Description
Vintage Ensign Singlo Folding Camera
The Ensign Singlo is not so much a named model from Ensign Ltd as it is a reference you’ll see on some vintage Ensign folding cameras — specifically referring to the shutter fitted. The term “Singlo” comes from the Gauthier Singlo shutter, a simple two-speed leaf shutter made in Germany in the 1930s with speeds like 1/25, 1/75 + B & T. So cameras stamped Ensign / Singlo were typically British folding cameras made in the late 1930s that used that shutter unit.
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“Singlo” refers to the shutter type — not necessarily a distinct Ensign model name.
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The camera is usually a medium format folding camera with a bellows and a simple viewfinder, much like other popular folders of its day.
Typical features of these cameras include:
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Medium format film (usually 120) producing 6×9 cm (or in some versions smaller frames) negatives (though exact image size varies by exact body).
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A Gauthier Singlo shutter with basic shutter speeds (e.g., 1/25s, 1/75s, Bulb, Time).
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An Ensar lens made for Ensign, often around 105 mm focal length with a typical aperture range like f/7.7 – f/32.
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A folding bed with bellows, letting the camera collapse into a compact body
One example described on a collector’s blog is a British Ensign folding camera with a Gauthier Singlo shutter made pre-WWII (likely late 1930s), and the reference “Singlo” appears on the shutter plate rather than the camera body as an official model name.
If you come across such a camera, here’s what to expect:
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Classic folding design – body folds flat with bellows that open for shooting.
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Basic viewfinder – usually simple, not a rangefinder.
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Simple shutter and lens combos – reliable but basic optics (good for vintage style images or display).
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1930s British design – built before World War II when German parts like the Singlo shutter were still imported
