Baby Germa
The Baby Germa (ベビーゲルマー)[1] is a Japanese camera taking 3×4cm exposures on 127 film, made from late 1938 by Tōkyō Shashin Kōgaku Kōgyōsho.
Advertising and sources
The Baby Germa was advertised in the October 1938 issue of Ars Camera and featured in the new products column of the November 1938 issue of Asahi Camera.[2] Based on this description, Kokusan kamera no rekishi says that the Baby Germa is a 3×4 camera with a telescopic tube and a tubular finder, and lists the following lens and shutter combinations:[3]
- Trinar 50/4.5, Compur (T, B, 1–300);
- Trinar 50/4.5, Germa A (T, B, 5–250);
- Trinar 50/4.5, Germa B (T, B, 25–150).
It is reported that the advertisement mentions the maker Tōkyō Shashin Kōgaku Kōgyōsho as the maker of the Tsubasa photo products.
The Baby Germa was still mentioned in the "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943, as made by Tōkyō Shashin and distributed by Kigawa.[4] The document says that the camera has a bellows but this is perhaps a mistake. It also says that the lens is a three-element Helios 50/4.5 made by Tōkyō Shashin.
Description
The only known example of the Baby Germa is pictured in Sugiyama.[5]
It has a metal body, looking like it was made for a folding camera but the bellows part was obturated as an afterthought. It seems that there is a telescopic tube supporting the lens and shutter assembly.
The advance knob is at the left end of the top plate. There is an eye-level finder in the middle, contained in a housing extending to the right end of the top plate. This housing contains an additional brilliant finder and supports an accessory shoe. The back is hinged to the right.
The example pictured in Sugiyama has a shutter giving 5–250, B, T speeds, perhaps corresponding to the Germa A. The shutter plate is marked BABY-GERMA at the top and TSK at the bottom, maybe for Tōkyō Shashin Kōgaku. The release lever is on the shutter housing itself. The lens is a front-cell focusing 5cm f/4.5, reportedly called Helios Anastigmat. The aperture scale is at the bottom of the shutter plate.
Notes
- ↑ This camera is called "Baby Gelmer" in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 336, but the shutter face reads BABY GERMA. ("Gelmer" and "Germa" are two possible readings of the katakana ゲルマー.) Filters were distributed by Eikōdō under the same name ゲルマー at least between 1938 and 1943, but the name of these filters is written "Gelmer" in the advertisements and GELMAR on the adverising pictures. (Source: advertisements reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, pp. 81 and 99–100.)
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 336.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 336.
- ↑ "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), item 167.
- ↑ Sugiyama, item 4036.
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 100. (The book does not show any advertisement copy nor picture.)
- "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" (国産写真機ノ現状調査, Inquiry into Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of April 1943. Reproduced in Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no shōkai to tsukaikata (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の紹介と使い方, Let's try spring cameras: Presentation and use of 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4-87956-072-3. Pp.180–7. Item 167.
- 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. Item 4036.
