Egorette
The Egolette (エゴレット) is a Japanese camera taking 4.5×6cm film plates. It is only known from an advertisement in the June 1932 issue of Asahi Camera, placed by the maker Yamamoto Shashinki Kōsakusho. In this document, the name is written in katakana script only, and the Roman name "Egolette" is hypothetical.
The camera is described as "a detective (or spy) camera of the Argus type". Argus is the name of the predecessor of the Ergo by Contessa-Nettel, shaped as a monocular, and the Egolette is probably a copy.
The lens is a meniscus, the shutter gives 25–100, T speeds, and three distance settings are available (far, medium and close). The price is given as ¥18, including three plate holders. The company was looking for authorized dealers, maybe an indication that the camera was a fairly recent model.
Advertisement published in the June 1932 issue of Asahi Camera. Click on the image for a translation. (Image rights) |
Bibliography
- Asahi Camera (アサヒカメラ) June 1932. Advertisement by Yamamoto Shashinki Kōsakusho on p.A39.
The camera is not mentioned in the article in Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.22, listing other Japanese cameras taking 4.5×6cm plates.