Wester 6×6 folders
Fodor Six. image by Jan Weijers. (Image rights) |
The Japanese company Nishida made a number of folders called Wester (ウエスター) 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 helical focusing and a coupled rangefinder. A film mask is used to switch from 6x6 to 6x45 format and 2 windows in the back help with advancing for either format. The Wester S2 and Wester Autorol (ウエスターオートロール) 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.
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 Itō Sadanobu's camera collection (archived)