Adler A

This is a work in progress.

See also the Semi Adler and Adler III (4.5×6cm), Adler B (4.5×6cm), Adler C (4.5×6cm), Adler Four (4×4cm), Adler Six (6×6cm) and Vest Adler (4×6.5cm).

The Adler A (アドラーA型) is a 4.5×6cm folding camera sold from 1938 by Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō and its parent company Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō (predecessor of Ricoh).

Description

The camera is a rebadged version of the Collex. Its actual manufacturer is unknown. It has scissor struts inspired by the Zeh Goldi (a German 3×4cm camera), a tubular optical finder and two red windows in the back, protected by individual sliding covers. (See the page on the Collex for a full description.)

The name Adler A is normally embossed in the leather covering, at the front of the camera.

Documents

Adler A in a catalogue by Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō, c.1938. (Image rights)

The camera appears in a catalogue by Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō reproduced above, certainly dated 1938. The document says that the Adler A and Adler B were introduced after the Adler III, to extend the range of Adler cameras. The shutter is a Peerless (T, B, 5–200), marked PEERLESS at the bottom, with the round AKK logo of Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō on the right. On the pictured camera, it has a setting lever and a release arm at the front. In the text, the lens is described as a Ukas Anastigmat f/3.5, but the picture shows an Adler Anastigmat marking, with lens number 1007. The price is given as ¥85, case included.

Advertisement in Shinkō Graph August 1938. (Image rights)

The advertisement in Shinkō Graph August 1938, reproduced on the left, lists the same features and shows the same picture. Another document dated 1938 reportedly lists the Adler A for ¥90, with a ten-month payment option.

Bibliography

Original documents

• Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō. Olympic Products. Catalogue published c.1938 (date not indicated). Document reproduced in this Flickr set by Rebollo_fr.
• "Kokusan shashinki no kōtei kakaku" (国産写真機の公定価格, Set prices of the Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of October 25, 1940 and setting the retail prices from December 10, 1940. Published in Asahi Camera January 1941 and reproduced in 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. Pp.108—9. Type 3, sections 5A and 7A.
• Shinkō Graph (新光グラフ) August 1938. Advertisement by Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō on p.39.

Recent sources

• 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. Item 4.
• 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.828.
• 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. Item 1028.
• Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Senzen no kamera 2: Supuringu kamera" (戦前のカメラ2・スプリングカメラ, Prewar cameras 2: folding cameras). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp.16–9.

Links

In Japanese:

• Adler A in a page of the AJCC website
• Adler A and repair notes at Japan Family Camera (the camera is wrongly called "Adler B")
• Adler A & B in the Ricoh camera list of the Ricoh official website (contains mistakes)
• Advertisement for the Riken camera range (on the left) published in the 26 February 1939 issue of Sunday Mainichi, reproduced in the camera company page of the Gochamaze website