Difference between revisions of "Baby Suzuka"

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{{127 Japan}}
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{{Japanese Baby and Four
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The '''Baby Suzuka''' was a 3x4 folding Japanese camera, made around 1951. It was one of the last examples of that type of cameras, inspired by the [[Zeiss Ikon]] [[Baby Ikonta]].
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|image=[https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/49138214786/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49138214786_e9eabf6535_m_d.jpg]<br>''Picture courtesy of Brian Godbold. {{with permission}}''
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}}
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The '''Baby Suzuka'''<REF> It is called "Suzuka Baby I" in {{MK}}, p.870, the reverse of what appears in the advertisements. </REF> (ベビースズカ) is a 3×4 folding Japanese camera, made and sold by [[Sankō]]<REF> Made and sold by Sankō: column in {{CFA}} October 1951, p.31 (三光株式会社製造・発売). Other original documents mention Sankō as the distributor (発売元) and do not specify the manufacturer. Many recent sources, like {{SUG}}, item 1420, {{MK}}, p.870, Lewis, p.75, ''Omoide no supuringu-kamera-ten'', p.18, and [http://asacame.fc2web.com/hspbestaz/bestb.htm this page of the Asacame website] attribute the Baby Suzuka to [[Sanwa|Sanwa Shōkai]] (三和商会), but this is a mistake. </REF> between 1951 and 1954. It was essentially a copy of the [[Baby Pearl]], and was the last example of that type of camera, originally inspired by the [[Zeiss Ikon]] [[Baby Ikonta]].
  
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It was probably made by a company called Sanko, about which nothing is known. It appeared in a 1952 ad (in an issue of Asahi Camera), with the company name K.K. Sankô (株式会社三光, Sanko Co Ltd). A company called Sankô K.K. (三光株式会社) exists today (website is http://www.sanko-inet.co.jp/), and currently makes chemical products. It was founded as Sankô Shôkai (三光商会) in 1946 and became Sankô K.K. in 1949, so it might well be the same company.
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== Description ==
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The Baby Suzuka is a vertically [[folding]] camera, with a folding optical finder and curved struts like the [[Baby Pearl]] from [[Konica|Konishiroku]]. There is an [[film advance|advance knob]] on the left of the finder and on the right is the folding bed release button. The back is hinged to the left and has a single [[red window]], protected by a vertically sliding cover, to control [[film advance]].
  
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In the advertisement, the lens and shutter (barely readable) were probably Teriotar Anastigmat 50/3.5. and B-T-25-150. The price was 3500 yen, and the case cost 700 yen.
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The front leather is embossed ''SuzuKa'' in the examples observed<REF> In ''Omoide no supuringu-kamera-ten'', p.18, in [http://asacame.fc2web.com/hspbestaz/bestb.htm this page at Asacame] and in online auctions. </REF> and ''SUZUKA'' in the advertising pictures. The back latch also has a small ''SUZUKA'' engraving.
  
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It has been offered for sale by a dealer with what was reported as a Teriotar 5cm/3.5 lens and a Suzuka shutter. It is listed in McKeown at the [[Sanwa]] Shôkai (三和商会) entry, but it is certainly not related.
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{| class="plainlinks" align="center" style="text-align: center;"
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|| [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/49138424592/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49138424592_b994e2eb0a_m_d.jpg] [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/4913843374/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49138433747_046be5ec3f_m_d.jpg]
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|-
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|| [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/49138443747/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49138443747_92276054d9_t_d.jpg] [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/49137759653/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49137759653_3b0fe5c53c_t_d.jpg] [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/49137768948/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49137768948_f5ce66f056_t_d.jpg] [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/49138271836/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49138271836_0fe89dd389_t_d.jpg]
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|-
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|| ''Baby Suzuka II, Teriotar Anastigmat C 5cm f/3.5 lens no.10599.''<br>''Pictures courtesy of Brian Godbold. {{with permission}}''
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|}
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The lens is a Teriotar Anastigmat 5cm f/3.5, advertised as a coated one<REF> Advertisements in {{ACA}} January and December 1952, reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.142. </REF> and marked with a red ''C''. The lens serial numbers observed have five digits, sometimes including the letter "A" or "B" at the beginning. The shutter has 150, 100, 50, 25, B speeds and is marked ''SUZUKA''. The aperture scale is at the bottom of the shutter plate and the release lever is directly situated on the shutter housing.
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{| class="plainlinks" align="center" style="text-align: center;"
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|| [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/49139966018/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49139966018_b05f33ca3b_m_d.jpg] [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/49140470161/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49140470161_1b5e11769a_m_d.jpg]
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|-
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|| ''Teriotar Anastigmat C 5cm f/3.5 lens no.10599 and Suzuka shutter.''<br>''Pictures courtesy of Brian Godbold. {{with permission}}''
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|}
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== Evolution ==
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{| class="plainlinks floatright" width=250px style="text-align: center;"
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|| [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/49140718427/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49140718427_2cea7f8b21_m_d.jpg]
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|-
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|| ''Baby Suzuka in {{CFA}} October 1951. {{public domain Japan new}}''
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|}
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The '''original Baby Suzuka''' has no flash synchronization. It was first advertised in the July 1951 issue of {{ACA}}.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.353. </REF> The column in {{CFA}} October 1951, reproduced below, gives the price as {{yen|3,800|1951}} — case is ¥700 extra.<REF> Column in {{CFA}} October 1951, p.41. </REF> Advertisements in {{ACA}} dated early 1952 convey the same information.<REF> Advertisement in {{ACA}} January 1952, reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.142, and in {{ACA}} April 1952, reproduced in [https://web.archive.org/web/20070210001717/http://www.tohgoku.or.jp/~syugen/photobookEpilogue.htm this page] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20070706021459/http://www.tohgoku.or.jp:80/~syugen/ Media-Planet] (archived). </REF>
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{| class="plainlinks" align="center" style="text-align: center;"
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| rowspan=2 | [http://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/48838139826/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48838139826_221afbe073_m_d.jpg] [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/49139984058/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49139984058_8de43087e8_m_d.jpg]
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|| [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/49140686092/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49140686092_e49ab6c927_t_d.jpg]
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|-
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|| [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/49140014248/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49140014248_557bb3e483_t_d.jpg]
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|-
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| colspan=2 | ''Baby Suzuka II, Teriotar Anastigmat C 5cm f/3.5 lens no.B2496.''<br>''Pictures courtesy of [http://www.jay-tepper.com/ Jay Tepper]. {{with permission}}''
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|}
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The '''Baby Suzuka II''' adds flash synchronization via a pin at the bottom left of the shutter casing. It was first advertised in July 1952,<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.353. </REF> and was priced at {{yen|4,300|1952}} (case not included) in December.<REF> Advertisement in {{ACA}}, reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.142. </REF> The advertisement reproduced below was placed by [[Sankō]] in the September and October 1953 issues of {{ACA}}.<REF> Advertisement in {{ACA}} September 1953, p.195, and October 1953, p.225. </REF> Dedicated filters and a lens hood are mentioned in the document, which also contains some praise words by Yoshikawa Hayao (吉川速男). Further advertisements appeared until mid 1954;<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.353. See also a [http://blog.livedoor.jp/united3arrows/archives/cat_911880.html#17328295 price list including a Baby Suzuka II], published in 1954, reproduced at [http://blog.livedoor.jp/united3arrows/ Shashin-Bako]. </REF> no trace of the Sankō company is left after that date.
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{| class="plainlinks" align="center" style="text-align: center;"
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|| [https://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/49140038188/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49140038188_44dce5d27b_d.jpg]
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|-
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|| ''Advertisement for the Baby Suzuka II in {{ACA}} September and October 1953. {{public domain Japan new}}''
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|}
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== Notes ==
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<references />
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== Bibliography ==
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=== Original documents ===
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* {{ACA}}. Advertisements by [[Sankō]]:
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** September 1953, p.195;
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** October 1953, p.225.
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* {{CFA}} October 1951. "Kokusan kamera daitokushū" (国産カメラ大特集, Large special issue on Japanese cameras). Pp.25–44.
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=== Recent sources ===
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* {{Showa10}} Items 547–8.
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* {{Lewis}} P.75 (brief mention only).
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* {{McKeown12}} P.870.
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* ''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.26.
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* {{Zukan}} Item 1420.
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==
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* [http://www.remus.dti.ne.jp/~inasan99/camera/nostalgic_camera.html Old Japanese ads]
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In Japanese:
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* [http://asacame.fc2web.com/hspbestaz/bestb.htm Baby Suzuka II] (second camera from the top) in the [http://asacame.fc2web.com/htmds/dbnbestaz.htm A-Z 127 film cameras] at [http://asacame.fc2web.com/ Asacame]
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* Advertisement for the Baby Suzuka published in {{ACA}} April 1952, reproduced in [http://archive.is/www.tohgoku.or.jp/~syugen/photobookEpilogue.htm this page] (archived) of the [http://www.tohgoku.or.jp/~syugen/ Media-Planet website]
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* [http://blog.livedoor.jp/united3arrows/archives/17328295.html Price list including a Baby Suzuka II], published in 1954, reproduced in a [http://blog.livedoor.jp/united3arrows/archives/cat_911880.html page of Japanese postwar advertisements] at the [http://blog.livedoor.jp/united3arrows/ Shashin-Bako website]
  
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[[Category: 3x4 folding]]
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[[Category: Japanese 3x4 viewfinder folding]]
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[[Category: Japan]]
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[[Category:Japanese 127 film]]
 
[[Category: B]]
 
[[Category: B]]
 
[[Category: S|Suzuka, Baby]]
 
[[Category: S|Suzuka, Baby]]

Latest revision as of 04:28, 7 July 2023

49138214786_e9eabf6535_m_d.jpg
Picture courtesy of Brian Godbold. (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 Suzuka[1] (ベビースズカ) is a 3×4 folding Japanese camera, made and sold by Sankō[2] between 1951 and 1954. It was essentially a copy of the Baby Pearl, and was the last example of that type of camera, originally inspired by the Zeiss Ikon Baby Ikonta.

Description

The Baby Suzuka is a vertically folding camera, with a folding optical finder and curved struts like the Baby Pearl from Konishiroku. There is an advance knob on the left of the finder and on the right is the folding bed release button. The back is hinged to the left and has a single red window, protected by a vertically sliding cover, to control film advance.

The front leather is embossed SuzuKa in the examples observed[3] and SUZUKA in the advertising pictures. The back latch also has a small SUZUKA engraving.

49138424592_b994e2eb0a_m_d.jpg 49138433747_046be5ec3f_m_d.jpg
49138443747_92276054d9_t_d.jpg 49137759653_3b0fe5c53c_t_d.jpg 49137768948_f5ce66f056_t_d.jpg 49138271836_0fe89dd389_t_d.jpg
Baby Suzuka II, Teriotar Anastigmat C 5cm f/3.5 lens no.10599.
Pictures courtesy of Brian Godbold. (Image rights)

The lens is a Teriotar Anastigmat 5cm f/3.5, advertised as a coated one[4] and marked with a red C. The lens serial numbers observed have five digits, sometimes including the letter "A" or "B" at the beginning. The shutter has 150, 100, 50, 25, B speeds and is marked SUZUKA. The aperture scale is at the bottom of the shutter plate and the release lever is directly situated on the shutter housing.

49139966018_b05f33ca3b_m_d.jpg 49140470161_1b5e11769a_m_d.jpg
Teriotar Anastigmat C 5cm f/3.5 lens no.10599 and Suzuka shutter.
Pictures courtesy of Brian Godbold. (Image rights)

Evolution

49140718427_2cea7f8b21_m_d.jpg
Baby Suzuka in Camera Fan October 1951. (Image rights)

The original Baby Suzuka has no flash synchronization. It was first advertised in the July 1951 issue of Asahi Camera.[5] The column in Camera Fan October 1951, reproduced below, gives the price as ¥3,800 — case is ¥700 extra.[6] Advertisements in Asahi Camera dated early 1952 convey the same information.[7]

48838139826_221afbe073_m_d.jpg 49139984058_8de43087e8_m_d.jpg 49140686092_e49ab6c927_t_d.jpg
49140014248_557bb3e483_t_d.jpg
Baby Suzuka II, Teriotar Anastigmat C 5cm f/3.5 lens no.B2496.
Pictures courtesy of Jay Tepper. (Image rights)

The Baby Suzuka II adds flash synchronization via a pin at the bottom left of the shutter casing. It was first advertised in July 1952,[8] and was priced at ¥4,300 (case not included) in December.[9] The advertisement reproduced below was placed by Sankō in the September and October 1953 issues of Asahi Camera.[10] Dedicated filters and a lens hood are mentioned in the document, which also contains some praise words by Yoshikawa Hayao (吉川速男). Further advertisements appeared until mid 1954;[11] no trace of the Sankō company is left after that date.

49140038188_44dce5d27b_d.jpg
Advertisement for the Baby Suzuka II in Asahi Camera September and October 1953. (Image rights)

Notes

  1. ↑ It is called "Suzuka Baby I" in McKeown, p.870, the reverse of what appears in the advertisements.
  2. ↑ Made and sold by Sankō: column in Camera Fan October 1951, p.31 (三光株式会社製造・発売). Other original documents mention Sankō as the distributor (発売元) and do not specify the manufacturer. Many recent sources, like Sugiyama, item 1420, McKeown, p.870, Lewis, p.75, Omoide no supuringu-kamera-ten, p.18, and this page of the Asacame website attribute the Baby Suzuka to Sanwa Shōkai (三和商会), but this is a mistake.
  3. ↑ In Omoide no supuringu-kamera-ten, p.18, in this page at Asacame and in online auctions.
  4. ↑ Advertisements in Asahi Camera January and December 1952, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.142.
  5. ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.353.
  6. ↑ Column in Camera Fan October 1951, p.41.
  7. ↑ Advertisement in Asahi Camera January 1952, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.142, and in Asahi Camera April 1952, reproduced in this page at Media-Planet (archived).
  8. ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.353.
  9. ↑ Advertisement in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.142.
  10. ↑ Advertisement in Asahi Camera September 1953, p.195, and October 1953, p.225.
  11. ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.353. See also a price list including a Baby Suzuka II, published in 1954, reproduced at Shashin-Bako.

Bibliography

Original documents

  • Asahi Camera. Advertisements by Sankō:
    • September 1953, p.195;
    • October 1953, p.225.
  • Camera Fan October 1951. "Kokusan kamera daitokushū" (国産カメラ大特集, Large special issue on Japanese cameras). Pp.25–44.

Recent sources

  • 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. Items 547–8.
  • 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.75 (brief mention only).
  • 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.870.
  • 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.26.
  • 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 1420.

Links

In Japanese:

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