Pilot 6 by KW

[compur]

A photo showing à Pilot 6 with the two red windows on the back would clear the doubt.

Look at this video. At around 9:00 a Pilot 6 camera is turned around to reveal ...
... 2 red windows on the back!

 

[vintagesnaps]

That's a great camera. I have a KW, no other name, just KW. It's a square tin box covered in leatherette. Still has a usable level, the fluid is still liquid and hasn't hardened or leaked. It opens on the top (or side depending on which way you hold it). This one is really cool.

I've used Sylvain's site even though much of it comes up in French (and my high school French only gets me so far) but the pictures show a lot of info.

I didn't know McKeown was still around.

 

[vintagesnaps]

Oh, the Reflex in that ad on Sylvain's site is the one I have! I'll have to do more looking on his site.

In one of the ads from 1937 there's a Robot that looks just like the Reflex, says it's a 'reflecting camera', with all the advantages of a reflecting camera and a miniature. Guess that means it has a mirror? And there's a free trial! great! lol gee I guess that offer is no longer in effect, too bad!

 

[Dany]

To Compur:
Fantastic!
This is the indubitable evidence that I was trying to find .
Thank you very much for the time spent and for your patience with the incorrigible skeptic I am.
This thread is very cool.

To Vntagesnaps:
I am glad you may find some information about your KW camera on the Sylvain Halgand's site
This site is really awesome. It describes in details thousands of vintage cameras + accesories etc...
Hundreds of new cameras are added each year through a participative system.
A great work has already been done to translate the pages into English, but this is a tremendous work.
For the time being most of the pages discribing cameras from manufacturers with names from A to M are translated (Work based on volunteering).
For the rest, the proportion of translated pages is smaller.
There is, on this site, a very efficient search engine that allows you to identify a camera in finding the pages of catalogs related to a given camera .
Cherry on the cake, the site has a very active forum with a section dedicated to people not speaking French. Do not hesitate to participate
Welcome to Vintage cameras collection by Sylvain Halgand
Some news also about the Famous Mc Keowns guide:
I may say that the thirteen's edition to come of this guide shall be fantastic.
Based on a huge work during years, the volume of information and the number of cameras described in this new edition shall be incredibly increased.
The full content of this edition shall be available on line on the web to subscribing people.

 

[compur]

You're welcome

 

[IanG]

KW were quite an innovative company but with their change in ownership to Charles Noble in 1938 they moved largely to producing 35mm cameras.

There were 2 version of this camera. One shot 6x6 format and the other was 6X4.5.

IN fact there were two variations with different format
- The "Pilot Reflex" able to take 3x4 cm pictures with 127 films
- The "Pilot Super" Which was a dual format camera for 6x6 cm and 4,5x6 cm using mask and to be loaded with 120 films

I wouldn't call them variants as they are quite different models, and the Pilot Super is a significant improvement,. Nice find you don't see many these days.

Ian

 

[Dany]

You are perfectly right Ian.
I should not say "variations" or "variants" but "others models from KW".
This comes from the chaos in my head when I try to speak and write in English instead of French

 

[IanG]

You are perfectly right Ian.
I should not say "variations" or "variants" but "others models from KW".
This comes from the chaos in my head when I try to speak and write in English instead of French

Your English is far better than my French

If I was deliberately collecting cameras I think I'd choose KW as one brand to major on, I only have 3 two 9x12 Patent Etui's and an FX.

I seem to have gone for Houghton's, I own 2 or 3 Victo wood & brass cameras a Duchess, various Esignsn reflex through to post WWII Ensign Elfix 820, and enlarger, 3 safelights - one candle powered I have everything for a 1904-1920 set up including a darkroom.

Ian

 

[Dany]

Waoooh!
KW was inovative indeed.
I have some KW cameras in my collection.
Kamera Werstätten Patent Etui Luxus

I have only two Ensign cameras (because they are quite rare in France (and I do not buy on eBay). I shall show them in a future thread

 

[IanG]

Waoooh!
KW was inovative indeed.
I have some KW cameras in my collection.
Kamera Werstätten Patent Etui Luxus

I have only two Ensign cameras (because they are quite rare in France (and I do not buy on eBay). I shall show them in a future thread

I replied to that thread late . . . . . .

Actually it's very interesting the often quite large differences between cameras in different parts of the world. It's more proounced with wood and brass, there's the British Field and TAilboard cameras, the European Reiskameras and the US style field cameras aa cross between a UK TAilboard and the Reiskameras,

Then the big European move to Avus style cameras the Patent Etui being the nicest extreme in terms of looks, weight, size and pure functionality.

Looking forward to seeing your Ensigns

Ian