Difference between revisions of "Arco 35 Automat"
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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 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 | + | 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 on the Automat D; 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]]). |
| − | The shutter is a [[Seikosha-MX]] (B, 1–500, self-timer), cocked by the advance lever when the film is wound. | + | The shutter is a [[Seikosha-MX]] (B, 1–500, self-timer), cocked by the advance lever when the film is wound. The cocking lever of the Seikosha-MX is at the top of the shutter housing, and is pulled by a cam coupled to the advance lever via a rod running at the bottom of the bellows. The Seikosha-MX 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 == | ||
| − | The Arco 35 Automat was initially released with the G-Colinar 5cm f/3.5 lens (product code S-135-C).<REF> Product code: list reproduced in Hagiya, pp.56–7 of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari''. </REF> It was first announced and advertised in Japanese camera magazines dated January 1956.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.378. Hagiya, p.66 of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari'', gives 1955 as the release date and reproduces an advertisement on p.69 supposedly dated 1956, but this is certainly a mistake. </REF> The March 1956 advertisement in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' gives the price of {{yen|23,000|1956}}, including the case and parallax-correcting viewfinder, and mentions four patent numbers: 202086, 209601, 405529 and 411362.<REF> Advertisement reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.221. The pictured camera has lens no.11422 | + | The Arco 35 Automat was initially released with the G-Colinar 5cm f/3.5 lens (product code S-135-C).<REF> Product code: list reproduced in Hagiya, pp.56–7 of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari''. </REF> It was first announced and advertised in Japanese camera magazines dated January 1956.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.378. Hagiya, p.66 of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari'', gives 1955 as the release date and reproduces an advertisement on p.69 supposedly dated 1956, but this is certainly a mistake. </REF> The March 1956 advertisement in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' gives the price of {{yen|23,000|1956}}, including the case and parallax-correcting viewfinder, and mentions four patent numbers: 202086, 209601, 405529 and 411362.<REF> Advertisement reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.221. </REF> The pictured camera has lens no.11422 and a parallax-correcting viewfinder of the bright-frame type.<REF> The same lens no.11422 is also pictured in the reproduction of a document giving the lens scheme in Hagiya, p.68 of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari''. </REF> |
| − | The decision to sell the new Automat model with an f/3.5 lens only, whereas the previous [[Arco 35]] had a five-element f/2.8, was probably unwise. The company soon released an f/2.8 version of the Automat (product code S-135-CII).<REF> Product code: list reproduced in Hagiya, pp.56–7 of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari''. </REF> It was featured in the April to June 1956 issues of Japanese magazines and the first advertisements are dated May.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.378. </REF> The May advertisement in ''[[Shashin Salon]]''<REF> Advertisement reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.221. </REF> lists the camera for {{yen|26,000|1956}} (accessories included), alongside the f/3.5 version at an unchanged price. Three patent numbers are mentioned: 202086, 405529 and 212349 | + | The decision to sell the new Automat model with an f/3.5 lens only, whereas the previous [[Arco 35]] had a five-element f/2.8, was probably unwise. The company soon released an f/2.8 version of the Automat (product code S-135-CII).<REF> Product code: list reproduced in Hagiya, pp.56–7 of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari''. </REF> It was featured in the April to June 1956 issues of Japanese magazines and the first advertisements are dated May.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.378. </REF> The May advertisement in ''[[Shashin Salon]]''<REF> Advertisement reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.221. </REF> lists the camera for {{yen|26,000|1956}} (accessories included), alongside the f/3.5 version at an unchanged price. Three patent numbers are mentioned: 202086, 405529 and 212349. |
== The Arco 35 Automat D == | == The Arco 35 Automat D == | ||
| − | The '''Arco 35 Automat D''' (product code S-135-D)<REF> Product code: list reproduced in Hagiya, pp.56–7 of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari''. </REF> is an evolution with the new Arco 5cm f/2.4 lens. | + | The '''Arco 35 Automat D''' (product code S-135-D)<REF> Product code: list reproduced in Hagiya, pp.56–7 of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari''. </REF> is an evolution of the Automat with the new Arco 5cm f/2.4 lens. The shutter is the same [[Seikosha-MX]] but the shutter face is modified: the black shutter plate and silver rim is replaced by an all-silver conical plate, with the speed scale engraved in the reversed order 500–1, B. The folding bed has a different smoother shape. The rangefinder second-image window is shaped as a diamond instead of a rectangle. |
| + | |||
| + | The Automat D was first announced and advertised in June 1956.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.378. </REF> The August 1956 advertisement in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' emphasizes the new lens design, said to be achieved thanks to a new type of lens glass, and lists a range of four models: | ||
* Automat D ({{yen|29,000|1956}}); | * Automat D ({{yen|29,000|1956}}); | ||
* Automat f/2.8 ({{yen|26,000|1956}}); | * Automat f/2.8 ({{yen|26,000|1956}}); | ||
* Automat f/3.5 ({{yen|23,000|1956}}); | * Automat f/3.5 ({{yen|23,000|1956}}); | ||
* [[Arco 35|Junior]] ({{yen|20,500|1956}}). | * [[Arco 35|Junior]] ({{yen|20,500|1956}}). | ||
| + | The pictured camera has lens no.5600004 and is certainly a prototype. Lens no.5600006 has also been observed in the reproduction of an original document.<REF> Reproduction of an original document showing the lens scheme and a picture of the lens, in Hagiya, p.68 of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari''. </REF> All the other known examples of the Automat D have a four-digit lens number, in a sequence certainly starting at 1000. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Five examples of the Automat D received a [[Seikosha-MXL]] instead of the MX.<REF> Five examples: Hagiya, p.70 of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari''. </REF> The shutter face is accordingly altered: the speed scale is on the side of the shutter rim and there is a light-value scale on the other side, with a locking index setting the aperture according to the selected light-value. The only surviving example known so far has lens no.42xx and is pictured in Hagiya.<REF> Example pictured in Hagiya, p.74 of ''Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari''. </REF> | ||
== Accessories == | == Accessories == | ||
Revision as of 23:13, 16 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 on the Automat D; 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. The cocking lever of the Seikosha-MX is at the top of the shutter housing, and is pulled by a cam coupled to the advance lever via a rod running at the bottom of the bellows. The Seikosha-MX 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 was initially released with the G-Colinar 5cm f/3.5 lens (product code S-135-C).[3] It was first announced and advertised in Japanese camera magazines dated January 1956.[4] The March 1956 advertisement in Asahi Camera gives the price of ¥23,000, including the case and parallax-correcting viewfinder, and mentions four patent numbers: 202086, 209601, 405529 and 411362.[5] The pictured camera has lens no.11422 and a parallax-correcting viewfinder of the bright-frame type.[6]
The decision to sell the new Automat model with an f/3.5 lens only, whereas the previous Arco 35 had a five-element f/2.8, was probably unwise. The company soon released an f/2.8 version of the Automat (product code S-135-CII).[7] It was featured in the April to June 1956 issues of Japanese magazines and the first advertisements are dated May.[8] The May advertisement in Shashin Salon[9] lists the camera for ¥26,000 (accessories included), alongside the f/3.5 version at an unchanged price. Three patent numbers are mentioned: 202086, 405529 and 212349.
The Arco 35 Automat D
The Arco 35 Automat D (product code S-135-D)[10] is an evolution of the Automat with the new Arco 5cm f/2.4 lens. The shutter is the same Seikosha-MX but the shutter face is modified: the black shutter plate and silver rim is replaced by an all-silver conical plate, with the speed scale engraved in the reversed order 500–1, B. The folding bed has a different smoother shape. The rangefinder second-image window is shaped as a diamond instead of a rectangle.
The Automat D was first announced and advertised in June 1956.[11] The August 1956 advertisement in Asahi Camera emphasizes the new lens design, said to be achieved thanks to a new type of lens glass, and lists a range of four models:
The pictured camera has lens no.5600004 and is certainly a prototype. Lens no.5600006 has also been observed in the reproduction of an original document.[12] All the other known examples of the Automat D have a four-digit lens number, in a sequence certainly starting at 1000.
Five examples of the Automat D received a Seikosha-MXL instead of the MX.[13] The shutter face is accordingly altered: the speed scale is on the side of the shutter rim and there is a light-value scale on the other side, with a locking index setting the aperture according to the selected light-value. The only surviving example known so far has lens no.42xx and is pictured in Hagiya.[14]
Accessories
Production estimate
Notes
- ↑ Haigya, pp.66–7 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari.
- ↑ Number of elements and groups: lens schemes reproduced in Hagiya, p. of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari.
- ↑ Product code: list reproduced in Hagiya, pp.56–7 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.378. Hagiya, p.66 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari, gives 1955 as the release date and reproduces an advertisement on p.69 supposedly dated 1956, but this is certainly a mistake.
- ↑ Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.221.
- ↑ The same lens no.11422 is also pictured in the reproduction of a document giving the lens scheme in Hagiya, p.68 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari.
- ↑ Product code: list reproduced in Hagiya, pp.56–7 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.378.
- ↑ Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.221.
- ↑ Product code: list reproduced in Hagiya, pp.56–7 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.378.
- ↑ Reproduction of an original document showing the lens scheme and a picture of the lens, in Hagiya, p.68 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari.
- ↑ Five examples: Hagiya, p.70 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari.
- ↑ Example pictured in Hagiya, p.74 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari.
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
