Ad for a Kodak Reflex II camera in April, 1949
Toronto. One issue that Kodak likely had with its folders and box cameras was tiny, dim, viewers. Kodak solved this problem in many ways. One was advertised in the April, 1949 issue of Popular Mechanics – a TLR with a fresnel lens behind the ground glass.
The fresnel lens is like a plano- convex or bi-convex lens smashed down to make it light (often made of plastic – you likely saw the letter size plastic sheet magnifiers that use a fresnel lens to make the magnifier flat and light – they were popular a few years ago).
Kodak called its TLR camera the ‘Kodak Reflex II Camera’ It was basically the original Reflex with a built-in ‘Ektalite Field Lens’ or fresnel lens under the original ground glass. The model II was offered from 1948-1954 according to McKeown’s guide.
