Altair
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| From Asahi Camera February 1955. (Image rights). |
The Altair (アルテア) is a Japanese prototype SLR, announced in early 1955 by Arae Kōgaku. It was closely inspired by the Contax S, and incorporated a quick-return mirror.
Announce
The Altair is known from a single article in the February 1955 issue of Asahi Camera.[1] The document says that the camera was designed by Arae Taikichi (荒江泰吉), and also mentions the company Arae Kōgaku,[1] certainly founded specially for the Altair.
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| Announce in Asahi Camera February 1955. (Image rights). |
The camera was announced as a prototype only, but it was said that it could appear on the market at the end of March, for around ¥30,000.[1] The resemblance to the Contax S was criticized by the journalist, a sign that times were changing in Japan, and that copying foreign designs was no longer considered as normal.[1] For the future, the designer announced the addition of slow speeds, lever advance and a split-image finder.[1]
The article ends saying that it would be nice that the camera was made for real, instead of disappearing as the Phoenix SLR prototype announced in September of the previous year.[1] Ironically, the Altair would never appear again, whereas the Phoenix would revive as the Miranda T in mid-1955.
Description of the body
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| From Asahi Camera February 1955. (Image rights). |
The shape of the body and position of the controls are similar to the Contax S. The main body has angled ends, with perhaps eight or twelve edges. There is a fixed pentaprism finder offset to the left (as seen by the photographer). Its casing goes down around the lens attachment. The name ALTAIR appears at the front, together with a logo.
The film is advanced by a knob at the right end, and rewound by another symmetrical knob. The back opens laterally,[1] perhaps by way of a hinge. The camera can indifferently take film cartridges or refillable cassettes (like those of the Canon).[1]
The shutter is of the focal-plane type, and speeds are selected among B, 25, 50, 120, 250, 500, 1000,[1] certainly on a dial between the pentaprism and advance knob. The control seems to protrude from the top plate, and is not the same as on the Contax S. The shutter release is placed the same as on the German camera, in a slanted position at the front of the body. The camera is synchronized for flash, with FP synch up to 1/50.[1]
Quick return mirror
 
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| Utility model no.S34-1750, for the quick return mirror of the Altair. Downloaded from the IPDL, in accordance to the IPDL policies. |
The design contains a quick-return mirror, driven by the shutter. In the Asahi Camera article, the mechanism is described as similar to that of the Asahiflex II released in late 1954.[1] Arae Taikichi said something of a patent for the Altair, made difficult by the Asahiflex.[1] This certainly corresponds to the utility model reproduced above, which was applied for in July 1955, and only published in February 1959.[2]
Lenses
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| Altair with 56/2 and 130/2.1. From Asahi Camera February 1955. (Image rights). |
The lens mount is not known for sure, but the design similarity with the Contax S makes it highly probably that the camera takes 42mm screw lenses. Various lenses were announced. These were designed by Kurebayashi Juichi (樽林寿一), good friend of Arae Taikichi.[1]
The standard lens fitted on the camera for its presentation in February 1955 was a Rigel Juichi (リゲル・ジュイチ) 56/2, named after the star and the designer's given name.[1] It was said that a 56/1.4 was being developed and would be adopted as standard.[1] Both were announced as focusing down to 1.5ft.[1]
The camera was also pictured together with a 130/2.1 tele lens, and 75/2 and 40/2.8 lenses were mentioned as under development or testing.[1]
Notes
Bibliography
- Arae Taikichi (荒江泰吉). Japanese utility model (実用新案) no.S34-1750. Applied for (出現) on Jul. 4, 1955 and published (公告) on Feb. 12, 1959. Available in the IPDL patent database.
- Asahi Camera February 1955. "Shinseihin memo" (新製品メモ, New products memo). P.182.
- Mabuchi, Sam. "In search of the missing Altair camera". In The PHSC E-mail, vol.6–10, supplement to Photographic Canadiana, Feb. 2007, pp.4–5. Also published in Camera Shopper no.173, Mar. 2007, pp.11–2. (This article contains a partial reproduction of an article by Hagiya Takeshi [萩谷剛] in an unspecified issue of Kurashikku Kamera Senka.)
