MPP's British 6x6 TLR — fixed-lens Microcord on 120 film, leaf shutter, waist-level finder, 1952.
The Microcord is a fixed-lens medium-format twin-lens reflex made by the British firm MPP (Micro Precision Products) in the early 1950s. It was a British-built TLR produced as a home-market alternative to imported twin-lens cameras, and drew comparison with the Rolleicord it broadly followed in design.
It is a twin-lens reflex shooting 6x6cm square frames on 120 roll film, twelve per roll. The lens is fixed, with a separate taking lens exposing the film and a viewing lens feeding the mirror and ground-glass screen. Focusing is by knob, the leaf shutter sits in the front lens standard rather than in the body, and composition is through a waist-level finder used from above.
The Microcord is a British fixed-lens TLR offering a route into square-format medium format, suiting general shooting, portraits and landscape work at a deliberate pace. It has interest as a domestic British camera as well as a user. As a fixed-lens design it offers no lens changes, and the laterally reversed viewing image common to all TLRs takes practice.
When buying a used Microcord, inspect the taking and viewing lenses for haze, fungus and separation, and check the focus knob for smooth travel. Test the leaf shutter across its speeds, watching for sticky slow speeds common on cameras of this age, as early Microcord shutters in particular are noted for needing service. Confirm the film-wind and counter work, and inspect the ground glass for brightness and cracks.