Dianette and Pionette

This is a work in progress.

The Dianette (ダイアネット) and Pionette (ピオネット) are Japanese strut-folders taking 4×6.5cm and 3×4cm exposures on 127 film, made by Fuji Kōgaku in 1936. The two names refer to the same camera, sold as Pionette in Kantō (Eastern Japan) and Dianette in Kansai (Western Japan).

General description

The Dianette and Pionette are copies of the Pearlette by Konishiroku, itself copied from the German Piccolette by Contessa-Nettel. All these cameras were inspired by the Vest Pocket Kodak.

Dianette, f/6.3 focusing version, with frame finder. (Image rights)

The front standard is mounted on a pair of scissor struts. It has a pivoting brilliant finder at the top right, as seen from the front; the release button and a thread for a cable release are at the opposite side, behind the front plate. The latter is marked Dianette or Pionette at the bottom and has a logo at the top left. The winding knob is at the top right of the main body, as seen by the photographer holding the camera vertically.

Back of the Dianette. (Image rights)

Cable release and exposure insets. (Image rights)

The back is hinged to the bottom and has a circular fairing in the middle, containing three red windows: a central one for 4×6.5cm exposures and two outer windows for 3×4cm exposures. These are alternatively hidden by an internal cover, switched by a two-position lever: 1 for full-frame, 2 for half-frame. The red window fairing also contains a retractable bead for a wireframe finder, apparently mounted even on the cameras which don't have the wireframe but a frame finder on the side instead. The back has a depth-of-field table attached next to the red window fairing, even on the fixed-focus version.

The camera was supplied with a cable release and two exposure insets, one for each format. These insets contain the guide rolls and are indispensable to insure correct film planeity.

Original documents

Leaflet for the Dianette, probably from 1936. (Image rights)

The camera was advertised in Asahi Camera in March and April 1936 and featured in the new products column of the same magazine in June. The March advertisement gives the price of ¥28 for the version with an f/6.3 focusing lens.

An undated leaflet by the distributor Yamamoto Shashinki-ten presents three versions of the Dianette. All three have a Picco shutter (T, B, 100, 50, 25) by Fuji Kōgaku, with a speed-selecting wheel at the top. The two most expensive versions have a folding frame finder on the side and a Pionar Anastigmat front-cell focusing lens, either f/4.5 (¥38) or f/6.3 (¥28). The cheapest version (¥17) has a wireframe finder hinged to the front plate and a fixed-focus Fuji-Optical Achromat 75mm f/8, merely engraved Fuji–Optical Achromat F=75mm.

Actual examples

Two body versions are known. One is a plain copy of the Pearlette and Piccolette and the other has a simpler design.

Plain Pearlette copy

This body version has a round cut-off on each side and a front plate extending to the bottom, acting as a standing leg. It is the version pictured in the March 1936 advertisement cited above, with a folding frame finder attached to the side plate and offset to the top and the mountain-shaped FUJI KOGAKU logo.

Three examples of this body version are pictured in Sugiyama with the name "Pionette". One has the same finder and logo as in the advertising picture. The lens is front-cell focusing and is reported to be a Terionar f/4.5 while the shutter is reported to be a Picco. Another has a front-cell focusing lens, a partly erased logo and no frame finder. It is reported to have a Terionar f/6.3 lens on a Picco shutter. The third one has a fixed-focus lens marked Fuji-Optical Achromat F=75mm, reported to have f/11 maximum aperure (perhaps by mistake), and a dial-set shutter reportedly called Super and erroneously said to give B, 25–500 speeds. It has a wireframe finder attached to the front plate with an eyepiece attached to the back, and it also has an intricate round logo perhaps written TK.

One example is also pictured in this page at Konrin's Garage.

Simpler body design

The other body version has a rectangular front plate, a retractable standing leg and straight body sides. Three examples are known, all of them called Dianette and sporting the FUJI KOGAKU logo. One is pictured in Sugiyama with a fixed-focus lens marked Fuji-Optical Achromat F=75mm (probably the meniscus f/8 mentioned in Kokusan kamera no rekishi) and a wireframe finder of which one part is missing. The second one is pictured in McKeown with a focusing lens having a wider aperture, perhaps f/4.5, and a folding frame finder attached to the side plate. The third one is pictured in this page of Nekosan's website.

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 137 and 187.
• 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.328–9.
• 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 1037 and 1222–4.
• Yamamoto Shashinki-ten. Leaflet for the Dianette. Date not indicated. Document reproduced in this Flickr album by Rebollo_fr.

Links

In Japanese:

• Pionette at Konrin's Garage
• Japanese prewar 127 film cameras, including the Dianette, at Nekosan's website

Fuji Kōgaku cameras ()
prewar and wartime models			postwar models
3×4	4×6.5	subminiature	4×4	subminiature
Baby Lyra | Baby Lyra Flex | Baby Balnet	Dianette | Pionette	Lyravit	Balnet Four	Comex
4.5×6	6×6	6×9	4.5×6	6×6
Bakyna | Semi Lyra | Lyrax	Lyra Six | Lyra Flex	Lyra (6×9)	Semi Lyra | Pioneer	Lyra Six | Lyraflex