Adox Adrette II (1950s)

A viewfinder camera from the 1950s with a design older than its badge. It came out of a forced corporate takeover in Germany.

Overview

The Adox Adrette II is a 35mm viewfinder from the postwar boom, and its history starts before the war. It began as the Wirgin Edinex, a compact metal-bodied camera. It was rebranded as the Adox Adrette after 1939, when the Jewish-owned Wirgin company was seized by the Nazi regime and handed over to Dr. C. Schleussner Fotowerke, the firm behind the Adox name. Production halted during the war. By the 1950s the design was back as a budget camera, still sold under the Adox-Edinex and Adrette II names well into the decade.

It was not a technological marvel by 1950s standards. While other companies built rangefinders or put new styling on plastic bodies, the Adrette II kept the same proven scale-focus chassis, helical focusing (on later models), and compact 35mm film handling that made the original Edinex one of the earliest serious compact 35mm cameras. It is small enough for a coat pocket and built from solid metal. It operates with a mechanical precision that belies its modest price. There's no meter, no automatic exposure, and not even a flash sync on many versions. You get a lens, a shutter, and a window to frame the shot.

The optics and shutters varied with the year and configuration. Some cameras carried the Adoxar f/3.5, others the Steinheil Cassar or the Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar f/2.8 or Xenon f/2. These weren't throw-in lenses. They were real glass, capable of sharp, character-rich images when stopped down. Paired with a Compur-Rapid or Prontor II shutter, the camera could handle 1/500 sec, which was fast for its class, and offered a B setting for night shots. It wasn't a Leica. It was a working photographer's backup, a student's first serious camera, or a traveler's discreet companion.

Specifications

Key Features

Helical Focusing and Mechanical Precision

The Adrette II followed earlier Adrette models that used front-cell or telescoping focusing, where only the front lens element moved. The II introduced a proper helical focusing mechanism. The entire lens assembly rotates and moves forward, which allows more accurate focus and better optical performance, especially at close distances. It also signaled that Adox, or whoever was assembling these in the 1950s, was still refining a prewar design rather than just rehashing it. The focusing action is tight but fluid, with clear distance markings on the scale. Because it's a scale-focus camera, depth-of-field estimation is essential. There's no rangefinder patch and no split image. You guess, you zone, you stop down.

Modular Build, Hidden Flexibility

The Adrette II was modular at the factory, a trait inherited from its Wirgin roots. It was sold as a fixed-lens camera, but it wasn't built that way. Wirgin and later Schleussner assembled these with interchangeable lens and shutter units, so two Adrette IIs could look identical but perform very differently. A model with a Radionar f/2.9 and Compur-Rapid shutter is a far more capable tool than one with a basic Adoxar and Prontor II, even if they wear the same badge. This makes collecting tricky, because you can't just buy "an Adrette II" and assume quality. You have to inspect the lens and shutter combo. The best versions, especially those with Schneider glass, can produce results that rival contemporary Zeiss Ikon models. The budget builds feel like what they were: affordable, functional tools.

Compact Design with Prewar DNA

Many 1950s cameras were getting bulkier, adding rangefinders or plastic trim. The Adrette II stayed true to its 1930s roots. The body is all metal, with a smooth, slightly curved top plate and a compact footprint that fits in the palm. The film advance is a knurled knob, not a lever. It's a throwback, but it works reliably. The back opens with a hinged door (a later feature also found on postwar Edinex models), which makes loading easier than slide-off backs. There's no self-timer, no multiple exposure prevention, and not even a hot shoe on most examples. Point, focus, cock, shoot.

Historical Context

In 1939, brothers Henry and Josef Wirgin, Jewish industrialists who founded Wirgin in Wiesbaden, were forced to flee Nazi Germany. Their factory, tooling, and designs were seized and handed over to Dr. C. Schleussner Fotowerke, a Frankfurt-based company better known for photo paper and chemistry than cameras. The Wirgin Edinex became the Adox Adrette with the same tooling, the same design, and a new badge. Production continued until wartime demands halted it around 1942. After the war, the Wirgin brothers returned, reclaimed their company, and eventually released updated Edinex models (including the Edinex II and III). Adox kept making and selling the old design anyway. Whether they used leftover parts, reactivated tooling, or had a separate production line, the Adrette II and Adox-Edinex name lived on into the 1950s, even as Wirgin moved on.

That makes the Adrette II a camera out of time. By the mid-1950s, the market was shifting toward rangefinders, SLRs, and more automated designs. Yet here was a prewar viewfinder, sold new for $18.95 in 1957 (about $210 today), competing with newer but often more fragile offerings. It wasn't cutting-edge, but it was honest, durable, and capable. For budget-conscious buyers in Europe and the US, it was a solid entry into 35mm photography. It also let Adox, a company rooted in chemistry, keep a presence in the camera market without investing in new designs.

Collectibility & Value

Today the Adox Adrette II is a quiet favorite among collectors who like underdog stories and functional design. It's not scarce, but complete, working examples with desirable lenses (especially Schneider Xenar or Xenon) are increasingly hard to find. Most turn up on eBay or European auction sites in "as-found" condition: cosmetically worn, shutter sticky, lens cloudy. Fully serviced units with clean glass and accurate shutter speeds can command $150 - $250, depending on the lens. A mint example with a Schneider f/2 Xenon might reach $400 at auction, but those are exceptions.

The biggest risk in buying one is assuming it works. These cameras are 70+ years old, and the leaf shutters, especially Prontor and Compur types, are prone to oil drying, sticking blades, or slow speeds. The helical focusing mechanism can seize if not used. Light seals are long gone, so expect light leaks unless replaced. The film pressure plate can warp, leading to uneven focus. Many were sold without flash sync, so don't count on using one with strobes unless the circuit (if present) has been verified.

Before buying, check that the shutter fires cleanly at all speeds, the lens elements are free of haze and separation, and the focusing ring turns smoothly. Look for the later helical focus models (Adrette II) over the earlier front-cell versions, which are more reliable and optically better. Avoid any with heavy corrosion, dented bodies, or cracked viewfinder glass. This isn't a camera to buy for daily use. It's a project, a display piece, or a weekend shooter.

eBay Listings

Collectible cameras Adox Adrette II C. 1940

$270

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