Difference between revisions of "Auto Terra"
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== Description == | == Description == | ||
| − | The Auto Terra is a horizontal folder, unlike most other 35mm folding cameras. It has a prismatic body with sharp edges. The lens and shutter assembly is mounted on a square front standard and the folding bed is supported by flat struts on both sides, shaped the same as on the [[Ikonta 35]] or [[Contessa 35]]. | + | The Auto Terra is a horizontal folder, unlike most other 35mm folding cameras. It has a prismatic body with sharp edges. The lens and shutter assembly is mounted on a square front standard and the folding bed is supported by flat struts on both sides, shaped the same as on the [[Ikonta 35]] or [[Contessa 35]]. They insure a precise positioning of the front standard, a feature which was emphasized in some advertisements, saying that the front standard is parallel to the film plane with only 10 micrometre tolerance.<REF> Advertisement dated November 1955 reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.149. </REF> |
| − | The double spring motor is contained below the wind knob, at the top right as seen by the photographer. One full turn of the knob gives enough spring force to advance six or seven exposures.<REF> {{Sugiyama}}, items 3785–6 | + | The double spring motor is contained below the wind knob, at the top right as seen by the photographer. One full turn of the knob gives enough spring force to advance six or seven exposures.<REF> {{Sugiyama}}, items 3785–6, says "six or seven"; Lewis, p.91, says six; Shirai, p.117, says seven. The advertisements reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.149, say nothing about this. </REF> There is an exposure counter next to the wind knob, manually reset to zero by a wheel at the rear of the top plate. |
The main release and the spring motor release are at the front of the camera, one above the other: the shutter is tripped by the middle finger, then the spring motor is actuated by the index to wind the film. The shutter is manually cocked by a lever, and a third movement is thus needed before the camera is ready to shoot again. This obviously detracts much of the interest of the spring motor. The Auto Terra is said to have both double exposure prevention and voluntary double exposure ability,<REF> Advertisement dated January 1956 reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.149. </REF> perhaps by manually actuating the release lever on the shutter casing itself. | The main release and the spring motor release are at the front of the camera, one above the other: the shutter is tripped by the middle finger, then the spring motor is actuated by the index to wind the film. The shutter is manually cocked by a lever, and a third movement is thus needed before the camera is ready to shoot again. This obviously detracts much of the interest of the spring motor. The Auto Terra is said to have both double exposure prevention and voluntary double exposure ability,<REF> Advertisement dated January 1956 reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.149. </REF> perhaps by manually actuating the release lever on the shutter casing itself. | ||
| − | The viewfinder and coupled rangefinder have a separate eyepiece; they are contained in a casing above the middle of the top plate, which an ''AUTO Terra'' engraving and an accessory shoe above. The viewfinder window is in the middle and the two rangefinder windows are on either side, with the rangefinder eyepiece on the right. The rewind knob is at the top left and contains a film reminder. The rewind unlock lever is on the back and has ''A'' and ''R'' indications. It lowers an internal shaft inside the rewind knob, effectively coupling it to the film magazine for rewind only and leaving it free during normal operation, in order not to slow down the spring advance. The spring tension is certainly disengaged for rewind, it is not known if this is done by the same lever. | + | The viewfinder and coupled rangefinder have a separate eyepiece; they are contained in a casing above the middle of the top plate, which an ''AUTO Terra'' engraving and an accessory shoe above. The viewfinder window is in the middle and the two rangefinder windows are on either side, with the rangefinder eyepiece on the right. The viewfinder has 0.7× magnification and the rangefinder has 1.0× magnification and 40mm base.<REF> Shirai, p.117. </REF> The rewind knob is at the top left and contains a film reminder. The rewind unlock lever is on the back and has ''A'' and ''R'' indications. It lowers an internal shaft inside the rewind knob, effectively coupling it to the film magazine for rewind only and leaving it free during normal operation, in order not to slow down the spring advance. The spring tension is certainly disengaged for rewind, it is not known if this is done by the same lever. |
The back is hinged to the right and the back latch consists of a long sliding bar. There are strap lugs on both sides of the body. | The back is hinged to the right and the back latch consists of a long sliding bar. There are strap lugs on both sides of the body. | ||
| − | The lens is a Plover 4.4cm f/2.8, engraved ''Terra Tokyo Plover''. There seems to be a thin focusing ring with a tab, behind the shutter and just in front of the square standard. The focusing system is peculiar: one source mentions a unique "flat cam" device instead of the classical helicoid, but the details are not fully understood, neither are the details of the rangefinder coupling. It seems that the aperture ring is placed between the focus ring and the shutter but again this is not entirely clear. | + | The lens is a Plover 4.4cm f/2.8, engraved ''Terra Tokyo Plover''. It is said to have five elements in three groups, with a Xenotar-type formula.<REF> Shirai, p.117. </REF> There seems to be a thin focusing ring with a tab, behind the shutter and just in front of the square standard. The focusing system is peculiar: one source mentions a unique "flat cam" device instead of the classical helicoid, but the details are not fully understood, neither are the details of the rangefinder coupling. It seems that the aperture ring is placed between the focus ring and the shutter but again this is not entirely clear. |
The shutter is either a [[Seikosha-Rapid]] or a [[Seikosha-MX]], giving B, 1–500 speeds. The Rapid has a thread for a cable release and the MX has an M/F/X selector. Both have a PC synch post. As said above, the shutter is manually cocked by a lever placed on the casing itself. | The shutter is either a [[Seikosha-Rapid]] or a [[Seikosha-MX]], giving B, 1–500 speeds. The Rapid has a thread for a cable release and the MX has an M/F/X selector. Both have a PC synch post. As said above, the shutter is manually cocked by a lever placed on the casing itself. | ||
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The Auto Terra was announced in Japanese camera magazines dated July 1955, and it was advertised from August 1955 to November 1956.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.355. </REF> The November 1955 advertisement in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' gives the price of {{yen|29,500|1955}}, and the January 1956 advertisement in the same magazine gives twelve "patent pending" numbers: 6826, 23961, 26675, 26676, 41134, 41135, 42903, 43270, 43271 and 43272.<REF> Advertisements reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.149. </REF> | The Auto Terra was announced in Japanese camera magazines dated July 1955, and it was advertised from August 1955 to November 1956.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.355. </REF> The November 1955 advertisement in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' gives the price of {{yen|29,500|1955}}, and the January 1956 advertisement in the same magazine gives twelve "patent pending" numbers: 6826, 23961, 26675, 26676, 41134, 41135, 42903, 43270, 43271 and 43272.<REF> Advertisements reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.149. </REF> | ||
| − | Despite this long advertising period, it seems that very few cameras were made and that model did not reach serial production: all the examples observed have a lens number in the 500xx range, from 50001 to 50030, and no two of them are the same. The differences are studied below. | + | Despite this long advertising period, it seems that very few cameras were made and that the model did not reach serial production: all the examples observed have a lens number in the 500xx range, from 50001 to 50030, and no two of them are the same. The differences are studied below. |
== Known examples == | == Known examples == | ||
Revision as of 12:10, 20 October 2007
The Auto Terra (オートテラ) is a Japanese 35mm folder with a coupled rangefinder and a spring motor device, made by Teraoka Seikōsho in 1955 and 1956. It was the first of a line of Terra or Tera spring-driven cameras, and was the only one to have a folding body. Its successors the Auto Terra II and Super are treated in a separate article.
Description
The Auto Terra is a horizontal folder, unlike most other 35mm folding cameras. It has a prismatic body with sharp edges. The lens and shutter assembly is mounted on a square front standard and the folding bed is supported by flat struts on both sides, shaped the same as on the Ikonta 35 or Contessa 35. They insure a precise positioning of the front standard, a feature which was emphasized in some advertisements, saying that the front standard is parallel to the film plane with only 10 micrometre tolerance.[1]
The double spring motor is contained below the wind knob, at the top right as seen by the photographer. One full turn of the knob gives enough spring force to advance six or seven exposures.[2] There is an exposure counter next to the wind knob, manually reset to zero by a wheel at the rear of the top plate.
The main release and the spring motor release are at the front of the camera, one above the other: the shutter is tripped by the middle finger, then the spring motor is actuated by the index to wind the film. The shutter is manually cocked by a lever, and a third movement is thus needed before the camera is ready to shoot again. This obviously detracts much of the interest of the spring motor. The Auto Terra is said to have both double exposure prevention and voluntary double exposure ability,[3] perhaps by manually actuating the release lever on the shutter casing itself.
The viewfinder and coupled rangefinder have a separate eyepiece; they are contained in a casing above the middle of the top plate, which an AUTO Terra engraving and an accessory shoe above. The viewfinder window is in the middle and the two rangefinder windows are on either side, with the rangefinder eyepiece on the right. The viewfinder has 0.7× magnification and the rangefinder has 1.0× magnification and 40mm base.[4] The rewind knob is at the top left and contains a film reminder. The rewind unlock lever is on the back and has A and R indications. It lowers an internal shaft inside the rewind knob, effectively coupling it to the film magazine for rewind only and leaving it free during normal operation, in order not to slow down the spring advance. The spring tension is certainly disengaged for rewind, it is not known if this is done by the same lever.
The back is hinged to the right and the back latch consists of a long sliding bar. There are strap lugs on both sides of the body.
The lens is a Plover 4.4cm f/2.8, engraved Terra Tokyo Plover. It is said to have five elements in three groups, with a Xenotar-type formula.[5] There seems to be a thin focusing ring with a tab, behind the shutter and just in front of the square standard. The focusing system is peculiar: one source mentions a unique "flat cam" device instead of the classical helicoid, but the details are not fully understood, neither are the details of the rangefinder coupling. It seems that the aperture ring is placed between the focus ring and the shutter but again this is not entirely clear.
The shutter is either a Seikosha-Rapid or a Seikosha-MX, giving B, 1–500 speeds. The Rapid has a thread for a cable release and the MX has an M/F/X selector. Both have a PC synch post. As said above, the shutter is manually cocked by a lever placed on the casing itself.
Commercial life
The Auto Terra was announced in Japanese camera magazines dated July 1955, and it was advertised from August 1955 to November 1956.[6] The November 1955 advertisement in Asahi Camera gives the price of ¥29,500, and the January 1956 advertisement in the same magazine gives twelve "patent pending" numbers: 6826, 23961, 26675, 26676, 41134, 41135, 42903, 43270, 43271 and 43272.[7]
Despite this long advertising period, it seems that very few cameras were made and that the model did not reach serial production: all the examples observed have a lens number in the 500xx range, from 50001 to 50030, and no two of them are the same. The differences are studied below.
Known examples
Notes
- ↑ Advertisement dated November 1955 reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.149.
- ↑ Sugiyama, items 3785–6, says "six or seven"; Lewis, p.91, says six; Shirai, p.117, says seven. The advertisements reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.149, say nothing about this.
- ↑ Advertisement dated January 1956 reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.149.
- ↑ Shirai, p.117.
- ↑ Shirai, p.117.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.355.
- ↑ Advertisements reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.149.
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 611.
- 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. 91.
- 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. 916.
- 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. 27.
- Shirai Tatsuo (白井達男). "Auto Terra I" (オートテラⅠ型). Pp.117–26 of Maboroshi no kamera o otte (幻のカメラを追って, Pursuing phantom cameras). Gendai Kamera Shinsho (現代カメラ新書). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1982. ISBN 4-257-08077-9. (First published in Kamera Rebyū / Camera Review. no.13, September 1980.)
- 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 3785–6.
Links
In Japanese:
