Petri Speed Reflex (1919)

The Speed Reflex (1919) represents a very early, though likely experimental, entry into the nascent 35mm camera market by Japanese manufacturer Petri. Introduced in 1919, just a few years before Leica's groundbreaking Model I, it utilized the now-standard 135 film format. Given the date and the lack of detailed specifications surviving, its exact mechanism and design remain unknown, but its name suggests a focusing system employing a reflex principle, possibly a simple reflex viewfinder rather than a through-the-lens system. It highlights the intense global interest in compact, high-quality photography during the late 1910s and early 1920s, preceding the widespread adoption of 35mm as a serious format. While historically intriguing for its early date and use of 135 film, its obscurity and lack of documented innovations or widespread adoption place it firmly in the realm of an early experimental or limited-production curiosity rather than a commercially influential design.