Doryu 2-16
The Doryu 2-16 is a pistol-shaped camera taking 16mm film, made by the Doryū company in 1954.
Contents
History
The Doryu 2-16 was developed for the police forces, to photograph protesters during demonstrations. It answered the same specifications as the Mamiya Pistol, asking for a pistol-shaped camera, easy to use with a single hand (see Mamiya Pistol).[1] The Doryu lost the competition, which certainly took place in early 1954. (The Mamiya camera was delivered to the police forces in late April.) The camera was nonetheless produced for the civilian market, albeit it was hardly meeting any need.
The Doryu is mentioned in Japanese magazines as early as July 1954.[2] Advertisements are found in Sankei Camera from July 1955 to February 1956.[3] The July 1955 advertisement, placed by Doryū Camera, says that the "Doryu 2-16 Flash Camera" would be "available soon", with a Doryu 17/2.5 lens.[4] The September 1955 advertisement mentions a choice of three Dorimar lenses: 15/2.2, 17/2.5 and 17/2.7.[5] It mentions the maker Doryū Camera and the company Komamura Shōkai, distributor for the Kansai area (Western Japan).
It is said that the camera part was incompetently made. One author, who seems to have actually tried the camera, says that "the shutter is poor, the film planeity is not good, there are light leaks and the lens quality is bad".[6] These faults certainly explain the failure to meet the police specifications. The only advantage of the Doryu was arguably its built-in flash system, allowing to take pictures in the night. This relied on magnesium bulbs contained in the camera's handgrip and loaded by pulling the breech block. The shutter actually has no internal synchronization, and the flash exposures only work in Bulb setting, obviously detracting from the usability.[7]
Description
The device is shaped as an automatic pistol, with a handgrip and a trigger. The rear part is very realistic, with a predominantly black finish. The handgrip contains a magazine, just as the bullet magazine of a real pistol, loaded with small magnesium cartridges. The magazines are locked by a latch and are easily recognized by the name DORYU 2–16 engraved at the bottom. The breechblock can be pulled to the rear, apparently extracting the magnesium bulbs and erecting them in firing position. The left-hand side is inscribed DORYU 2 FLASH CAMERA MADE IN JAPAN. The trigger both trips the shutter and fires the flash bulb. It is locked by a lever on the left, next to the handgrip.
The camera part is placed at the front end, instead of the gun barrel. It can be separated from the rear part,[8] apparently by fully unscrewing the round knob visible on the right, in front of the trigger. The left-hand side plate is removable for film loading: it is apparently unlocked by turning the same knob by 180 degrees. The film cassettes are the same as on the Mamiya 16.[9] The film door supports an exposure counter, graduated from 0 to 35, and a small knob, perhaps used as a secondary advance control.
There is a lever at the rear of the camera part, designed to be actuated by the right thumb, probably used to advance the film and cock the shutter. There is an accessory shoe on the same side, whose function is unclear: the shutter has no synch socket, and attaching an external viewfinder or rangefinder would be little practical in that position. The camera's built-in viewfinder consists of a single folding frame at the top.
The shutter is behind the lens mount, and only gives B, 25, 50 speeds. The lens is interchangeable, and the camera takes C-mount cine lenses.
Notes
- ↑ Nakajima, p.144 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.35.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.356.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.356.
- ↑ Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.153.
- ↑ Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.153.
- ↑ Nakajima, p.144 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.35, who seems to have actually taken pictures with the camera.
- ↑ Nakajima, p.144 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.35.
- ↑ This is obvious from the instruction sheet reproduced in this page by Auction Team Breker.
- ↑ Nakajima, p.144 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.35.
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 633 (see also the pictures on pp.19 and 438.)
- 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.250.
- Nakajima Akitoshi (中島章年). "Kenjū magai no yunīku na sutairu — Doryū 2-16" (拳銃まがいのユニークなスタイル・ドリュー2-16, The Doryu 2-16, with a unique pistol-like style). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.35, November 1995. Nihon no kamera 50nen (日本のカメラ50年, special issue on 50 years of Japanese cameras). P.144.
- 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 5029.
Links
In English:
- Past sales by Westlicht Photographica Auction:
- Doryu 2-16, lot no.643 of auction no.3 (May 24, 2003)
- Doryu 2-16, lot no.722 of auction no.9 (May 20, 2006)
- Doryu 2-16 and film magazine, lots no.597–8 of auction no.13 (June 7, 2008)
- Doryu 2-16 among the highlights of the April 26, 2008 sale by Auction Team Breker
In Japanese:
- Doryu 2-16 in the March 2005 Nikon Kenkyukai, at Red Book Nikkor
- Doryu 2-16 among Japanese pistol-shaped cameras at Sepia World
- Doryu 2-16 among pistol-shaped cameras at the JCII Camera Museum
