Gokoku and Ricohl
The Gokoku and Ricohl are Japanese focal-plane shutter cameras taking 3×4cm pictures on 127 film. They were made by Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō (the predecessor of Ricoh).
The Gokoku
The Riken Gokoku was a Japanese camera taking 3x4cm pictures on 127 film, developed from 1938. It had a focal plane shutter and it looked like the Leica screw models, without rangefinder. It was not the only 3x4 camera with a focal plane shutter: other examples were the Foth Derby and the French Lumière Elax, Gallus Derlux and Pontiac Lynx II. However it was probably the only one with an exposure counter and film advance fully coupled to the shutter winding. It is said the film advance takes place before the shutter winding. Reliability problems plagued the mechanism and delayed the introduction of the camera.
Riken announced the first Gokoku model with interchangeable lens in 1939 and sales began in 1940. It could take Leica screw lenses and was normally equipped with a Gokoku Anastigmat 50/3.5 triplet lens. This lens was collapsible, with helical focusing and focusing tab, looking like the Leica Elmar 50/3.5. The serial number of the lens is indicated on the distance ring. There is a metal cap engraved RKK.
Later lens interchangeability was abandoned and the Gokoku was sold with a fixed lens, the same Gokoku Anastigmat 50/3.5.
The Gokoku had a B-20-30-40-50-100-200-500 focal plane shutter. The shutter speed selector was above the top housing like on the Leica. The Gokoku was marked above the finder Gokoku No 1 (with a stylized G) and R.K.K. (for Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō). The serial number was in front of the accessory shoe. At the left end there was what looks like a rewind knob, but 127 film do not need rewind, so presumably it was only there to look like the Leica. There was one red window in the back, probably to set the first exposure. The back and bottom plate were removable with two keys.
There was also an accessory shoe, and Riken sold an external rangefinder for the Gokoku, marked RKK and GOKOKU RANGE-FINDER. It was copied on the external rangefinder of the Leica Standard, with a shorter base.
Note: Gokoku is written 護国 and means "Protector of the country", a "patriotic" wartime name.
The Ricohl
Later, around late 1940, Riken completely reworked the mechanism and launched the Riken Ricohl I. It had a longer top housing and a bigger finder. The exposure counter was now inside the advance knob, and there was no fake rewind knob. It was marked Ricohl Mod.I and R.K.K above the finder, and the serial number was in front of the accessory shoe. The Ricohl I had the same Gokoku Anastigmat 50/3.5 lens as the Gokoku, probably in fixed mount.
In 1942 followed the Ricohl IIB (リコールIIB型), with an interchangeable Neutar (?, ノイタール) four element lens. This lens mount was a screw mount specific to this camera. The lens looks even more like the Leitz Elmar 50/3.5.
There is an ad for the Ricohl IIB shown here, dated 2602 in Japanese calendar, ie 1942. The price was 256 yen. In an ad for the Riken Heil shown at the same site, two Ricohl variants are listed: the IIB (barely readable) for 256 yen and another model (looks like Ricohl II or Ricohl III) for 314 yen.
It is said at Ricoh's corporate site that more versions were planned and abandoned because of the war effort.
They also say that the Roico 4x4 camera used the same body, but with a lens shutter.
Serial numbers
An unverifiable source (Japanese seller) says about the Ricohl I that 1500 were produced. It is unknown if this number also includes the Ricohl IIB, or even the Gokoku.
It is said that only very few functioning Gokoku / Ricohl still exist, and even the one exposed at Ricoh's service center is not operational.
Some serial numbers observed:
- Gokoku: 1168 (probably interchangeable lens No 10168, for sale by a dealer with Gokoku rangefinder), 2818 (reported in a forum)
- Ricohl I: 3309 (Gokoku lens No 11275, ebay auction), 3600 (Gokoku lens No 11923, pictured in McKeown)
- Ricohl IIB:
Notes
Bibliography
- Arimura Katsumi (有村克巳). "Rikō Ryakushi" (リコー略史, Ricoh short history). 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.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp. 6–7.
- 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. Items 105, 309 and 312–3. (See also the picture on p. 14.)
- Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Gokoku" (ゴコク[護国]). In Camera Collectors' News no. 39 (September 1980). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.
- Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Rikōru I-gata" (リコールⅠ型, Ricohl I). In Camera Collectors' News no. 40 (October 1980). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.
- Template:Kakaku1940
- Lewis, Gordon, ed. The History of the Japanese Camera. Rochester, N.Y.: George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film, 1991. ISBN 0-935398-17-1 (paper), 0-935398-16-3 (hard). P. 55.
- 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. 833.
- 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. Items 3022–4 and 3047–8.
- Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Rikō kamera no nagare" (リコーカメラの流れ, Evolution of the Ricoh cameras). 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.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp. 8–11.
- Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Senzen no kamera 4: Gokoku to Rikōru" (戦前のカメラ4・ゴコクとリコール, Prewar cameras 1: Gokoku and Ricohl). 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.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp. 12–16.
Links
In English:
- The Gokoku, an article by David Silver from the issue #154 of Camera Shopper, in the International Photographic Historical Organization website
In Japanese:
- Pages of the Ricoh official website:
- Gokoku / Ricohl, with pictures of a fixed lens Gokoku, a Ricohl I and a Ricohl IIB (from top to bottom)
- Ricohl: featured article, with technical drawing of the mechanism
- Riken wartime camera names: featured article
- Ricohl I at the All Japan Classic Camera Club website
- Template:Inasan99nd
Asahi Bussan and Riken prewar and wartime cameras ( ) | ||
---|---|---|
rigid or collapsible | ||
Vest Adler | Gokoku | Semi Kinsi | Letix | Olympic | New Olympic | Regal Olympic | Semi Olympic | Super Olympic | Vest Olympic | Riken No.1 | Ricohl | Roico | Seica | Zessan | ||
folders | pseudo TLR | TLR |
Semi Adler | Adler III | Adler A | Adler B | Adler C | Adler Four | Adler Six | Gaica | Heil | Kinsi | Chukon Ref | Ricohflex | Ricohflex B |