Beautyflex

The Beautyflex are a series of Japanese 6×6 TLR cameras made by Taiyōdō Kōki, later Beauty Camera.

There were quite a number of different models produced. There is a big difference in the focusing system between early Beautyflexes and the later ones. Early ones have front lens cell focusing with gear coupled taking and viewing lenses. The later ones have the traditional lens board movement focusing.

Beautyflex IV

Geared-focus Beautyflex IV image by Claudio Costa (Image rights)

Beautyflex V

Beautyflex V image by brandsvig (Image rights)

• Production period : c.1953
• Format : 6 x 6 cm on 120 type rollfilm
• Known Lens/Shutter combinations :
  Doimer Anastigmat 3.5/80 mm lens in a ??? shutter
• Filter Sizes : ?
• Flash synchronization : ???
• Lighmeter system : none
• Double exposure prevention : ???
• Color Finish : Black
• Color Leatherette : Black
• Dimensions WxDxH :  ??x??x?? mm
• Weight: ??? grams

Beautyflex D

Beautyflex D; bayonet filter mount image by Nis Jensen (Image rights)

with Tri-Lausar 1:3.5 f=80mm lenses image by Sebastian Freitag (Image rights)

• Production period : c.1955
• Format : 6 x 6 cm on 120 type rollfilm
• Known Lens/Shutter combinations :
  Tri-Lausar 3.5/80 mm lens in a Taiyodo Koki Synchro-MX shutter
  Biokor 3.5/80 mm lens in a Taiyodo Koki Synchro-MXV shutter
  Biokor 3.5/80 mm lens in a Copal-MX shutter
• Filter Sizes : ?
• Flash synchronization : Socket on frontpanel, M- and X-synchronization
• Lighmeter system : none
• Double exposure prevention : Yes
• Color Finish : Black
• Color Leatherette : Black
• Dimensions WxDxH :  ??x??x?? mm
• Weight: ??? grams

Beautyflex S

Beautyflex S image by MC JC (Image rights)

Beautyflex T

The Beautyflex T was produced in the mid-1950s. It uses a FC Telmer 80mm f/3.5 optics as well as a TKK MX shutter with speeds of 1 to 1/300 of a second.

Beautyflex 2.8

Taiyo-Dou Kohki Beautyflex , Canter f2.8/80mm taking lens. Early model, No filter bayonets Images by yalluflex. (Image rights)

Taiyo-Dou Kohki Beautyflex , Canter f2.8/80mm taking lens. Late model, filter bayonets on both lenses Images by yalluflex. (Image rights)

Bibliography

• Watakushi no ni-gan-refu kamera-ten (私の二眼レフカメラ展, Exhibition of twin lens reflex cameras). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 1992. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number.) P. 26.

Links

In Dutch:

• Beautyflex in Jo Daelmans' website

In Japanese:

• Beautyflex V and Beautyflex T at Otowa no nigan-refu (archived)
• Beautyflex V at Awane-Photo's camera museum
• Beautyflex in a posting at Junk Binbō blog
• Beautycord at Shashin wo tanoshimu

In English;

• Beautyflex on Westfordcomp.com
• Study on Taiyodo Koki TLR's on Barry Togoods TLR Cameras Website
• Beautyflex instruction manual in PDF format (English) from OrphanCameras.com website

Comparison with a better-known Japanese TLR image by kavandje (Image rights)