Arco 35

This is a work in progress.

The Arco 35 (アルコ35) is a series of Japanese 35mm folders with a coupled rangefinder, made by Arco from 1952 to 1957. There were two successive generations: first the Arco 35 and Arco 35 Junior, then the Arco 35 Automat with lever advance and a bright-frame finder.

The Arco 35 (I) and Arco 35 Junior

Description

The Arco 35 is a horizontal folder, unlike most other 35mm folding cameras. The first generation of Arco 35 has a prismatic body with sharp edges and strap lugs on both sides. The lens and shutter assembly is mounted on a square plate, moved back and forth for focusing and driven by a knob at the top left, as seen by the photographer. The ergonomics is similar to that of the 1951 Vito III. However the front standard is not guided by rails but mounted on a pair of scissor struts, and its movement involves dropping the folding bed: this system is similar to that of the Certo Dollina. The focus knob is graduated in feet and inches: from ∞ to 3ft then from 32in to 14in. It is concentric to the rewind knob, which has an R in an arrow to indicate the turning direction.

The viewfinder and coupled rangefinder are contained in a casing placed in the middle of the top plate, above the folding bed and front standard. They are built as a functional unit, removable as a whole when the camera is dismantled, as opposed to bits and pieces directly attached to the top plate. They share a common eyepiece on the right, and have two rectangular windows at the front: a large one on the right for the viewfinder and a smaller one on the left for the rangefinder's second image. The casing has an accessory shoe at the top and is engraved Arco 35 (on the original model) or Arco 35 J (on the Junior). The camera also has the serial number or a registered design number inscribed in small characters above the eyepiece, depending on the particular example (see the evolution below).

The film is advanced by a knob at the top right, surrounded by an exposure counter graduated from 0 to 39 and containing a film reminder. Next to the advance knob are the release button and the rewind unlock slider with A–R indications. The Arco 35 models have double exposure prevention, as most 35mm cameras. The back is removable to load the film, and is locked in place by a latch on the left, consisting of a long sliding bar.

The folding bed is opened by a button at the top, and it is closed by pushing two small levers, on either side of the lens standard. There is an Arco logo embossed in the leatherette of the folding bed. The lens standard has a threaded hole at the top, used to couple the View-Arco device (see below).

The shutter is a Seikosha-Rapid (B, 1–500, self-timer), cocked by a lever on the shutter housing itself. The lens is a five-element Colinar 5cm f/2.8 on the original Arco 35 and a four-element Colinar 50mm f/3.5 on the Arco 35 Junior. The aperture is set by a thin dented ring, driving an index on a scale placed above the shutter.

Evolution of the Arco 35 (I)

The Arco 35 was first announced in Japanese magazines dated October and November 1952. It is called "Arco 35 I" only in retrospect and was advertised as "Arco 35" or "Arco 35 (f/2.8)" after the release of the Junior. The earliest advertisements were published in December 1952, the one in Asahi Camera perhaps shows a prototype with a serial number ending in 001. The lens engraving reads HC for Hard Coated instead of the red C. of the regular examples, and the lens number is perhaps 100002.

The early Arco 35 have an ASA synch bayonet and a small button sliding back and forth to open the folding bed. The advance knob has an A in an arrow to indicate the winding direction and a film reminder disc rotating underneath, visible under two windows. The body serial number is engraved on the top casing above the finder eyepiece. From some point, the accessory shoe received the engraving Reg. 103138, certainly the reference of a registered design; this was absent on the presumed prototype of the December 1952 advertisement.

The intermediate Arco 35 have a modified film reminder: the enclosed disc was replaced by an external disc with EMPTY, ORTHO, PAN, H.S.PAN, COLOR and INFRARED indications.

The late Arco 35 have a PC synch post and a larger opening button sliding to the side. It is said that the PC synch post appeared in the advertisements in May 1954. The serial number disappeared from the top casing and was replaced by the Reg. 103138 indication, moved from the accessory shoe, and often mistaken for the serial number by current owners. At least one example is known with an EP diamond mark in the accessory shoe. Another example of the late Arco 35 has been observed with more patent numbers: Pat. 405529, Pat. 202086 and the usual Reg. 103138. These patent numbers appear on advertisements for the later Arco 35 Automat and probably do not apply to the original model. The mention of these patents was certainly short-lived, and the Arco 35 Junior do not have them.

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 369–70 and 1114–6.
• 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). P. 78.
• 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. 72.
• Omoide no supuringu-kamera-ten (思い出のスプリングカメラ展, Exhibition of beloved self-erecting cameras). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 1992. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number.) P. 8.
• 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 3095–8.

Links

In English:

• Arco 35 (I) and View-Arco: lot 50 of the 30 September 2006 Photographica sale by Auction Team Köln, the Arco is also here in the highlights of the sale
• Arco 35 (I) and View-Arco in Nekosan's website
• Arco 35 Automat f/2.8 (also in Japanese) in Mediajoy's Guide to Classic Cameras (follow the "Next" links to have an illustrated sequence of operations)
• Marriage, John. "History of the 35mm Twin Lens Reflex". About the View-Arco reflex viewer.

In Japanese:

• Arco 35 (I), 35 Junior and 35 Automat D in Nagaoka Jun's camera page
• Arco 35 (I) at JLB Collection
• Arco 35 (I) at Photo Shop Saito
• Arco 35 (I) and restoring tips at Fukucame's Rangefinder website
• Arco 35 (I) at Asacame
• Arco 35 (I) and View-Arco in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology
• Arco 35 (I) at Ojiichan no kamera-kan
• Arco 35 (I) in the Wanted section of the je2luz camera site
• Arco 35 Junior in a Japanese blog
• Arco 35 Automat f/3.5 in Makkachan's website
• Arco 35 Automat D at Shinsaku Hiura's camera site
• Arco 35 Automat D at Arubireo no zakki-chō
• Arco 35 Automat D in Nihon no kamera: Yomoyama hanashi (2), in [Shiki vol.36
• Arco 35 Automat D in a page of classic cameras at Kimata Photo Studio
• Arco 35 Automat D in a page of classic cameras at Umechan's camera collection