Difference between revisions of "Arco 35 Automat"
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| − | The '''Arco 35 Automat''' (アルコ35) are Japanese 35mm folders with a coupled rangefinder, made by [[Arco]] in 1956 and 1957. They are the successors of the first generation [[Arco 35]], from which they are easily distinguished by the lever advance and bright-frame finder. They were the result of a radical redesign, and have almost no part in common with the earlier models, | + | The '''Arco 35 Automat''' (アルコ35) are Japanese 35mm folders with a coupled rangefinder, made by [[Arco]] in 1956 and 1957. They are the successors of the first generation [[Arco 35]], from which they are easily distinguished by the lever advance and bright-frame finder. They were the result of a radical redesign, and have almost no part in common with the earlier models, which are treated in a separate article. |
== Description == | == Description == | ||
| + | The Arco 35 Automat is a horizontal folder, with rounded body ends. The focusing mechanism and the lens standard mounted on scissor struts are similar to those of the earlier [[Arco 35]]. The ergonomics is the same, with a focus knob on the top plate, actuated by the photographer's left hand. The turning part of the knob is chrome and the fixed part is black with depth-of-field indications in white. Concentric to the focus knob is a black and silver rewind crank, with an ''R'' in an arrow indicating the turning direction. | ||
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| + | The viewfinder and coupled rangefinder are integrated into the top housing and share a common eyepiece on the left, surrounded by a black frame. The viewfinder is of the bright-frame type, and its design is completely different from that of the original Arco 35. There are two rectangular windows at the front: a large one on the right for the viewfinder and a smaller one on the right for the rangefinder's second image. The rangefinder is coupled all the way down to the minimal distance (35cm), a feature which was already one of the strong points of the previous model. There is an accessory shoe and an ''Arco 35'' engraving above the camera, and a small film reminder at the rear, symmetrical to the viewfinder eyepiece. | ||
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| + | The film is advanced by a black and silver lever at the top right. The film is wound by the sprocket shaft, as on most other 35mm cameras but unlike the previous Arco 35.<REF> Haigya, pp.66–7 of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari''. </REF> Next to the advance lever is an exposure counter, sunken beneath a small window and automatically reset to zero when the back is opened. The release button is surrounded by a cup and has a cable thread. The rewind unlock lever is on the back of the top housing, beneath the advance lever. The back is hinged to the right to load the film, and is locked in place by a latch on the left, consisting of a long sliding bar. There are strap lugs on both sides of the body and a ¼" tripod thread at the bottom right (on the side of the advance lever). | ||
| + | |||
| + | The folding bed is opened by a sliding button at the top, and it is closed by pushing two small levers, on either side of the lens standard, the same as on the original Arco 35. The folding bed itself is different, and it was further modified during the production run of the Automat; all have an ''Arco'' logo embossed in the leatherette. The lens standard does not have the threaded hole present on the first generation models, and the View-Arco device is coupled via an adapter (see [[#Accessories|below]]). | ||
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| + | The shutter is a [[Seikosha-MX]] (B, 1–500, self-timer), cocked by the advance lever when the film is wound. It was replaced by a [[Seikosha-MXL]] on a handful of Automat D (see below). Three lens types were offered on the Automat: the G-Colinar 5cm f/3.5 and Colinar 5cm f/2.8, both with five elements in three groups, and the Arco 5cm f/2.4, with five elements in four groups.<REF> Number of elements and groups: lens schemes reproduced in Hagiya, p. of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari''. </REF> The aperture is set by a thin dented ring, driving a red index on a silver-coloured scale placed behind the shutter. | ||
== The Arco 35 Automat f/3.5 and f/2.8 == | == The Arco 35 Automat f/3.5 and f/2.8 == | ||
Revision as of 21:38, 14 October 2007
The Arco 35 Automat (アルコ35) are Japanese 35mm folders with a coupled rangefinder, made by Arco in 1956 and 1957. They are the successors of the first generation Arco 35, from which they are easily distinguished by the lever advance and bright-frame finder. They were the result of a radical redesign, and have almost no part in common with the earlier models, which are treated in a separate article.
Contents
Description
The Arco 35 Automat is a horizontal folder, with rounded body ends. The focusing mechanism and the lens standard mounted on scissor struts are similar to those of the earlier Arco 35. The ergonomics is the same, with a focus knob on the top plate, actuated by the photographer's left hand. The turning part of the knob is chrome and the fixed part is black with depth-of-field indications in white. Concentric to the focus knob is a black and silver rewind crank, with an R in an arrow indicating the turning direction.
The viewfinder and coupled rangefinder are integrated into the top housing and share a common eyepiece on the left, surrounded by a black frame. The viewfinder is of the bright-frame type, and its design is completely different from that of the original Arco 35. There are two rectangular windows at the front: a large one on the right for the viewfinder and a smaller one on the right for the rangefinder's second image. The rangefinder is coupled all the way down to the minimal distance (35cm), a feature which was already one of the strong points of the previous model. There is an accessory shoe and an Arco 35 engraving above the camera, and a small film reminder at the rear, symmetrical to the viewfinder eyepiece.
The film is advanced by a black and silver lever at the top right. The film is wound by the sprocket shaft, as on most other 35mm cameras but unlike the previous Arco 35.[1] Next to the advance lever is an exposure counter, sunken beneath a small window and automatically reset to zero when the back is opened. The release button is surrounded by a cup and has a cable thread. The rewind unlock lever is on the back of the top housing, beneath the advance lever. The back is hinged to the right to load the film, and is locked in place by a latch on the left, consisting of a long sliding bar. There are strap lugs on both sides of the body and a ¼" tripod thread at the bottom right (on the side of the advance lever).
The folding bed is opened by a sliding button at the top, and it is closed by pushing two small levers, on either side of the lens standard, the same as on the original Arco 35. The folding bed itself is different, and it was further modified during the production run of the Automat; all have an Arco logo embossed in the leatherette. The lens standard does not have the threaded hole present on the first generation models, and the View-Arco device is coupled via an adapter (see below).
The shutter is a Seikosha-MX (B, 1–500, self-timer), cocked by the advance lever when the film is wound. It was replaced by a Seikosha-MXL on a handful of Automat D (see below). Three lens types were offered on the Automat: the G-Colinar 5cm f/3.5 and Colinar 5cm f/2.8, both with five elements in three groups, and the Arco 5cm f/2.4, with five elements in four groups.[2] The aperture is set by a thin dented ring, driving a red index on a silver-coloured scale placed behind the shutter.
The Arco 35 Automat f/3.5 and f/2.8
The Arco 35 Automat D
Accessories
Production estimate
Notes
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 1114–6.
- Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Aruko 35: Shashin-yōhin kara kamera soshite 8mm" (アルコ35:写真用品からカメラそして8mmへ, Arco 35: From photo supply to cameras to 8mm). Chapter 3 of Zunō kamera tanjō: Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari (ズノーカメラ誕生：戦後国産カメラ10物語, The birth of the Zunow camera: Ten stories of postwar Japanese camera makers). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1999. ISBN 4-257-12023-1. First published as an article in Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.16. This history of Arco is based on Hagiya's interviews with four people who had been key figures in the company.
- 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.
- 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 3097–8.
Links
In English:
- 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)
In Japanese:
- Arco 35 Automat f/3.5 in Makkachan's website
- Arco 35 Automat D at Shinsaku Hiura's camera site
- Arco 35 Automat D in Nagaoka Jun's camera page, together with the Arco 35 (I) and 35 Junior
- 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
