Doris (3×4)
The Doris (ドリス) is a Japanese 3×4 folding camera, distributed from 1939 to 1941 by Fukada Shōkai.[1]
Contents
Maker
The maker of the Doris is not known for sure. In the advertisements observed, the camera was presented as a "sister of the Semi Prince" ("セミプリンスの姉妹品"), but it was not explicitly attributed to any specific company.[2] Some sources say that it was made by Prince Camera Works,[3] but "Prince Camera Works" was certainly not the name of any actual company (see the discussion in Camera Works).
The "Doris" name itself was used after the war by Tōkyō Seiki, later Doris Camera, a company founded by a Mr Motodori, and it is said that the name was derived from Mr Motodori's name.[4] This might suggest that the prewar Doris was made by Motodori or Nissan Kōgaku, the companies founded by the same Mr Motodori in the 1930s.
The "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943, mentioned a Doris camera (certainly the later Baby Doris) as made by Shinkō, this was perhaps also the case of this model too.
General description
The Doris is a strut-folder: the lens and shutter assembly is mounted on a square metal plate, supported by scissor struts placed on both sides. There is a tubular viewfinder above the middle of the top plate. There is a button on the right of the finder, meant to look like a body release but that is only the release of the front standard. The back is hinged to the right and contains two red windows, protected by a pivoting common cover.
Doris (3×4), Doris Anastigmat 50/4.5 lens, Doris shutter.
Pictures courtesy of eBayer shoppingcartz. (Image rights)
Evolution
Advertising
The Doris was advertised in October 1939 as a new product, in three variants priced ¥58, ¥48 and ¥43, with no description and no picture.[5] In the April 1940 issue of Asahi Camera, more details were available, but only two variants were described:[6]
- Doris Anastigmat 50/4.5 lens, Doris shutter giving 25, 50, 100, T, B speeds (¥43 — case extra ¥6);
- U.L.L. Anastigmat 50/4.5 lens, Selon shutter[7] giving 5, 10, 25, 100, 250, T, B speeds, marked SELON at the top of the shutter plate (¥58).
The camera was featured in the new products column of the May 1940 issue of Asahi Camera,[8] and a third variant was shown in an advertisement dated October 1940:[9]
It is also reported that the Doris was advertised in February 1940 with a U.L.L. Anastigmat 50/4.5 lens and a Kerio shutter giving T, B, 25–150 speeds.[10]
A Doris camera was listed in the Template:Kakaku1940 short compiled on October 25, 1940 and published in January 1941, under the names "Doris I" (¥44), "Doris II" (¥60), "Doris III" (¥50) and "Doris IV" (¥68) with no further detail.[11] It is not known if this camera is the strut-folding Doris or its successor the Baby Doris.
Actual examples
Both the example pictured in this page and the example pictured in Sugiyama have a Doris Anastigmat 50mm f/4.5 lens and a shutter plate marked DORIS at the top, like the cheaper version advertised, but they have 1/150 top speed. They are thus supposed to be slightly later.
Moreover, the advertising pictures show the advance knob at the right end of the top plate and a smaller film flange at the opposite end, but the two actual examples have a reversed configuration.[12] The example pictured in Sugiyama has a chrome front plate and a small button to open the camera, whereas the example pictured in this page has a black painted front plate and a larger opening button.
The successor of the Doris is the Baby Doris, a 3×4 vertical folder also distributed by Fukada Shōkai.
Notes
- ↑ Dates: advertisements and articles listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 338.
- ↑ Advertisements reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 80.
- ↑ Sugiyama, item 1038; McKeown, p. 803. Both call the camera "Baby Doris (horizontal)" or "Baby Doris (horizontal format)", whereas it was only called "Doris" in the advertisements.
- ↑ Niimi, p. 92.
- ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 91.
- ↑ Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 80.
- ↑ The Selon shutter is called Selon II (セロンシヤターⅡ) in this advertisement, but this is dropped in the later one dated October 1940.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 338.
- ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 80.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 338.
- ↑ Template:Kakaku1940 short, type 1, sections 4A, 5, 6A, 8A.
- ↑ Example pictured in this page and example pictured in Sugiyama, item 1038.
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. Item 155. (See also the advertisement for items 230–1.)
- Template:Kakaku1940
- 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). P. 803.
- Niimi Kahee (新見嘉兵衛). Kamera-mei no gogen sanpo (カメラ名の語源散歩, Strolls in the etymology of camera names). 2nd ed. Tokyo: Shashin Kōgyō Shuppansha, 2002. ISBN 4-87956-060-X
- 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. Item 1038.
