Difference between revisions of "Centre Six"

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{{Japanese Six postwar
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{{Japanese Six postwar|width=30%
|image=[http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/285050079/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://static.flickr.com/113/285050079_c47f73398a_m_d.jpg]<br>''Picture courtesy of eBayer candances. {{with permission}}''
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|image=[http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/285050079/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/113/285050079_58b2778565_m_d.jpg]<br>''Picture courtesy of eBayer candances. {{with permission}}''
 
}}
 
}}
The '''Centre Six''' or '''Center Six''' (センターシックス)<REF> The camera itself is engraved ''Centre Six'' but it is called "Center Six" in an advertisement reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.&nbsp;145. </REF> is a Japanese 6&times;6 folder released in 1951.<REF> Date: {{Kokusan}}, p.&nbsp;354. </REF>
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The '''Centre Six''' or '''Center Six''' (センターシックス)<REF> The camera itself is engraved ''Centre Six'' but it is called "Center Six" in an advertisement in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' November 1951, reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.145. </REF> is a Japanese 6&times;6 folder released in late 1951 by a company called [[Nissan|Nissan Kōgaku]]. (This company was probably unrelated to the similarly named [[Nissan|Nissan Kōgaku Kōgyōsha]], active before the war and linked to [[Condor Camera|Motodori]].)
 
 
== Attribution ==
 
The Centre Six was made by a company called [[Nissan|Nissan Kōgaku]]. It is unknown if it was related with the similarly named company [[Nissan|Nissan Kōgaku Kōgyōsha]] that was active before the war and was related to [[Condor Camera|Motodori]]. The attribution of the Centre Six to Nissan Kōgaku is confirmed by the camera markings and by an advertisement dated November 1951.<REF> Advertisement published in ''Asahi Camera'', reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.&nbsp;145. </REF> The camera was distributed by K.K. Sukiya Camera Shōkai ({{kabu}}スキヤカメラ商会) and cost only {{yen|4,500|1951}} (case included).
 
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
The Centre Six is a horizontal folder, with straight folding struts. It has a top housing containing the finder in the middle. The advance knob is on the left end and the accessory shoe on the right end. The back is hinged to the right and has a single red window in the middle, protected by a vertically sliding cover, to control film advance. The top housing is engraved ''Centre Six'' in handwritten style above the finder and the back leather is embossed ''CENTRE SIX'' under the red window. There is also a ''NISSAN KOGAKU'' somewhere in the leather covering, probably on the folding bed.
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{| class="plainlinks" align="center" style="text-align: center; clear: left;"
 
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|| [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/285050078/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/285050078_c6f360ee28_m_d.jpg] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/285050081/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/40/285050081_bbaeb14ac1_m_d.jpg]
The lens is engraved ''CENTRE ACHROMAT'' and ''NISSAN KOGAKU'' and has 6, 8, 11, 16 aperture settings.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.&nbsp;354, says that the aperture settings are of the "US" type and that the maximal aperture is about f/9, but the diameter of the front element looks more like f/6 than f/9. </REF> The shutter has 100, 50, 25, B speed settings and it is synchronized via a pin above the shutter housing.
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|-
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|| ''Centre Six. Pictures courtesy of eBayer candances. {{with permission}}''
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|}
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The Centre Six is a horizontal folder, with straight folding struts. The viewfinder is contained in the middle of the top housing. The advance knob is at the left end, as seen by the photographer, and the accessory shoe is at the opposite. The shutter is fired by a trigger placed along the right-hand folding strut. The folding bed is released by a button placed on the front door itself. The back is hinged to the right and has a single red window in the middle, protected by a vertically sliding cover. The camera's design is very cheap, and even lacks a pressure plate.
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{| class="plainlinks" align="center" style="text-align: center; clear: left;"
 +
|| [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/285050083/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/106/285050083_94ff2e9843_m_d.jpg]
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|-
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|| ''Inside picture, courtesy of eBayer candances. {{with permission}}''
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|}
  
== Pictures ==
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The top housing has the name ''Centre Six'' engraved in cursive letters above the viewfinder, and the back leather has ''CENTRE SIX'' embossed under the red window. The logo ''NISSAN KOGAKU'' is embossed somewhere in the leather covering, certainly on the folding bed.
<div class="plainlinks" style="clear: both;">
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{| class="plainlinks" align="center" style="text-align: center;"
{|
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|| [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/284856476/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/284856476_f2b73e98d1_t_d.jpg] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/284857836/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/118/284857836_da1c017680_t_d.jpg] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/284857834/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/118/284857834_9bc3416d26_t_d.jpg] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/284856482/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/121/284856482_d2788e7989_t_d.jpg]
| rowspan="2" |
 
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/285050078/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://static.flickr.com/119/285050078_f9384408a2_m_d.jpg] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/285050079/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://static.flickr.com/113/285050079_c47f73398a_m_d.jpg]
 
|| [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/285050081/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://static.flickr.com/40/285050081_894eda0d4d_t.jpg] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/285050083/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://static.flickr.com/106/285050083_77a2096d99_t.jpg]
 
|-
 
|| [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/284856482/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://static.flickr.com/121/284856482_5f3969cfa7_t_d.jpg] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/284857836/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://static.flickr.com/118/284857836_62f8f68abd_t_d.jpg]
 
 
|-
 
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;"|''Centre Six. The pictures on the right show the Nissan Kōgaku markings.''<br>''Pictures courtesy of eBayer candances. {{with permission}}''
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|| Centre Six'' and ''NISSAN KOGAKU'' markings.''<br>''Pictures courtesy of eBayer candances. {{with permission}}''
 
|}
 
|}
</div>
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The lens is engraved ''CENTRE ACHROMAT'' and ''NISSAN KOGAKU'' and has 6, 8, 11, 16 aperture settings. It is said that these settings are in the [[Uniform Scale]], and that the maximum aperture of the lens is about f/9.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.354. </REF> The shutter has 100, 50, 25, B speed settings and it is synchronized via a pin at the top.
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== Commercial life ==
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The commercial life of the Centre Six was certainly very brief: it was announced in the October 1951 issue of ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' and was advertised in the same magazine the following month.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.354. </REF> The advertisement shows the maker's name [[Nissan|Nissan Kōgaku]] and the distributor's name [[Sukiya|Sukiya Kamera Shōkai]]; the name of the camera is written "Center Six" by mistake.<REF> Advertisement reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.145. </REF> The price was only {{yen|4,500|1951}} (case included).
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==
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== Bibliography ==
 
== Bibliography ==
 
* {{Showa10}} Item 579.
 
* {{Showa10}} Item 579.
* {{McKeown12}} P.&nbsp;738.
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* {{McKeown12}} P.738.
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The Centre Six is not listed in {{Sugiyama}}.
  
 
[[Category: Japanese 6x6 viewfinder folding]]
 
[[Category: Japanese 6x6 viewfinder folding]]
 
[[Category: C]]
 
[[Category: C]]

Revision as of 22:35, 2 January 2008

Japanese Six (6×6)
Postwar models (edit)
folding
Aires Viceroy | Angel Six | Aram Six | Astoria Super Six | Atom Six | Balm Six | Baron | Beauty Six (1950) | Beauty Six (1953) | Calm Six | Carl Six | Centre Six | Crown | Crystar Six | Daido Six | Dorima Six | Doris Six | Ehira Six | Elbow Six | First Six | Flora Six | Fodor Six | Frank Six | Fujica Six | Super Fujica Six | Futami Six | Gotex | Grace Six | Kohken Chrome Six | Kyowa Six | Liner Six | Lyra Six | Mamiya Six | Middl Six | Mihama Six | Mine Six | Minon Six | Mizuho Six | Motoka Six | Mount Six | Muse Six | Super Naiku | Ofuna Six | Olympus Six | Olympus Chrome Six | Orion Six | Oscar Six | Pigeon Six | Planet | Please Six | Pluto Six | Poppy Six | Press Van | Press Van-120 | Proud Chrome Six | Proud Super Six | Renown Six | Ricoh Six | Ruvikon | Ruvinal | Sanon Six | Silver Six | Sisley 1 | Sisley 2 & 3 | Sister Six | Tenar Six | Toho Six | Tomic | Toyoca Six | Ugein Six | Wagen Six | Walcon 6 | Welmy Six | Wester | Windsor Six
rigid or collapsible
Dia Six | Ehira Chrome Six | Enon Six | Flora | Flashline | Fujipet | Harmony | Mikono-6 | Orion | Ponix | Rich-Ray-6 | Shumy | Weha Chrome Six
Japanese 6×6 TLR, pseudo TLR and medium format SLR ->
Japanese Semi (4.5×6) and older 6×9 ->

The Centre Six or Center Six (センターシックス)[1] is a Japanese 6×6 folder released in late 1951 by a company called Nissan Kōgaku. (This company was probably unrelated to the similarly named Nissan Kōgaku Kōgyōsha, active before the war and linked to Motodori.)

Description

The Centre Six is a horizontal folder, with straight folding struts. The viewfinder is contained in the middle of the top housing. The advance knob is at the left end, as seen by the photographer, and the accessory shoe is at the opposite. The shutter is fired by a trigger placed along the right-hand folding strut. The folding bed is released by a button placed on the front door itself. The back is hinged to the right and has a single red window in the middle, protected by a vertically sliding cover. The camera's design is very cheap, and even lacks a pressure plate.

The top housing has the name Centre Six engraved in cursive letters above the viewfinder, and the back leather has CENTRE SIX embossed under the red window. The logo NISSAN KOGAKU is embossed somewhere in the leather covering, certainly on the folding bed.

The lens is engraved CENTRE ACHROMAT and NISSAN KOGAKU and has 6, 8, 11, 16 aperture settings. It is said that these settings are in the Uniform Scale, and that the maximum aperture of the lens is about f/9.[2] The shutter has 100, 50, 25, B speed settings and it is synchronized via a pin at the top.

Commercial life

The commercial life of the Centre Six was certainly very brief: it was announced in the October 1951 issue of Asahi Camera and was advertised in the same magazine the following month.[3] The advertisement shows the maker's name Nissan Kōgaku and the distributor's name Sukiya Kamera Shōkai; the name of the camera is written "Center Six" by mistake.[4] The price was only ¥4,500 (case included).

Notes

  1. The camera itself is engraved Centre Six but it is called "Center Six" in an advertisement in Asahi Camera November 1951, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.145.
  2. Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.354.
  3. Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.354.
  4. Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.145.

Bibliography

The Centre Six is not listed in Sugiyama.