Fujica Six
The Fujica Six, a 6×6 folding viewfinder camera, was the very first camera to be produced by Fuji Photo Film. The first version came out in 1948, the last in 1953.
There were three main styles, of which the first and third came in a number of varieties.
Model I
model | IA | IB | IC | IAS | ICS | IBS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
variant | a | b | c | |||||
lens | Fuji | Rectar | ||||||
aperture | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 | ||||
shutter | Lotus | S.R. | NKSZ | S.R. | NKS | |||
max speed | 200 | 500 | 200 | 500 | 200 | |||
flash terminal | none | 2-pin | 1-pin | 2-pin | German | 2-pin | ||
self-timer | yes | no | yes | no | yes | |||
release | April 1948 | August 1948 | June 1949 | August 1949 | 1949 | 1950 | ||
price in Japan | ¥5250 | ¥6200 | [export] | ¥5250 | [export] | ¥6200 |
The Fujica Six I, of which there were six acknowledged models, is a very simply designed camera. A single button serves to open both the front and the viewfinder, which consists of two metal-framed lenses. Film is inserted on the right and advanced to the left. Film advance requires use of the red window. There is only one of these: there is no provision for 6×4.5.
Thanks to the folding finder, this camera is particularly light and compact.
Within the name, "A" seems to have referred to the f4.5 lens, "B" to f3.5, "C" to a top speed of 1/500 (in addition to the f3.5 lens), and "S" to flash synchronization. The three variants of the IIBS were not labeled in any way; our use of "a", "b" and "c" is merely arbitrary and for the reader's convenience.
In the table here, "S.R." stands for Seikosha Rapid. "German" was the contemporary name for what is now (2006) the standard design of flash terminal.
Model IIBS
In November 1950, Fuji released the Fujica Six IIBS. Based on what we have called variant "c" of the IBS (see table above), this had the innovation of a rigid viewfinder attached to the otherwise flat top plate of the camera.
Few examples of the IIBS were sold to the Japanese public; but some were, perhaps for around ¥10,000.
Model IIC
model | IICS | IICR | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
variant | a | b | c | |
lens | Rectar | Fujinar | ||
shutter | Seikosha Rapid | F.R. | ||
max speed | 500 | 200 | ||
flash terminal | Kodak | German | ||
self-timer | no | yes | ||
release | April 1952 | 1953 |
The Fujica Six IIC, of which two models were acknowledged, was radically redesigned. Most obviously, the diacast body had a smooth top, curving over the rigid viewfinder. Optically too it was superior: the Rectar lens (itself soon to be replaced) of the earliest variant of the IICS was improved from its predecessor. The camera was unit-focusing: the entire lens assembly, and not just the frontmost element, moved for focusing.
The camera sold for ¥18,000.
The three variants of the IICS were not labeled in any way; our use of "a", "b" and "c" is merely arbitrary and for the reader's convenience. In the table here, "F.R." stands for Fuji Rectus. (In the name of the camera, "S" seems to have stood for Seikosha and "R" for Rectus.)
Further reading / reference
- Koyasu Yoshinobu (子安栄信). "Fuji Shashin Firumu no kamera no subete" (富士写真フィルムのカメラのすべて All the cameras of Fuji Photo Film). In "Fuji Shashin Firumu no kamera" (富士写真フィルムのカメラ The cameras of Fuji Photo Film), no. 44 of Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera no Senka. Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1997. ISBN 4-257-13013-X (In Japanese only.) Koyasu deals with the Fujica Six on pp. 18–21.