Focabell

This is a work in progress.

Miranda Focabell with Mirax-B reflex housing and Supreme 10.5cm f/2.8 lens head. Picture courtesy of eBayer toolchest. (Image rights)

The Focabell (フォーカベル) is a bellows system, made by Orion Seiki, later Orion Camera then Miranda Camera. It originally formed a system with the Mirax reflex housing and Supreme lens head, but it was also offered for other SLR cameras, and finally became part of the Miranda SLR system. The name Focabell was surely derived from "Focusing Bellows".

Dual-rail Focabell

Description

The original Focabell is a robust dual-rail bellows assembly, weighing about 800g. Ogihara Akira (荻原彰), founder of the Orion company, said that use of light alloy for the rails and moving parts was rejected for durability reasons.

The device has three sliding standards, individually locked by a lever or by a knob on the left. The rear standard holds the rear end of the bellows and the rear mount, which can rotate 90 degrees for vertical pictures. The middle standard is for the tripod thread. The front standard holds a focusing stage, controlled by a knob on the right for fine focusing, and supporting the front end of the bellows with the front lens mount.

Miranda Focabell with Orion Mirax-B and Supreme-C 10.5cm f/2.8 lens head. Picture courtesy of eBayer toolchest. (Image rights)

There is normally a nameplate screwed to the focusing stage, with the name Focabell and the company name Orion Camera Co. or Miranda Camera Co., and another plate screwed further to the rear, with the serial number and the words Made in Japan. Isolated examples are known without the rear plate, and even with a simple Bell engraving on the front plate. Known numbers have six digits, of which the first two might correspond to the year of production.

Early period

Versions

The early Focabell have Orion Camera Co. markings and lever locks on the left-hand side. It was made in many versions, for different camera types. These are recognized by a letter, which was certainly applied in the order of introduction of the different versions. Sources are conflicting on the meaning of some letters, certainly because mistakes were caused by confusions between the letters G, I and J. The following list can be reconstructed:

• Focabell-A or AII, for Mirax (A is screw mount, AII is bayonet mount);
• Focabell-B, for "Telyt box" (i.e. PLOOT / Visoflex) and "close-up sliding support" (複写滑走盤, i.e. Focaslide);
• Focabell-C, for Exakta;
• Focabell-D, for Contax S;
• Focabell-E, for Reflex-Korelle;
• Focabell-E', for Reflex-Korelle (large mount), perhaps the Reflex-Korelle III;
• Focabell-F or FII, for Meister-Korelle;
• Focabell-G, for Primarflex;
• Focabell-H, for Asahiflex;
• Focabell-I, for Rectaflex;
• Focabell-J, for Hasselblad.

Focabell-A	Focabell-C	Focabell-D	Focabell-E	Focabell-H	Focabell-I	Focabell-J
From Shashin Kōgyō May 1954 or a Mirax brochure. (Image rights)

The small models, for 35mm cameras, have a 44mm screw mount at the front, to take the Supreme-C 10.5cm f/2.8 lens head or other accessories made for the Mirax. It seems that an adapter was supplied with each version, to attach the lenses made for the corresponding camera mount. Almost all have a rotating rear mount, with a small lever at the top. The only exceptions are the Focabell-B, because the Visoflex has its own rotating mount, and the Focabell-AII, introduced in 1954, which has the new Mirax bayonet mount (later used on the Miranda SLR) which can be attached in either direction.

The large models, for 6×6cm cameras, have larger bellows, front and rear standards, and a fixed rear mount. The front lens mount is that of the Meister-Korelle, whatever the rear mount. An adapter was certainly supplied to fit the camera's lens range.

Focabell-E and Heliar 16.5cm, on a Reflex-Korelle.	Focabell-J and Tele-Hexar 40cm f/5.6, on a Hasselblad.
From Shashin Kōgyō May 1954. (Image rights)

Orion offered to adapt various long focal lenses to fit the Focabell. Examples pictured in original documents include a Voigtländer Heliar 16.5cm, typical of the lenses used on prewar large format cameras, and a Konishiroku Tele-Hexar 40cm f/5.6, certainly taken from a wartime Japanese aerial camera.

Orion Focabell-A bellows no.531018 (single mount) with Mirax-B and Supreme-C 10.5cm f/2.8 lens head. Pictures courtesy of Igor's Camera Exchange. (Image rights)

The early Focabell were sold in a beautiful jewel case, similar to that of the Mirax and Supreme lenses, with FOCABELL and the name of the lens mount inscribed on the lid. That for the Focabell-G is curiously marked PRIMA REFLEX instead of "Primarflex" or "Primar Reflex". The jewel case is itself contained in a reddish brown cardboard box.

Commercial life

The Focabell was released by Orion Seiki some time after the Mirax reflex housing. An article in the June 1952 issue of Shashin Kōgyō by Ogihara Akira says that a bellows system was planned for the near future. The device was released in late 1952 or early 1953, and it is pictured in another article by Ogihara dated May 1953.

Brochure for the Mirax, Focabell and Supreme, c.1953 (extract). Scan by Jeffrey Felton. (Image rights)

The above Japanese brochure, dated c.1953, lists the Focabell-A to H, and gives the corresponding catalogue numbers 700A to 700H. It offers to convert various lenses (from 100mm to 300mm) for use on the Mirax or Focabell.

Advertisements by Summit Shōkai in Asahi Camera September 1953. (Those dated October and November 1953 are nearly identical.) (Image rights)

The Focabell appears in advertisements placed by the distributor Summit Shōkai in the September to November 1953 issues of Asahi Camera. They provide the same list of lens mounts, in a more condensed form.

Advertisements by Matsushima in Asahi Camera November 1953. (Image rights)

In addition to the advertisement by Summit, the November 1953 issue of Asahi Camera also contains an advertisement by Matsushima, perhaps indicating that Orion changed its main distributor. The document gives a short price list: ¥12,000 for the model A, ¥13,500 for the model B and ¥15,000 for the model C.

Brochure for the Mirax, Focabell and Supreme, c.1954. Scans by Jeffrey Felton. (Image rights)

The article by Ogihara Akira in the May 1954 issue of Shashin Kōgyō is the first to show the Focabell-AII with the bayonet mount at the rear. It gives a detailed description, and contains pictures of various other versions. A contemporary brochure, reproduced above, has similar pictures.

Advertisements by Matsushima in Asahi Camera. Top left: January, February and August 1955. Top right: March 1955. Bottom: April 1955. (Image rights)

Matsushima continued to distribute the Mirax and Focabell for some time, and advertisements are found in the January to April 1955 issues of Asahi Camera, and again in August.

Advertisement by Matsushima in the June 1955 special issue of Photo Art. (Image rights).

The June 1955 special issue of Photo Art contains a full-page advertisement by Matsushima, which also mentions the manufacturer's name Orion Seiki, and describes the Focabell on two places, including a full price list (the models I and J were certainly swapped by mistake):

• model A, for Mirax, ¥12,000;
• model B, for "Telyt box" (Visoflex), ¥13,500;
• model C, for Exakta, ¥15,000;
• model D, for Contax S, ¥14,000;
• model E, for Reflex-Korelle (small mount), ¥14,000;
• model E', for Reflex-Korelle (large mount), ¥19,000;
• model F, for Meister-Korelle, ¥19,000;
• model G, for Primarflex (bayonet mount), ¥19,000;
• model H, for Asahiflex, ¥13,500;
• model I (see above), for Hasselblad, ¥19,700;
• model J (see above), for Rectaflex, ¥15,000.

Focabell-H with Supreme 10.5cm f/2.8 lens head, on an Asahiflex. From the front cover of Shashin Kōgyō July 1954. (Image rights).

Column in the June 1955 special issue of Photo Art. (Image rights).

Late 1950s

The production of the Focabell continued after the introduction of the Miranda SLR, for which it was the standard bellows system. The Orion Camera Co. marking was changed to Miranda Camera Co. when the company name was changed from Orion Camera to Miranda Camera in 1957. It is said that the external bayonet mount was only added after the adoption of the new markings. The device was still distributed by Matsushima, together with the Mirax, at least until 1958, as appears on advertisements reproduced below.

Advertisement in Shashin Kōgyō April 1958. (Image rights)

Advertisements in Asahi Camera May and July 1958. (Image rights)

The unit pictured below corresponds to the late 1950s version, with Miranda markings, lever locks and dual mount. (It is later than the Mirax-B and Supreme lens head pictured with it.)

Miranda Focabell bellows (dual mount) with Orion Mirax-B and Supreme-C 10.5cm f/2.8 lens head. Pictures courtesy of eBayer toolchest (Image rights).

Into the Miranda system

With time, the Focabell became fully integrated into the Miranda system, and it is not known if continued to be offered for other camera mounts as well. The standard lens head became the Soligor Miranda 135mm f/3.5, which replaced the Supreme 10.5cm f/2.8. The bellows was still supplied for some time in the red jewel case, inscribed FOCABELL and MIRANDA CAMERA CO. LTD., TOKYO on the lid, then it was replaced by a less luxuous blue cardboard box, inscribed MIRANDA FOCABELL and MIRANDA CAMERA CO., LTD. TOKYO.

The device was modified at some time by adding a magnification scale between the two rails. The scale gives both the magnifying ratio and the distance in feet; it is graduated for a 50mm standard lens on one side, and for the short barrel 135mm f/3.5 on the other side (inscribed f=135mm Short Barrel).

The final version of the dual-rail Focabell has wheels instead of levers on the left-hand side, to lock the three sliding standards.

Single-rail Focabell

The robust dual-rail Focabell was substituted by flimsier single-rail models at some time. Many variations exist, most of which have a folding rail. Some are pictured in this page of the Miranda Historical Society. The last version was called Focabell-S.

Bibliography

• Asahi Camera. Advertisements by Summit Shōkai:
  • September 1953, p.190;
  • October 1953, p.217;
  • November 1953, p.194.
• Asahi Camera. Advertisements by the photo department of Matsushima or Matsushima Megane-ten:
  • November 1953, p.59;
  • January 1955, p.229;
  • February 1955, p.190;
  • March 1955, p.180;
  • April 1955, p.211;
  • August 1955, p.206.
• Asahi Camera. Advertisements by Matsushima Shashin-yōhin:
  • May 1958, p.221;
  • July 1958, p.213.
• Ogihara Akira (荻原彰). "Mirakkusu ni tsuite" (ミラックスについて, About the Mirax). In Shashin Kōgyō no.1, June 1952. Pp.26–7. (Briefly mentions a bellows system under development.)
• Ogihara Akira (荻原彰). "Mirakkusu no kōzō to tokusei" (ミラックスの構造と特性, Construction and special features of the Mirax). In Shashin Kōgyō no.12, May 1953. Pp.275–7.
• Ogihara Akira (荻原彰). "Mirakkusu to Fōkaberu ni tsuite" (ミラックスとフォーカベルについて, On the Mirax and Focabell). In Shashin Kōgyō no.24, May 1954. Pp.344–8.
• Orion Camera. Mirax & Focabell, Orion Camera's Product's. (ミラックスとフォーカベル, Orion Camera's product's.) Brochure in Japanese language, c.1953.
• Orion Camera. Reflex Box for Copy, Close-up, Micro and Tele-photography: Mirax & Focabell. Brochure in English language, c.1954.
• Photo Art rinji zōkan: Kamera akusesarī zensho (フォトアート臨時増刊・カメラアクセサリー全書, Photo Art special issue: All the camera accessories). June 1955, no.80 of the magazine.
  • Advertisement by the photo department of Matsushima Megane-ten on p.22.
  • "Zukai: Akusesarī no mekanikku. 12: Bōen, sessha, fukusha sōchi. Mirakkusu to Fōkaberu." (図解・アクセサリーのメカニック・12・望遠・接写・複写装置・ミラックスとフォーカベル. Drawings: accessory mechanisms. 12: Telephoto, close-up and reproduction devices. Mirax and Focabell.) P.51.
  • "Shashin no kaimi wa sessha to bōen satsuei kara: Purokusā, Ōtoappu, Refubokkusu, sonota." (写真の快味は接写と望遠撮影から・プロクサー・オートアップ・レフボックス・その他, Because the appeal of photography comes with close-up and telephoto pictures: Proxar, Auto-Up, reflex housing, etc.) Pp.118–20.
• Photo Art rinji zōkan: Kamera no chishiki (フォトアート臨時増刊・カメラの知識, Photo Art special issue: Knowledge of cameras). October 1955, no.87 of the magazine. "Kakubu no kikō to sono sōsa. 14: Kamera ni toritsukeru akusesarī no chishiki. Renzu zenmen ni. b: Hojo satsuei kigu, renzu." (各部の機構とその操作・14・カメラに取付けるアクセサリーの知識・レンズ前面に・b・補助撮影器具・レンズ. Mechanism and operation of all the parts. 14: Knowledge of the accessories attached to the camera. In front of the lens. b: Accessory photographic instruments, lenses.) P.47. (Short mention only, with a small picture.)
• Shashin Kōgyō no.26, July 1954. Picture on the front cover.
• Shashin Kōgyō no.72, April 1958. Advertisement by Matsushima Shashin-yōhin, p.317.

Links

In English:

• Pages of the Miranda Historical Society:
  • Focabell bellows system
  • Focabell and Mirax outfit among rare items

In Japanese:

• Pages of the Miranda Society Japan:
  • Focabell bellows system
  • Focabell among macro lenses
  • Text-only details on the Focabell among telephoto lenses
• Focabell-G for Primarflex in Koujiya Camera's blog