Difference between revisions of "Baby Chrome"
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{{127 Japan | {{127 Japan | ||
| − | |image=[http://www.flickr.com/photos/99204584@N00/313244109/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://static.flickr.com/115/313244109_8410e95b72_m_d.jpg]<br />''Baby Chrome leaflet.''<br />''{{fair use}}'' | + | |image=[http://www.flickr.com/photos/99204584@N00/313244109/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://static.flickr.com/115/313244109_8410e95b72_m_d.jpg]<br />''Extract of a Baby Chrome leaflet.''<br />''{{fair use}}'' |
}} | }} | ||
The '''Baby Chrome'''<REF> {{McKeown}}, p. 464, calls it "Tsubasa Baby Chrome", surely by mistake. </REF> (ベビー・クローム) is a 3×4 camera made by the Japanese company [[Kigawa|Optochrom]] from 1936 to 1938 and maybe later<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p. 336, mentions advertisements dated between 1936 and 1938, and one dated September 1941. </REF>. | The '''Baby Chrome'''<REF> {{McKeown}}, p. 464, calls it "Tsubasa Baby Chrome", surely by mistake. </REF> (ベビー・クローム) is a 3×4 camera made by the Japanese company [[Kigawa|Optochrom]] from 1936 to 1938 and maybe later<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p. 336, mentions advertisements dated between 1936 and 1938, and one dated September 1941. </REF>. | ||
Revision as of 21:20, 3 December 2006
Template:127 Japan The Baby Chrome[1] (ベビー・クローム) is a 3×4 camera made by the Japanese company Optochrom from 1936 to 1938 and maybe later[2].
Contents
Description
The Baby Chrome has a black bakelite body, written BABY-CHROME on the front. The lens and shutter assembly is surrounded by a heavy metal ring, with Baby-Chrome engraved at the top and the serial number at the bottom. The metal ring looks like a helical focusing ring, but it seems that it does not rotate and that the whole assembly is mounted on a telescopic and needs to be pulled forward before taking pictures.
There is a tubular optical finder at the centre of the top plate. There is a cylindrical post on the right of the finder, that vaguely looks like a shutter release, but is meant to attach an external rangefinder. The shutter is surely everset, with only one lever acting as a release. The aperture is set at the bottom of the shutter plate. The advance knob is at the left end of the top plate. The whole top plate comes off together with the back to load the film.
Evolution
Early model
The early model of the Baby Chrome has two red windows in the back, both uncovered. The advance knob is squarish, has three knurled rows on the rim and is attached by a flush screw.
Baby Chrome leaflet.
(Image rights)
An undated leaflet[3], pictured in this page, shows what is probably the original version. The variants offered are the following:
- New Gold f/6.3 fixed-focus lens, B, 25, 50, 100 speeds (¥18 — case ¥4.50 extra);
- New Gold f/4.5 focusing lens, T, B, 25, 50, 100 speeds, (¥33).
Only the f/6.3 is illustrated. The lens rim is black and is written Baby-Chrome 1:6,3 F=50mm in white. The shutter plate is marked Optochrom at the top and something beginning in DUPL at the bottom (probably "DUPLEX"). There is a logo in a circle on the right, different from the NE logo of the later versions. This original version has not yet been observed, and it was perhaps never sold.
The next version has a different shutter plate, marked OPTOCHROM SHUTTER at the top, with a NE logo between both words, and NEW GOLD at the bottom. The f/6.3 lens bezel is chrome, written NEW-GOLD 1:6.3 F=50mm in black.
This version figures in an advertisement dated February 1937[4], listing the same two variants as before:
- Optochrom shutter (B, 25, 50, 100), New Gold f/6.3 lens (¥15 — case ¥3.50 extra)[5];
- Optochrom shutter (T, B, 25, 50, 100), New Gold f/4.5 lens (¥28).
An advertisement by the distributor Matsuzaki Shashinki-ten, dated May 1937[6], only lists the f/6.3 variant.
Late model
The late model has a single red window, uncovered and placed at the bottom right of the back. The advance knob is more rounded, with one row of knurls, and it is attached by a protruding screw. The shutter plate is marked TSUBASA at the top and NEW GOLD at the bottom, with the NE logo on the right.
This version appears in advertisements dated September 1938[7], February[8] and April 1939[9]. Two variants are listed:
- Tsubasa shutter (B, 25, 50, 100), New Gold f/6.3 lens (¥18 — case ¥4.50 extra);
- Tsubasa shutter (B, 25, 50, 100), New Gold f/4.5 lens (¥33.50).
Examples of both the early and late models of the Baby Chrome have been observed, but all of them have the f/6.3 lens.
It seems that the successor of the Baby Chrome was the Tsubasa Arawashi released in 1939, but Kokusan kamera no rekishi reports an advertisement for the Baby Chrome dated September 1941.[10]
Notes
- ↑ McKeown, p. 464, calls it "Tsubasa Baby Chrome", surely by mistake.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 336, mentions advertisements dated between 1936 and 1938, and one dated September 1941.
- ↑ Undated leaflet for the Victory, Semi Dymos, Reex, Baby Ref, Union Ref and Baby Chrome.
- ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 61.
- ↑ This variant is pictured in this page at Asacame.
- ↑ Advertisement published in the 2 May 1937 issue of Sunday Mainichi, reproduced in the Gochamaze website.
- ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in the Gochamaze website.
- ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 78. This advertisement is looking the same as the one dated September 1938 cited above, but there are some detail differences.
- ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 79.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 336.
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 91. (See also the advertisements for items 144 and 147.)
- 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. 464.
- Undated leaflet for the Victory, Semi Dymos, Reex, Baby Ref, Union Ref and Baby Chrome, published by an unknown company.
Links
- A-Z 127 film cameras at Asacame, with the Baby Chrome on this page, mistakenly presented as an Olympic. The 1/150 top shutter speed is very likely a mistake too.
- Advertisements reproduced in the Japanese camera page, the small format camera page and the camera company page of the Gochamaze website:
- Advertisement for the Baby Chrome and Tsubasa range, published in the September 1938 issue of Asahi Camera
- Advertisement for the Baby Chrome, published in the 2 May 1937 issue of Sunday Mainichi
Timeline
| Kigawa timeline () | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 3×4 | rigid | Baby Chrome | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baby Oso | Tsubasa Oso | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tsubasa Arawashi | ... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4×6.5 | telescopic | Tsubasa Chrome | ... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| folding | Tsubasa Spring | ... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.5×6 | strut folding | Semi Chrome B | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| horizontal folding | Tsubasa Super Semi | ... | _ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tsubasa II Super Semi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tsubasa Nettar | Tsubasa Kiko Three | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| vertical folding | Semi Chrome A | Semi Sixteenth (dates unclear) |
Semi Kulax | Kiko Semi | ... | _ | Tsubasa Semi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6×6 | horizontal folding | Gotex | ... | ... | Poppy Six (dates unknown) |
... | Carl Six | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TLR | Kiko Flex | Tsubasaflex | Graceflex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16mm | subminiature | ... | Poppy (dates unknown) |
... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manufacturer: | ... | Kigawa Seimitsu | ... | Kigawa Kōgaku | Carl Kōgaku | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shin Nippon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distributor: | Optochrom-sha | ... | Nichiei Shōkai | Kikō Shōji | ... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cameras whose actual existence is dubious are in a lighter shade. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cameras in yellow are variants sold and maybe assembled by other companies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
