sit comfortably in portrait orientation on a flat surface thanks to the pull out tab on the door front. In 1952 it cost £12-19s-6d.

Now, we love the Ranger II, but it became apparent after we saw its first images that there was some sort of defect in its lens, because any pictures taken in strong bright light created some interesting flare effects bordering on the psychedelic.  Here's an example:

So we decided to either purchase another model listed as spares or repairs and swap the lenses, or purchase another working model if one was listed cheap enough. Many models were listed, and the price seemed to steadily rise (even for the broken ones), but a few years later one was listed that bucked the trend...spectacularly. A nice model in good condition with its original box and instructions, also in good condition...for £2.

Now, interestingly, our second Ranger II (below right) was a much earlier model than our first one (below left) and we noticed some differences between them.

Most of the differences are cosmetic but the earlier shutter release is a moulded post with a fixed button and no cable release socket. The shutter release on the later model is a cable release into which the shutter button can be screwed or unscrewed. This certainly made long exposures on the later model easier. The film pressure plates are also different as the early one is held in place with four rivets and the later one is held on with screws and spring tabs. The later one also has a hole in the centre which would allow use on a camera that takes 6x6 images, so it is likely the same pressure plate used in the later dual format Ranger Special (1953).