Fuji Kōgaku
Fuji Kōgaku is a Japanese camera maker that was active before the war, and is unrelated to the other well known Fuji company. Its full name was first Fuji Kōgaku Kikai Seisakusho (富士光学器械製作所), then Fuji Kōgaku Kōgyō K.K. (富士光学工業株式会社, Fuji Optical Industries Co Ltd). The short name used by the company in some ads was 富士光 (Fujikō). The distributor of the Fujikō cameras was Fuji Kōgaku Shōji K.K. (富士光学商事株式会社), at least in 1941 and 1942[1]. The company made a range of cameras called with the "Lyra" (ライラ) name. This name was certainly meant to recall "Leica" (ライカ in Japanese).
The company logo was FUJI KŌGAKU written in a cemented doublet lens scheme (a type of logo used by many other optical companies). There was a protuberance on top of the logo, maybe an allusion to the Mount Fuji.
Various Japanese websites (see here, here and here) say that the company became Taisei Koki after the war. Indeed the logo used by Taisei Koki is similar to the Fujikō one.
Contents
120 film
4.5×6 rangefinder, collapsible
4.5×6 folding
McKeown mentions a Bakyna strut-folding camera, with a bakelite body.
6×6 folding
6×6 TLR
- Lyra Flex
127 film
3×4 folding
McKeown mentions a Baby Balnet 3×4 folder, copy of the Baby Ikonta.
4×6.5 folding
- Dianette
- Pionette
Notes
- ↑ Advertisements reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, pp. 100–1.
Printed 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.
- 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.
