ENSIGN Vest Pocket Analogue folding camera

Ensign 'Vest Pocket' – 127 roll-film camera – fully functional – nice condition

Ensign Vest Pocket folding camera, an elegant and compact 127 roll-film camera from the 1920s. This example is in good condition for its age and is fully functional – an increasingly rare combination.

The Vest Pocket Ensign is made from aluminum sheet material, which makes the camera unusually light. Unlike simple box cameras from the same period, this model offers more operating options, including an adjustable aperture and a limited selection of shutter speeds. The focus is fixed, as is typical for this type of camera.

Thanks to the folding construction reinforced with struts, the lens board remains stable when the bellows are extended. This prevents distortion and contributes to uniform sharpness across the negative—a thoughtfully designed feature for its time.

The camera is suitable for 127 roll film. The designation “Vest Pocket” was originally introduced by Kodak for compact cameras of this format and was later adopted by other manufacturers. On the front is listed The Houghton-Butcher Manufacturing Co. Ltd.; the merger of Houghtons and Butchers took place in January 1926. From 1930 the brand name Ensign was officially used as the sales name.

state
- Nice, well-kept condition suitable for its age.
Mechanically fully functional.
- Balg is intact
- Sluiter is functioning.
- No disturbing damage

Why is it interesting?
- Authentic British folding camera from the interwar period.
- Fully functional (not just decorative)
- Compact and lightweight design
- Very appealing to collectors and enthusiasts of analog photography

A charming and technically interesting collector's item, but also a camera that can still be used in practice.

The photos are part of the auction and give a good impression of the condition.