Beautyflex

Beautyflex are a series of Japanese 6×6 TLR cameras and made by Taiyōdō Kōki.

Early models have front lens cell focusing with a toothed-gear that couples the taking and viewing lenses, while later models have lens board movement focusing.

As was common practise among 1950s Japanese camera manufacturers, a number of the Beautyflex models where rebadged (made for other sellers with an altered identity) with modest specification changes, and rebranded (just given an alternative name for the manufacturer themselves to sell in different markets). The attribution of rebadges and rebrands can sometimes be tricky, but a good rule of thumb is - if the objective lens is not 80mm, Taiyōdō Kōki did not make it (however, there are two known exceptions - the Beautyflex II and the Beauty III).

Beautyflex II

Known only through a January 1951 advertisement in Photo Art magazine

• Geared-lens focus
• Unknown 75mm f3.5 taking lens
• Unknown shutter with speeds of 1/15 to 1/150
• Visually very similar to the Beautyflex III, but for an altered name badge

Beautyflex III

Beautyflex IV image by Claudio Costa (Image rights)

• Geared-lens focus
• Thought to date to about 1950
• Doimer 80mm f3.5 taking lens
• TKK shutter with speeds of 1/10 to 1/200
• "T" logo on the viewfinder lid

Beautyflex IV

• Thought to date to about 1951
• There appears to be early and late versions where the former resembles the III and the latter resembles the V.

Beautyflex V

• Thought to date to about 1953
• Closely resembles the later model IV with key differences
• 1. Rounded triangle TKK logo on the viewfinder lid
• 2. Etoal 1/10 to 1/200 shutter with front-mounted release
• 3. Stylised lens surrond
• 4. Synch plug socket bottom right
• 5. Modified catch for the back
• The Beautyflex V was rebranded as the (early) CSL Photoflex

Beautyflex S/Beauty S

Beautyflex S image by MC JC (Image rights)

• This model introduced the transition from gear coupled taking and viewing lenses to lens board movement focusing
• Thought to date to about 1954.
• Lens: Beauty 80mm f3.5
• Shutter: NKS-FB MX 1 to 1/300
• Neither the S or the T featured the rounded triangle TKK logo on the viewfinder lid, as introduced in the V and carried forward to the D.
• There is a variant which has a "Beauty" name badge rather than "Beautyflex", and this was only sold in Japan.
• There was a further Japan only model called the "Beauty III", which had unusual 75mm f/3.1 lenses.

Beautyflex T

• Also thought to date to about 1954
• Looks similar to the S except that there is no decorative connecting block between the two lenses
• Lens: FC Telmer 80mm f3.5
• Shutter: TKK MX 1 to 1/300
• The Beautyflex T was rebadged as the Wardflex I, which was in turn rebranded by TKK as the Gen-flex (i.e. the Gen-flex is a copy of the Wardflex I rather than a copy of the Beautyflex T)

Beautyflex D

Beautyflex D; bayonet filter mount image by Sebastian Freitag (Image rights)

• Thought to date to about 1955
• Several Known Lens/Shutter combinations:
• 1. Biokor 3.5/80 mm lens in a Synchro-MX 1 - 1/300 shutter
• The Biokor/Synchro-MX variant was rebadged as the Wardflex II and the USC Auto Fifty, and also rebranded by TKK as the (late) CSL Photoflex
• 2. Biokor 3.5/80 mm lens in a Synchro-MXV 1 - 1/300 shutter
• The Biokor/Synchro-MXV variant was rebadged as the Fodorflex
• 3. Biokor 3.5/80 lens in a Rectus 1 - 1/300 shutter
• 4. Biokor 3.5/80 mm lens in a Copal-MX 1 - 300 shutter

Beautyflex 2.8

• This is an uncommon model, and among only a very few TLRs to have f/2.8 lenses (the best known being Rolleiflex models).
• There are three variants, which differ by their Rolleiflex compatible Bay filter fittings
• 1. No bayonet
• 2. Single Bay III mounting on the taking lens
• 3. Double Bay III mounting on both lenses
• All three variants share the same lenses and shutter
• Lens - Cantor 80mm f2.8
• Shutter - Copal 1 to 1/200

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

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

In Japanese:

• Taiyodo Koki TLRs at Dujingtou.com
• Beautyflex IV at Awane-Photo's camera museum
• Beautyflex V at Otowa no nigan-refu (archived)
• Beautyflex T at Awane-Photo's camera museum
• Beautyflex T at Otowa no nigan-refu (archived)

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
• A link to an illustrated PDF guide to Beautyflex models can found at Taiyodo Koki & the Beauty Camera Company