The Dai Cornex takes its name from the Corn Hill area of London, and also for the fact that this drop-plate camera had a unique, daylight-loading system. The camera comes complete with 12 numbered metal plateholders - the photographer would load 11 of them, with the twelfth being a 'dummy'. The stack of plates in their holders was then light-tight, and could be loaded outside the darkroom.

Rear of the Dai Cornex showing a stack of plates in the used (exposed) position

Up front, the camera featured a Beck lens and string-set Bausch & Lomb shutter. The top two images show a small leather braid protruding from the left side of the camera - this was attached to the string that readied the shutter. The photographer could use a side-mounted shutter release for instantaneous work, or a pneumatic release with a rubber bulb for tripod-mounted time exposures. In either case, the string was necessary to set the shutter.

Scale focusing was achieved with the knob below this braid - as the photographer turned the knob, the entire lensboard moved forward or back, with the camera to subject distance indicated on the small lever above the focusing knob. Since the camera lacked a ground glass, the photographer had to rely on this distance scale, plus his knowledge of depth of field to make sure the subject was in focus.

The large curved brass plate on the inside of the camera's front door was an elaborate lens and viewfinder cap. The camera could be operated with the front door closed if this brass piece was swung down and out of the way.