Beauty Lightomatic
Beauty Lightomatic image by Lux4u2 on Flickr (Image rights) |
The Beauty Lightomatic is a series of 35mm rangefinder cameras made by Beauty Camera from 1959 to 1963.
Contents
The Beauty Lightomatic or LM
Beauty Lightomatic meter display (seen from lens side) image by jackandrose (Image rights) |
"Beauty LM" was the branding used for the Lightomatic in some markets. (It is sometimes said that the "Lightomatic LM" is a name variant of the Lightomatic II, but available photos don't support this. A Beauty LM2 is also reported.)[1]
- Selenium meter with match-needle meter window on top. Lens barrel aperture and shutter speed settings electro-mechanically coupled to meter, and film speed indexed ASA 6-800 as well from lens barrel scale. Note that symbols that rotate right of meter window are only film reminders.
- brightline etched at eyepiece lens
- Copal-SV shutter.
- Shutter speeds: B, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250 & 500. Shutter speeds can be interlocked with aperture.
- Beauty-S or Canter-S lens: f1.9-16 / 45mm with 6 elements in 4 groups.
- Brightline finder with horizontal and vertical parallax correction
The Beauty Lightomatic II
Front view image by Goodimages (Image rights) |
c.1960 Lightomatic II image by Goodimages (Image rights) |
- 1960 cosmetic revamp on Lightomatic / LM chassis
- addition of brightline finder window
- Selenium meter with needle indicator on top
- Copal-SV shutter.
- Shutter speeds: B, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250 & 300.
- Biokor-S lens: f1,9 / 45 mm.
The Beauty Lightomatic III
Top engraving "Beauty Light O matic III" image by Hans Jan Dürr (Image rights) |
Lightomatic III with meter cells around lens image by David Broglin (Image rights) |
- Selenium meter in lens barrel front around lens
- Copal-SV shutter.
- Shutter speeds: B, 1 to 1/500 sec
- Biokor-S lens: f1,9 / 45 mm.
Notes
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.397.
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. Items 1476–7 and 1479–81.
- 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). Pp.113–4.
- 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. Items 3129–30 and 3132–3.
Links
In English:
- Beauty Lightomatic in Mediajoy's Guide to Classic Cameras (follow the "Next" links at the bottom of the page to have illustrated instructions of use)
In Japanese:
In French: