Minion
Template:127 Japan The Minion was a series of folding cameras taking 4x5cm pictures on 127 film, made by Tokyo Kogaku (future Topcon), just before and just after the war. Topcon later made 35mm cameras called Minion 35, see the corresponding page.
All the Minion have automatic stop advance, because the 127 film paperback is not marked for the unusual 4x5cm format, rendering the traditional red window advance impossible. However none of them had body release or double exposure prevention.
The Minion I was released in 1937. It had a folding optical viewfinder, a Tokyo Kogaku Toko 60/3.5 lens and a Seikosha Licht shutter. It existed in black or chrome versions. There were small variations during the production.
The Minion II followed in 1940, with a modified viewfinder and other minor variations. It also existed in black or chrome versions. Some people call all the black models Minion I and all the prewar chrome models Minion II, that is apparently a mistake.
After the war, it is said some Minion II were still assembled, then the Minion III appeared in 1946, basically the same camera with a Tokyo Kogaku Simlar 60/3.5 lens and a Seikosha-Rapid T-B-1-500 shutter.
Bibliography
- Topcon Story, by Marco Antonetto and Cluadio Russo, ed. NWG
