WIPA
WIPA was perhaps the acronym of a Japanese lens maker. The name WIPA NIPPON and a WIPA logo[1] appear on
- Yamat-Anastigmat 18cm f/4.5 barrel lens for large format cameras (engraved YAMAT–Anastigmat 1:4.5 F=18cm WIPA NIPPON [unreadable]).[2]
- Yamat-Anastigmat 21cm f/4.5 barrel lens for large format cameras (engraved YAMAT–Anastigmat 1:4.5 F=21cm WIPA NIPPON N°13xxx).[3]
The name "Yamat" is certainly a peculiar romanization of Yamato (やまと or 大和), one of the numerous words meaning "Japan", perhaps playing with the "mat" termination of "Anastigmat".
Notes
- ↑ A triplet lens with the letters WIPA in the central element.
- ↑ Seen in a Japanese on-line auction as a single lens (February 2012)
- ↑ The known lenses follow the serial number pattern 13xxx, possibly a reference to Showa 13 (=1938). Documented examples are:
- Lens sn 13129, offered for sale as lot no.736 of Westlicht Photographica Auction no.6 (November 2004), and the same lens sold as lot no.858 of Westlicht auction no.15 (May 2009).
- Lens sn 13135, seen in a Japanese on-line auction (July 2017) .
- Lens sn 13185, seen in a Japanese on-line auction (May 2012) and mounted to a Asanuma Field Camera .