Difference between revisions of "First Reflex"

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{{Japanese prewar and wartime TLR}}
 
{{Japanese prewar and wartime TLR}}
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The '''First Reflex''' is a Japanese 6&times;6 TLR, made from late 1938 to 1944.<REF> Dates: advertisements and articles listed in {{Kokusan}}, p.&nbsp;340. </REF> It was ostensibly made by First Camera Works but this is certainly only a name used by [[Minagawa|Minagawa Shōten]] for advertising purpose. The actual maker was probably [[Petri|Kuribayashi]]. The camera was advertised by First Camera Works then by [[Banno|Banno Bōeki]].
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The '''First Reflex''' is a Japanese 6&times;6 TLR, made from late 1938 to 1944.<REF> Dates: advertisements and articles listed in {{Kokusan}}, p.&nbsp;340. </REF> It was ostensibly made by First Camera Works but this is certainly only a name used by [[Minagawa|Minagawa Shōten]] for advertising purpose. The actual maker was certainly [[Petri|Kuribayashi]]. The camera was advertised by First Camera Works then by [[Banno|Banno Bōeki]].
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==

Revision as of 20:29, 31 March 2007

Japanese 6×6 TLR
Prewar and wartime models (edit)
6×6cm Elmoflex | First Reflex | Kiko Flex | Lyra Flex | Minoltaflex | Minoltaflex Automat | Minoltaflex military prototype | Nōman Flex | Ostenflex | Prince Flex | Ricohflex (original) | Ricohflex B | Rollekonter | Roll-o-Frex | Rorter Ref | Rorterflex | Sakura-flex | Simpuflex | Starflex | Taroflex | Valflex | Yokusanflex
Postwar models and other TLR ->
Pseudo TLR and medium format SLR ->
Other Japanese 6×6, 4.5×6, 3×4 and 4×4 ->

The First Reflex is a Japanese 6×6 TLR, made from late 1938 to 1944.[1] It was ostensibly made by First Camera Works but this is certainly only a name used by Minagawa Shōten for advertising purpose. The actual maker was certainly Kuribayashi. The camera was advertised by First Camera Works then by Banno Bōeki.

Description

The First Reflex is a copy of the 1936 Rolleicord models. The focusing is done by moving the front plate back and forth. The focusing and film advance knobs are on the photographer's right. The film advance is semi-automatic, and there is a round exposure counter window at the top of the right-hand side plate. The focusing knob is surrounded by a depth-of-field plate.

There is a magnifying glass hinged to the back of the viewing hood. There is also a mirror for eye-level reflex viewing, which is deployed by a small lever situated on the right-hand side of the viewing hood.

The back is hinged to the top and has an exposure table (written in English). It also contains a red window, sometimes located under the exposure table and sometimes under the bottom of the camera, used to set the position of the first exposure.

The nameplate is shaped like the nameplate of the early Rolleicord and is inscribed First Reflex. The viewing hood has a First CAMERA WORKS logo.

The First Reflex I has 1–300 speeds and a triplet 7.5cm f/3.5 lens whereas the First Reflex II has 1–500 speeds and a four-element 7.5cm f/3.5 lens. (Some sources say that the model II followed the model I but this is apparently a mistake.)[2] It seems that the viewing lens is a 7.5cm f/3.2 on all the models.

Advertisements and other documents

Even if the nameplate on the camera itself reads "First Reflex", the camera was called "First Flex" in katakana in all the advertisements: ファースト・フレックス.

The First Reflex was featured in the new products column of the October 1938 issue of Asahi Camera.[3] Some sources say that it was released in 1937 but this is very dubious.[4]

The camera was offered for ¥265 in an advertisement dated January 1939, where the lens was mentioned as a Rotte Anastigmat f/3.5 and the shutter as an N-Compur. It is not clear if this shutter is the authentic German Compur or a Japanese copy called the same. It is said to have T, B, 1–300 speeds.[5] Some sources say that an early variant of the camera received a "First Type-A" shutter made by Kuribayashi and giving T, B, 1–200 speeds, but no such example has been observed so far.[6]

The camera was listed in the Template:Kakaku1940 short, compiled on October 25, 1940 and published in January 1941, in a single version priced ¥252.[7]

Later documents make a distinction between two versions, called First Reflex I (Ⅰ型) and First Reflex II (Ⅱ型). They were mentioned in the "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943.[8] In this document, the model I is described as having a First 75/3.5 three-element lens made by Tokiwa Kōgaku and an unknown shutter giving 1–300, T, B speeds, and the model II as having a Hit 75/3.5 four-element lens made by Tōkyō Kōgaku and a Hit-Rapid shutter giving 1–500, T, B speeds and provided by Tokiwa Kōgaku too.[9]

An advertisement dated October 1943 by Banno Bōeki gave similar specifications for the model I, offered for ¥340.20.[10] The model II was priced ¥362 with a Tokiwa f/3.5 four-element lens and 1–500 speeds. The advertising picture show no difference with the 1939 First Reflex. It thus seems that the First Reflex II has Hit or Tokiwa four-element lenses, depending on the lens supplier.

An advertisement dated May 1944 by the same distributor showed higher prices: ¥399.20 for the model I and ¥418 for the model II.[11]

Actual examples

The actual examples observed of the First Reflex differ by minor body variations: some have the red window in the middle of the back, just under the exposure table, and others have the red window under the bottom of the camera, on the left-hand side.[12] At least one example has a round button at the back of the viewing hood, to the right of the magnifying glass, whose use is unknown.[13]

The observed lens and shutter combinations are the following:

  • First Anastigmat taking lens, unmarked shutter, T, B, 1–300 speeds (First Reflex I);[14]
  • Hit Anastigmat taking lens, probably First Anastigmat viewing lens, Hit-Rapid shutter, T, B, 1–500 speeds (First Reflex II);[15]
  • Tokiwa Anastigmat taking lens, First Anastigmat taking lens, Hit-Rapid shutter, T, B, 1–500 speeds (First Reflex II).[16]

The Hit-Rapid shutter is marked HIT–RAPID on the speed rim and MSU TOKYO on the shutter plate.

Notes

  1. ↑ Dates: advertisements and articles listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 340.
  2. ↑ Baird, p. 105; McKeown, pp. 577–8.
  3. ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 340.
  4. ↑ Baird, pp. 20 and 102; McKeown, p. 577.
  5. ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 340.
  6. ↑ Baird, pp. 20 and 105, quoting a letter by a former employee of Petri.
  7. ↑ Template:Kakaku1940 short, type 7, section 1.
  8. ↑ "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), items 112–3.
  9. ↑ "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), lens items Lb18 and Lb38, shutter items 18-P-12 and 18-R-1.
  10. ↑ Advertisement published in Shashin Bunka, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 88.
  11. ↑ Advertisement published in Shashin Kagaku, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 88.
  12. ↑ Red window in the back: example pictured in Baird, pp. 102–6. Red window under the bottom: example pictured in McKeown, p. 577, and example observed for sale at a Chinese dealer.
  13. ↑ Example pictured in McKeown, p. 577.
  14. ↑ Example observed for sale at a Chinese dealer.
  15. ↑ Example pictured in Sugiyama, item 2007, and example pictured in McKeown, p. 578.
  16. ↑ Examples pictured in this page at tlr-cameras.com. It is extremely likely that the example with reversed taking and viewing lens names had its lenses swapped at some time. It seems that this lens and shutter combination also equips the example pictured in Baird, pp. 102–6.

Bibliography

Links

In English:

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