Accura reflex housing
The Accura reflex housing was certainly made in Japan in the late 1950s.
Contents
Description
The Accura reflex housing consists of a mirror box and interchangeable finders.
Main mirror box
The main mirror box has an all black hammertome finish, and is inscribed ACCURA at the front. The mirror control mechanism is contained in a cylindrical part on the right, with a release lever on the front, and a connector at the top, plugged into the camera's shutter button via a cable. The device has two tripod threads, at the bottom and on the right.
The Accura reflex housing has only been observed in Leica screw mount, and has another 39mm screw mount at the front. The film-to-flange register is certainly the same as on the Leitz PLOOT or Visoflex I.
The mirror box has a bayonet mount at the top, surrounded by a black and chrome knurled row, to attach a viewfinder.
Viewfinders
The known viewfinders have the same black hammertone finish as the main part. The loupe finder is a cylindrical chimney with a magnifying lens at the top. The eye-level finder reminds the Leitz PAMOO right-angle magnifier for the Visoflex I. It has a peculiar spherical shape, with a large facet at the front, inscribed III ACCURA.
A variant of that eye-level finder, also inscribed III ACCURA, reportedly exists with a different bayonet mount, larger than that of the mirror box.[1] The use of this variant is unknown.
Manufacturer and date
The Accura brand was used by an unknown distributor, and the actual manufacturer of the device is unknown too. No original document showing the Accura reflex housing has yet been found. The device notably does not appear in the June 1955 special issue of Photo Art, entirely dedicated to camera accessories, which lists the Mirax by Orion Seiki and the Kenko reflex housing. This might indicate that the Accura was not yet available at the time, and was made in the late 1950s.
Notes
Bibliography
- Photo Art rinji zōkan: Kamera akusesarī zensho (フォトアート臨時増刊・カメラアクセサリー全書, Photo Art special issue: All the camera accessories). June 1955, no.80 of the magazine. The Accura reflex housing does not appear in this magazine.
Links
In English:
- Accura reflex housing in a page on the Visoflex at Gary's elshaw.tripod.com
- Thread on the Accura reflex housing at Rangefinderforum.com
