Lomopedia: Wirgin Edixa Reflex

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The Edixa Reflex camera line was a series of 35 mm SLR film cameras manufactured by German company Wirgin in 1954. They featured elegant designs and a beautiful aesthetic that are still adored by collectors and film photography enthusiasts to this day. The Edixa Reflex line of cameras offered similar styling cues with various design features that differentiated one from the other.

Edixa Reflex Ba © Christian Neumann via Flickr Commons

In 1959, the Edixa Reflex line offered four models, each with distinguishing features:

Type A featured shutter speeds up to 1/1000 sec.
Type B had aperture release mechanics.
Type C came with a meter.
Type D had exposure times up to 9 sec.

Edixa Reflex Mat, Edixa Reflex A, and Edixa Reflex C © Martin Hilber, s58y, and Carlos Ayala via Flickr Commons

One of the main selling points of the Edixa Reflex cameras was its interchangeable prism and focusing screens. Each Edixa Reflex camera came with a waist-level viewfinder while the pentaprism can be bought separately. Any film photographer will appreciate the quality of the focusing screen of the Edixa Reflex—they offer a clear view of the subject and the colors are quite vibrant, making for an enjoyable focusing experience.

Being an old camera design, Edixa Reflex cameras come with quirks that many photographers today might find finicky. Some models like the Reflex B lacked the automatic mirror return that modern SLRs usually have. It meant that the view is blacked out after firing the camera and will open up only after the shutter is cocked again. However, this was corrected in later models of the Reflex B.

© Mathieu Stern via YouTube

Aside from the interchangeable viewfinders and focusing screens, the aesthetics of the Edixa Reflex is undeniably one of its most alluring features. Even by today's standards, Edixa Reflex cameras still have that panache that can definitely catch the attention of enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike. The classic look and the well-machined components of the Edixa Reflex also add to their lasting charm.

Other Edixa Reflex tidbits:

  • The original name of the first Edixa SLR was Komet.
  • Heinz Waaske, the designer of the Edixa Reflex and former employee of Wirgin, later developed the iconic Ricoh 35 mm film cameras.
  • The Edixa Reflex cameras were considered to be West Germany's most successful 35 mm film camera line.
  • Edixa Reflex cameras use the M42 mount which makes it compatible with a wide variety of high-quality (and beautiful) vintage lenses.

Sample Photo Gallery

Credits: kirchbergphotography & matematica_sentimental

Technical Specifications:

Film: 35 mm cartridge film
Size of Picture: 24 x 36 mm
Shutter Speed: Edixa Reflex S 1/25 to 1/1000 of a sec. (before setting slow speeds always set the red "25" next to the red dot on the inside of knob)
Mount: M42 screw mount
Aperture: automatic for Edixa Reflex Ba
Flash Synch: 1/25th of a sec. only
Viewfinder: waist-level and pentaprism finder


All information used in this article was sourced Butkus Camera Manuals, Casual Photophile, Kash Photo, and Wirgin Edixa Reflex on Wikipedia.

written by cheeo on 2022-10-24 #gear #videos #lomopedia #camera #gear #35-mm #film-camera #wirgin #analogue-camera #lomopedia #edixa-reflex

2 Comments

  1. frau_edixa
    frau_edixa ·

    Oh, how nice of you to mention my account under that interesting article here:) thank you!

  2. kirchbergphotography
    kirchbergphotography ·

    so happy to see you feature my photos! one of my favourite cameras! thank you!

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