Wester 6×6 folders
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The Japanese company Nishida made a number of folders called Wester (?????) in the 1940s and 1950s. See also the 4.5×6 wartime Wester and the 4.5×6 postwar Semi Wester.
The Wester Chrome Six was a simple viewfinder model. The Wester Chrome Six R was a variant with an uncoupled rangefinder, some had a Zuiko F.C. 75/3.5 lens.
The Super Wester has a coupled rangefinder with a unit focusing 75mm f/3.5 lens. This is a dual format camera, and uses a film mask to switch from 6x6 to 6x45, and has 2 windows in the back for advancing either format.
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| NKK Super Wester w/ELCON 75mm f/3.5
Images by Scott (Image rights) | |||||||||
The Wester S2 and Wester Autorol (???????????) added automatic film advance, dispensing with the red windows.
The Wester Atlasix was another simple viewfinder model. The lens was a Welcon 7.5cm f/4.5 with a shutter speed to 1/300.
The Fodor Six was a name variant of the Wester Atlasix, rebadged for the Dutch distributor Fodor, with the same Welcon 7.5cm f/4.5 lens.
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| Wester Autorol image by Tsubasa Kato (Image rights) |
Bibliography
- Asahi Camera (アサヒカメラ) editorial staff. Shōwa 10–40nen kōkoku ni miru kokusan kamera no rekishi (昭和10–40年広告にみる国産カメラの歴史, Japanese camera history as seen in advertisements, 1935–1965). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1994. ISBN 4-02-330312-7. Items 387–93 and 1124.
- Lewis, Gordon, ed. The History of the Japanese Camera. Rochester, N.Y.: George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film, 1991. ISBN 0-935398-17-1 (paper), 0-935398-16-3 (hard). Pp.83 and 86 (brief mentions only).
- McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). P.738.
- Sugiyama, Kōichi (杉山浩一); Naoi, Hiroaki (直井浩明); Bullock, John R. The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras. 国産カメラ図鑑 (Kokusan kamera zukan). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1985. ISBN 4-257-03187-5. Items 1439–44.
Links
In English:
- Wester S2 in English and the original Japanese version, at Takahara Minoru's website (archived)
- Wester Atlasix in Greg Christies' pbase gallery
In Japanese:
- Wester Chrome Six repair notes at Takasaki Motohiro's camera site
- Wester Chrome Six in a post by Arcticchar at his Fishing Diary blog
- Super Wester at doraDD's clacamera blog
- Wester Autorol at Aya's camera site
- Wester Autorol recorded by Minosan, at Minosan's blog
- Wester Autorol, brief mention with one picture, at Glossostigma's website (archived)
- Wester Autorol in the first page of the Yamada Camera Museum
- Wester 6×6 folder at Ito Sadanobu's camera collection (archived)
