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Lumax 45mm f1.9, manufactured by Corfield of England. This was the premium standard lens for the Periflex 3, introduced in 1957, a rather unusual SLR camera featuring an ingenious periscope-type viewfinder. The standard lens supplied with the camera at the time was a Tessar-type 45mm f2.8.
For some reason, Corfield adopted the Leica L39 screw mount, despite the lens having no rangefinder coupling. The flange focal distance is also identical to that of the Leica. Thanks to this unusual choice, the lens can now be enjoyed on Leica cameras as well as digital mirrorless cameras via adapters.
The lens was manufactured in West Germany under license from Wray of England, probably by Enna. The base of the barrel bears the inscription LIC'D BY WRAY (Licensed by Wray). The optical design consists of six elements in four groups. The distance scale is marked in feet. Unfortunately, there is no filter thread on the front rim, so finding a suitable hood or filter may prove a little challenging. 😅
Both the Periflex and the Wrayflex, much like British shoes and clothing, are cameras that demand a certain amount of patience and perseverance from their owners. Yet, somewhat surprisingly, they sold in respectable numbers. Perhaps they were particularly well suited to the British temperament! (lol)
The minimum focusing distance allows you to get remarkably close to your subject, just approximately 22cm from the front of the lens! Thanks to its aluminum barrel, the lens is also exceptionally lightweight at just 158g on our scale, despite its relatively fast f1.9 maximum aperture.
This lens was previously sold by our shop and has now returned to us after being carefully used and cherished by its previous owner.
There are some small scratches on the front edge of the lens barrel and slight corrosion on the aluminum body, but overall, it shows little sign of use. The leather covering and black-painted parts retain their deep black finish.
A full overhaul, including focus adjustment, was carried out in 2026. Both the aperture ring and focusing helicoid operate smoothly with just the right amount of resistance.
The glass is beautifully clear, with only extremely minor coating deterioration visible under strong LED light. There are no cleaning marks or haze.
The results of our actual shooting test were also excellent. Sample images are available in our test gallery. We hope you will take a look.
The lens comes with its small original box, featuring purple velvet and gold trim that give it a wonderfully elegant and luxurious appearance.
