Auto Press Minolta

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The 1930s were the era of the German camera makers since they offered a great range of innovative cameras for the new 35mm film standard. But the more traditional field of medium format folders was not dominated by them. But some innovations in this field were remarkable, for example the new concept of a strut folding press camera introduced with the Makina II in 1933 by Plaubel. Chiyoda Kōgaku used this camera conception for its first camera with built-in flash-synchronization-switch. It was not a copy of the Makina but of its concept. Other than the archetype Chiyoda's Minolta Auto Press had horizontal and vertical scissors type struts, and the optical finder used only one collapsible lens frame together with a built-in ocular instead of the Makina's two collapsible frames. Several other details were different so that it was a real Minolta and not a fake Makina. The Auto Press had a predecessor, the cheaper Auto Minolta of 1935 which was simpler and looked more alike a simplified Plaubel camera without sports finder.

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catalogue of 1941 shows that it was expensive: 363 Yen

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specifications

• Type: strut folding press camera
• Manufacturer: Chiyoda
• Year of launch: 1937
• Film type/frame size: roll film or film sheets / 6.5×9cm (probably 6×9 with roll film?)
• Lens: 105mm F3.5 Promar Anastigmat Nippon, 4 elements
• Shutter: Nippon Crown-Rapid or Crown-Rapid S, with speeds 1 sec. to 1/400 sec. plus T and B, self-timer
• Focusing: 1m to infinity, aided by coupled rangefinder
• Viewfinders: Optical finder with built-in ocular and collapsible front lens holder with crosshairs, additional big sports finder
• Aperture: f3.5 to f25
• Dimensions: 140×118×133mm
• Weight: 1300g

A version with F4.5 lens was also made.

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. Item 271.
• Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Minoruta ryakushi" (ミノルタ略史, "Minolta short history"). 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.12, October 1988. No ISBN number. Minoruta kamera no subete (ミノルタカメラのすべて, special issue on Minolta). Pp.6–8.
• Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Senzen no Minoruta kamera" (戦前のミノルタカメラ, "Prewar Minolta 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.12, October 1988. No ISBN number. Minoruta kamera no subete (ミノルタカメラのすべて, special issue on Minolta). Pp.13–7.
• Baird, John R. The Japanese Camera. Yakima, WA: Historical Camera Publications, 1990. ISBN 1-879561-02-6. P.42 (picture only).
• Eimukku 735, Manyuaru Kamera Shirīzu 15 (エイムック735・マニュアルカメラシリーズ15). Minolta: Minoruta kamera no subete (Minolta:ミノルタカメラのすべて, Minolta: all of Minolta cameras). Tokyo: Ei Shuppansha, 2003. ISBN 4-87099-923-4. "Jabara-shiki kamera no kiseki" (蛇腹式カメラの軌跡", Evolution of folding cameras). Pp.131 and 133. Shows very small pictures and brief captions.
• Francesch, Dominique and Jean-Paul. Histoire de l'appareil photographique Minolta de 1929 à 1985. Paris: Dessain et Tolra, 1985. ISBN 2-249-27685-4. Pp.23–4 and 79.
• 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). Pp.54 and 182.
• 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.673.
• Minolta Camera. Minolta 50-nen no ayumi (Minolta・50年のあゆみ, Minolta 50-year history). November 1978. Pp.6 and 65.
• Saeki Kakugorō (佐伯恪五郎). "Tashima Gizō-shi ni kiku" (田嶋義三氏に聞く, "Asking Tashima Gizō"). 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.12, October 1988. No ISBN number. Minoruta kamera no subete (ミノルタカメラのすべて, special issue on Minolta). Pp.76–9.
• Scheibel, Anni Rita and Joseph. 70 Jahre Minolta Kameratechnik — Von der Nifcalette bis zur Dynax 9. Stuttgart: Lindemanns Verlag, 3rd edition, 1999. ISBN 3-89506-191-3. Pp.24–5.
• Shashin Kōgyō no.77 (September 1958). "Hensen kamera ichiran-pyō" (変遷カメラ一らん表, Table of camera evolution.) P.295. (This is a chronology of Minolta cameras from the Nifcarette onwards. This document is also reproduced in Tanimura, p.7 of Camera Collectors' News no.116.)
• 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 1198.
• Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Semi Minoruta I-gata to II-gata." (セミミノルタⅠ型とⅡ型, "Semi Minolta I and II") In Camera Collectors' News no.116 (February 1987). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. (Contains a reproduction of the chronology in Shashin Kōgyō no.77 and no other information on the Auto Press Minolta.)

Links

In English:

• Auto Press Minolta in the 70th anniversary Minolta poster, reproduced at Photoclub Alpha
• Auto Press Minolta among Minolta folding cameras in the Manual Minolta website
• Auto Press Minolta, lot no.650 of Westlicht Photographica auction no.10

In Japanese:

• Auto Press Minolta in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology
• Auto Press Minolta in a page of wanted cameras at je2luz
• Auto Press Minolta in the Map Camera Museum
• Auto Press Minolta in the Kitamura Camera Museum