Difference between revisions of "Baby Lyra"

From Camera-wiki.org
Jump to: navigation, search
(added pictures and section headers)
(picture size, Sugiyama source and minor tweaks)
Line 5: Line 5:
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
−
The Baby Lyra is a vertical folding camera inspired by the [[Baby Ikonta]]. It has a folding frame finder. The advance knob is at the bottom right as seen by a photographer holding the camera horizontally. The back is hinged to the left and contains two uncovered red windows to control film advance. The front leather is simply embossed ''LYRA'' and the back leather has the ''FUJI KOGAKU'' logo.
+
The Baby Lyra is a vertical folding camera inspired by the [[Baby Ikonta]]. It has a folding frame finder. The advance knob is at the bottom right, as seen by a photographer holding the camera horizontally. The back is hinged to the left and contains two uncovered red windows to control film advance. The name ''LYRA'' is embossed in the front leather. The ''FUJI KOGAKU'' logo is engraved in the folding struts and embossed in the back leather.
  
−
The shutter is an everset Picco giving T, B, 25, 50, 100 speeds. The aperture scale is at the bottom of the shutter plate and the ''Picco'' name is at the top. There is no body release and the lens is front-cell focusing.
+
The shutter is an everset Picco giving T, B, 25, 50, 100 speeds. The aperture scale is at the bottom of the shutter plate and the ''Picco'' name is at the top, with an ''FK'' logo on the right. There is no body release and the lens is front-cell focusing.
  
 
<div align="center" class="plainlinks">
 
<div align="center" class="plainlinks">
−
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/99204584@N00/351837912/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/142/351837912_34359e4ff7_m_d.jpg]
+
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/99204584@N00/351837912/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/142/351837912_34359e4ff7_t_d.jpg]
−
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/99204584@N00/351837914/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/351837914_3fa5b21943_m_d.jpg]
+
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/99204584@N00/351837914/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/351837914_3fa5b21943_t_d.jpg]
−
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/99204584@N00/351837917/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/160/351837917_fed4459232_m_d.jpg]
+
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/99204584@N00/351837917/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/160/351837917_fed4459232_t_d.jpg]
 
<br>''Baby Lyra, Terionar f/4.5 lens, Picco shutter.''
 
<br>''Baby Lyra, Terionar f/4.5 lens, Picco shutter.''
 
<br>''Pictures courtesy of Ed Barton. {{with permission}}''
 
<br>''Pictures courtesy of Ed Barton. {{with permission}}''
Line 18: Line 18:
  
 
== Evolution ==
 
== Evolution ==
−
Advertisements dated December 1936<REF> [http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/camera/L1.jpg Advertisement] by the distributor [[Yamamoto Shashinki-ten]] published in the December 13, 1936 issue of ''Sunday Mainichi'', reproduced in the [http://kyoto.cool.ne.jp/syasinsyuu/index.htm Gochamaze website]. </REF>, September 1937<REF> Advertisement published in ''Asahi Camera'', reproduced in {{Kokusan}} in two parts, p.&nbsp;100. </REF> and September 1938<REF> Advertisement published in ''Asahi Camera''. </REF> list three variants of the Baby Lyra:
+
Three variants of the Baby Lyra are listed in advertisements dated December 1936<REF> [http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/camera/L1.jpg Advertisement] by the distributor [[Yamamoto Shashinki-ten]] published in the 13 December 1936 issue of ''Sunday Mainichi'', reproduced in the [http://kyoto.cool.ne.jp/syasinsyuu/index.htm Gochamaze website]. </REF>, September 1937<REF> Advertisement published in ''Asahi Camera'', reproduced in {{Kokusan}} in two parts, p.&nbsp;100. </REF> and September 1938<REF> Advertisement published in ''Asahi Camera''. Scans observed in an online auction. </REF>:
−
* Pionar or Pioner<REF> Inferred from the ''katakana'' パイオナー. An example with 50mm f/6.3 lens is presented in [http://asacame.fc2web.com/hspbestaz/bestb.htm this page at Asacame] but the name is not legible enough. The lens names are only mentioned in the September 1937 advertisement cited above, not in the ones dated December 1936 and September 1938, but we can probably assume that they were unchanged. </REF> f/6.3 lens ({{yen|25|1936}} in 1936 and 1937, {{yen|28|1938}} in 1938);
+
* Pionar f/6.3 lens ({{yen|25|1936}} in 1936 and 1937, {{yen|28|1938}} in 1938);
 
* Terionar f/4.5 lens ({{yen|32|1936}} in 1936 and 1937, {{yen|36|1938}} in 1938);
 
* Terionar f/4.5 lens ({{yen|32|1936}} in 1936 and 1937, {{yen|36|1938}} in 1938);
 
* Terionar f/3.5 lens ({{yen|42|1936}} in 1936 and 1937, {{yen|46|1938}} in 1938).
 
* Terionar f/3.5 lens ({{yen|42|1936}} in 1936 and 1937, {{yen|46|1938}} in 1938).
−
The focal length is certainly 50mm in all cases.
+
The focal length is certainly 50mm in all cases.<REF> The lens names are only mentioned in the September 1937 advertisement, not in the ones dated December 1936 and September 1938, but we can probably assume that they were unchanged. </REF>
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==
Line 29: Line 29:
 
== Bibliography ==
 
== Bibliography ==
 
* {{Showa10}} Item 291. (See also the advertisement for item 164.)
 
* {{Showa10}} Item 291. (See also the advertisement for item 164.)
 +
* {{McKeown12}} P.&nbsp;328.
 
* ''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.&nbsp;15.
 
* ''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.&nbsp;15.
 +
* {{Zukan}} Item 1166.
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==
Line 35: Line 37:
 
* [http://asacame.fc2web.com/hspbestaz/bestb.htm Page with the Baby Lyra] in the [http://asacame.fc2web.com/htmds/dbnbestaz.htm A-Z 127 film cameras] at [http://asacame.fc2web.com/ Asacame]
 
* [http://asacame.fc2web.com/hspbestaz/bestb.htm Page with the Baby Lyra] in the [http://asacame.fc2web.com/htmds/dbnbestaz.htm A-Z 127 film cameras] at [http://asacame.fc2web.com/ Asacame]
 
* [http://www3.kcn.ne.jp/~ken/camera/camera.3.htm Baby Lyra], small picture at [http://www3.kcn.ne.jp/~ken/ Ken's website]
 
* [http://www3.kcn.ne.jp/~ken/camera/camera.3.htm Baby Lyra], small picture at [http://www3.kcn.ne.jp/~ken/ Ken's website]
−
* [http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/camera/L1.jpg Advertisement for the Baby Lyra and Semi Lyra] published in the December 13, 1936 issue of ''Sunday Mainichi'', reproduced in the [http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/camera/syasinki-c.htm camera company page] of the [http://kyoto.cool.ne.jp/syasinsyuu/index.htm Gochamaze website]
+
* [http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/camera/L1.jpg Advertisement for the Baby Lyra and Semi Lyra] published in the 13 December 1936 issue of ''Sunday Mainichi'', reproduced in the [http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/camera/syasinki-c.htm camera company page] of the [http://kyoto.cool.ne.jp/syasinsyuu/index.htm Gochamaze website]
  
 
[[Category: Japanese 3x4 viewfinder folding]]
 
[[Category: Japanese 3x4 viewfinder folding]]
 
[[Category: B]]
 
[[Category: B]]
 
[[Category: L|Lyra, Baby]]
 
[[Category: L|Lyra, Baby]]

Revision as of 17:53, 9 January 2007

351837912_34359e4ff7_m_d.jpg
Picture courtesy of Ed Barton. (Image rights)
Japanese Baby (3×4) and Four (4×4) (edit)
folding
3×4 Baby Balnet | Doris | Baby Doris | Baby Germa | Kinsi | Baby Leotax | Loren | Baby Lyra | Baby Pearl | Baby Pilot | Baby Rosen | Baby Suzuka | Walz
4×4 Adler Four | Rosen Four
rigid or collapsible
3×4 Baika | Baby Chrome | Comet | Cyclon | Gelto | Baby Germa | Gokoku | Hamond | Baby Hawk | Kinka Lucky | Lausar | Light | Baby Light | Molby | Mulber | Olympic | Baby Ōso | Peacock | Picny | Ricohl | Rorox | Shinko Baby | Slick | Baby Sport | Tsubasa Arawashi | Baby Uirus | Zessan
3.5×4 Kenko 35
4×4 Alma Four | Andes Four | Anny 44 | Arsen | Balnet Four | Bonny Four | Freude | Kalimar 44 | Auto Keef | Kraft | Letix | Mykey-4 | Olympic Four | Roico | Royal Senior | Seica | Terra Junior | Vero Four | Welmy 44 | Yashica Future 127
unknown
Baby First | Baby Lyra Flex
Japanese SLR, TLR, pseudo TLR and stereo models ->
Japanese 4×5 and 4×6.5, 4.5×6, 6×6 and 6×9 ->

The Baby Lyra (ベビーライラ) is a Japanese 3×4 folder that was made by Fuji Kōgaku between 1936 and 1938.[1]

Description

The Baby Lyra is a vertical folding camera inspired by the Baby Ikonta. It has a folding frame finder. The advance knob is at the bottom right, as seen by a photographer holding the camera horizontally. The back is hinged to the left and contains two uncovered red windows to control film advance. The name LYRA is embossed in the front leather. The FUJI KOGAKU logo is engraved in the folding struts and embossed in the back leather.

The shutter is an everset Picco giving T, B, 25, 50, 100 speeds. The aperture scale is at the bottom of the shutter plate and the Picco name is at the top, with an FK logo on the right. There is no body release and the lens is front-cell focusing.

351837912_34359e4ff7_t_d.jpg 351837914_3fa5b21943_t_d.jpg 351837917_fed4459232_t_d.jpg
Baby Lyra, Terionar f/4.5 lens, Picco shutter.
Pictures courtesy of Ed Barton. (Image rights)

Evolution

Three variants of the Baby Lyra are listed in advertisements dated December 1936[2], September 1937[3] and September 1938[4]:

  • Pionar f/6.3 lens (¥25 in 1936 and 1937, ¥28 in 1938);
  • Terionar f/4.5 lens (¥32 in 1936 and 1937, ¥36 in 1938);
  • Terionar f/3.5 lens (¥42 in 1936 and 1937, ¥46 in 1938).

The focal length is certainly 50mm in all cases.[5]

Notes

  1. ↑ Dates of the advertisements mentioned by Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 342.
  2. ↑ Advertisement by the distributor Yamamoto Shashinki-ten published in the 13 December 1936 issue of Sunday Mainichi, reproduced in the Gochamaze website.
  3. ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi in two parts, p. 100.
  4. ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera. Scans observed in an online auction.
  5. ↑ The lens names are only mentioned in the September 1937 advertisement, not in the ones dated December 1936 and September 1938, but we can probably assume that they were unchanged.

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 291. (See also the advertisement for item 164.)
  • 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. 328.
  • 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. 15.
  • 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 1166.

Links

In Japanese:

Retrieved from "http://camera-wiki.org/index.php?title=Baby_Lyra&oldid=5624"