1952 Rectaflex 3000: Italian rotary-barrelled gun camera
This Italian camera was the brainchild of Italian lawyer, industrialist and camera enthusiast Telemaco Corsi. Apparently, the Rectaflex 35mm SLR camera with a focal plane shutter, and having interchangeable lenses was one of the first cameras designed with a pentaprism in 1948 (commercially produced). The other was the 35mm Contax S commercially produced in 1949 (But the patents were filed in 1941 if we're going to nitpick). Single Lens Reflex cameras was a step forward from the Twin Lens Reflex cameras like the Rolleiflex of 1928. The TLR camera had two lenses, the lower one to take the picture, and the upper one with a fixed mirror to see the subject. If removing one lens, giving a much smaller and easier-to-use camera, one had to have a moving mirror. When looking down through the open body, one will see the subject via the 45-degree mirror. When pressing the release button, the mirror goes up, letting the light through to the film (in cooperation with the shutter mechanism). Regular non-rotor models from various series could be converted to the Rectaflex Rotor specifications. A special version of the Rectaflex series 25000 existed with 24x32 format and a microscope adapter for scientific use. A wooden shoulder stock could be attached to the pistol grip with trigger, which in turn was connected to the rotor assembly disc, giving an option for pistol or rifle mode.
Rectaflex series 30000 with a three lens turret (Rotor). According to the record, less than 100 units of them were made. This camera comes with a turret, leather case, shoulder stock, leather strap, back up body (how cool is that) and three lenses. Lenses known to have been used with the Rectaflex 3000:
Filotecnica Salmoiraghi-Milano-Beta 3.5/5cm Angenieux Type Z2 2.9/50mm Angenieux Retrofocus Type R1 2.5/35mm
Angenieux Type Y2 3.5/135mm with front lens cap.
Tessar 3.5/7.5cm
