Baby Pearl
Template:127 Japan The Baby Pearl was a 3×4 folding Japanese camera, made from 1934 by Rokuoh-sha and later by Konishiroku (which would later become Konica). It was inspired by the Zeiss Ikon Baby Ikonta.
It was a vertical style folding camera, with curved struts and a folding optical finder. The film advance was controlled via two red windows in the back. There was sometimes a metal part between the two red windows, that could suggest a sliding cover, but it might have something to see with the pressure plate. It was embossed BABY PEARL in the leather covering, and has been observed with black or metal trimming.
The shutter was an everset Rox with B-25-50-100 speeds, set by a small lever on top. It has not been observed with a body release. The shutter plate was marked ROX on the top and Rokuoh-sha or Konishiroku at the bottom. It usually had a 50/4.5 lens. Lens markings observed:
- Rokuoh-sha NoXXXXX Optor 1:4.5 f=50mm, black face, shutter marked Rokuoh-sha
- Rokuoh-sha NoXXXXX Optor 1:4.5 f=50mm, chrome face, shutter marked Rokuoh-sha
- Rokuoh-sha NoXXXXX Hexar Ser.1 1:4.5 f=50mm, chrome face, shutter marked Rokuoh-sha
- Konishiroku NoXXXXX Hexar 1:4.5 f=50mm, chrome face, shutter marked Konishiroku
There is a possibility that the Optor was a triplet lens and the Hexar a Tessar-type four element lens, but it is unsure.
Links
In Japanese:
- A-Z 127 film cameras at Asacame, with the Baby Pearl on this page
- The Baby Pearl in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology
- Baby Pearl, small picture at Ken's website
