This page acts as an INDEX to the Ilford Sportsman camera range, distributed by Ilford for around 10 years, starting in 1957.
An INDEX to 'Other' Ilford cameras, can be found by clicking this link:
Non-ILFORD cameras, named as if in the Sportsman range, sold by Photopia in 1981/82:

Despite the number of cameras shown on my two Index pages, MANY other Ilford cameras exist, some relatively rare in the UK as they were never marketed here. A gentleman named Andy Holliman, whose father Albert was Ilford's Marketing Manager (Cameras) and later Product Group Manager (Equipment), has published a book which shows most all of them and gives background information relating to the more noteworthy. His book is entitled: Faces, People and Places; The Cameras of Ilford Limited; 1899-2005; ISBN: 0-9545342-1-2

For an introduction to Andy's book and to read about the origins of the Sportsman camera range and ILFORD's Amateur Products Division, please click on Ilford Sportsman History.

An interesting and informative e-mail came to me from a gentleman named Mervyn. He told me "I went over to 35 mm cameras at age 16 when I bought an Agfa Sillette with 2.8 Apotar lens. At that time I looked intently at which 35mm camera to buy – my limit was about £22 and so an Ilford Sportsman was a real option. Snag was that when I looked at brand new ones in the shop windows I invariably saw that the leatherette covering was pealing away at the edges! This was not just a one-off, but rather applied to all the ones I saw. It must have made a really bad impression on me for me to remember it over 40 years later. So I looked at some of the Sportsman cameras pictured on your website with interest & I am sure I can see the same problem on some of them. I got really good pictures with my Agfa, so I was not disappointed with my final choice". Mervyn is exactly right. It seems that no Sportsman camera is immune to the problem of the leatherette lifting around the edges. I had thought the problem was one of old age, since all Sportsman cameras are at least 40 years old, but thanks to Mervyn I now know that the problem was present right from their time of manufacture.

Below are shown those ILFORD Sportsman cameras which were sold in the UK, plus a few others that have come to light during the preparation of this website. The compilation is far from complete.

Operating Instructions are included on the respective web pages for the Original 1957 Sportsman, the Style 2, the Style 4, the Prontor 125, the Style 5 and the Sportsmaster.