Micro Precision Products
Encyclopedia
Micro Precision Products Ltd (MPP) was a British optical company that between 1941 and 1982 produced cameras and related equipment. (From 1976, its name was MPP Photographic Products Ltd.)
MPP was formed in 1941 to sell equipment produced by Celestion
Ltd.; in its early days, MPP employees also worked for Celestion or the related McMurdo Instrument Co. MPP was based in London: in Kingston
until 1976, Wandsworth
thereafter.
The Micro-Press Camera was a press camera
available through the 1950s.
MPP is the only postwar British manufacturer of twin-lens reflex camera
s. The Microcord (1951) was based on the Rollei
cord; it was soon (1952) followed by the Microcord Mk II, with an improved shutter (the German Prontor). The Ross
lens is of high quality. In 1958, MPP brought out the lever-wound Microflex, inspired by the Rollei
flex. This had excellent optics (by Taylor, Taylor and Hobson
) and the camera was well made, but the crank invited hard use for which it was not designed. Shortly after its introduction, Britain dropped the high duty rates that had made Rollei equipment prohibitively expensive, and the Microflex had to be heavily discounted.
Other products included enlargers (even for large format), projectors, and a flashgun that was later the basis of Darth Vader
's lightsaber
in Star Wars.
(Dead Link - June 2011)
MPP was formed in 1941 to sell equipment produced by Celestion
Celestion
Celestion is a British maker of loudspeakers.-History:The work of what would become Celestion started in Hampton Wick in 1924. Celestion Radio Company and Celestion Limited were formed in 1927, and two years later the company moved across the Thames to Kingston. The company grew rapidly, but was...
Ltd.; in its early days, MPP employees also worked for Celestion or the related McMurdo Instrument Co. MPP was based in London: in Kingston
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
until 1976, Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
thereafter.
Products
MPP's first major product was the Micro-Technical Camera, in 1948. This was far in advance of any other camera produced in Britain. Mark II followed in 1949; Mark III in 1951; Marks VI, VII and VIII in 1952, 1956, and 1963. (Marks IV and V were not sold.) These had the full versatility and quality of technical cameras; some are still (2005) in professional use.The Micro-Press Camera was a press camera
Press camera
A press camera is a medium or large format camera suitable for use by press photographers.Press cameras were widely used from the 1900s through the early 1960s and commonly had the following features:* collapsibility into strong, compact boxes...
available through the 1950s.
MPP is the only postwar British manufacturer of twin-lens reflex camera
Twin-lens reflex camera
A twin-lens reflex camera is a type of camera with two objective lenses of the same focal length. One of the lenses is the photographic objective or "taking lens" , while the other is used for the viewfinder system, which is usually viewed from above at waist level...
s. The Microcord (1951) was based on the Rollei
Rollei
Rollei is a German manufacturer of optical goods founded in 1920 by Paul Franke and Reinhold Heidecke in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, and maker of the Rolleiflex and Rolleicord series of cameras...
cord; it was soon (1952) followed by the Microcord Mk II, with an improved shutter (the German Prontor). The Ross
Ross (optics)
Ross is the name of a succession of London-based lens designers and their company.Andrew Ross founded his company in 1830, from 1840 he began producing camera lenses signed "A. Ross"...
lens is of high quality. In 1958, MPP brought out the lever-wound Microflex, inspired by the Rollei
Rollei
Rollei is a German manufacturer of optical goods founded in 1920 by Paul Franke and Reinhold Heidecke in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, and maker of the Rolleiflex and Rolleicord series of cameras...
flex. This had excellent optics (by Taylor, Taylor and Hobson
Cooke Optics
Cooke Optics Ltd. is a camera lens manufacturing company based in Leicester, known earlier as Taylor, Taylor and Hobson and then Taylor Hobson. T. S. Taylor, an optician, his brother W. Taylor, an engineer, and a Mr Hobson, a businessman, formed the company in 1886.The name Cooke originally came...
) and the camera was well made, but the crank invited hard use for which it was not designed. Shortly after its introduction, Britain dropped the high duty rates that had made Rollei equipment prohibitively expensive, and the Microflex had to be heavily discounted.
Other products included enlargers (even for large format), projectors, and a flashgun that was later the basis of Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
's lightsaber
Lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
in Star Wars.
Further reading
- Skinner, Basil. Micro Precision Products: The MPP story and the products. Newquay, Cornwall: MPP Publications, 2004. ISBN 0-9546070-1-5
- Wakefield, George L. Camera movements. London: Fountain Press, 1955. The book first describes the movements possible with an MPP Micro Technical Camera Mark VI, and then discusses the use of those movements with this camera.
Source
- Skinner, Basil. Micro Precision Products: The MPP story and the products. See http://www.mpritchard.com/photoresearch/mpp.htm
(Dead Link - June 2011)