View source for Halma 6×6 TLR

{{Japanese postwar 6×6 TLR
|image=[http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicoz/178878693/in/pool-camerawiki/ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/45/178878693_b875607729_m_d.jpg]<br />''Picture by [http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicoz/ NicoZ]. {{with permission}}''
}}
The '''Halma Flex''' and '''Halma Auto''' are Japanese 6×6 TLR cameras, perhaps made around 1960 by a company called Hara, successor of [[Lustre]].<REF> Attribution to Hara: message by Koji Namikawa in [http://www.tlr-cameras.com/Japanese/index.html this page at tlr-cameras.com], based on documents about the camera inspections for export. </REF> The '''Prinz Flex''' and '''Prinz Auto''' are name variants of the Halma Flex.

== Common features ==
The Halma Flex and its Prinz name variants are regular copies of the [[Rolleicord]]. The front plate moves back and forth for focusing. The film advance knob is on the photographer's right and the focus knob is on the left. The release button is placed at the bottom of the front standard, on the photographer's right, and the synch post is buried in the front plate on the opposite side. It seems that all the models have a sportsfinder in the viewing hood and an accessory shoe. The Halma Auto has similar features with a crank advance.

== Advertised versions ==
The only advertisement for the Halma 6×6 TLR observed so far was published in ''Camerart'' (a Japanese magazine published in English language), perhaps in 1960.<REF name="advert-camerart"> Advertisement reproduced in [http://www.tlr-cameras.com/Japanese/slides/Halma-Auto.htm this page at tlr-cameras.com]. </REF> It was inserted by [[Tohko|Tohko Co., Ltd.]], certainly the distributor of the camera, and also presents the [[Halma 44]] and the [[Owla Stereo]]. Four versions of the Halma Flex are listed, all of them having a synchronized shutter of the "Prontor type" (B, 1–300, self-timer):
* '''Halma Flex I''': red window film advance, push-on filters;
* '''Halma Flex IB''': red window film advance, bayonet filters;
* '''Halma Flex II''': semi-automatic film advance, push-on filters;
* '''Halma Flex IIB''': semi-automatic film advance, bayonet filters.
The description says that the exposure counter of the semi-automatic models is automatically reset to "S" when the back is opened.

== Evolution of the Halma Flex ==
The Halma Flex is known with three types of nameplate, all of them inscribed ''HalmaFlex''. Type 1 is oval and has a small serial number, type 2 is almost rectangular and has a serial number too, type 3 is almost oval and has no serial number.

Today, the Halma Flex is surprisingly common in South American online auctions, from Argentina or Brazil; this is perhaps an indication that the camera was exported to these two countries. (A transaction for a Halma Auto has been recorded in Argentina too.)

=== Type 1 nameplate ===
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|| ''Halma Flex IB no.31802, type 1 nameplate, Halmar Anastigmat and View Halmar 8cm f/3.5 lenses. Picture by Terry Calvert. {{with permission}}''
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Type 1 nameplate has been observed on a few cameras only. They have an accessory shoe on the photographer's right. The strap lugs are identical to those of the last [[Lustreflex]] models. The focus knob is surrounded by a silver depth-of-field scale. The taking lens is a Halmar Anastigmat 8cm f/3.5 and the viewing lens is a View Halmar 8cm f/3.2 of slightly larger aperture.

One example has serial no.31234 and corresponds to the specifications for the Halma Flex I; it has a simple shutter casing with a black front plate.<REF> Example pictured in [https://web.archive.org/web/20080121053656/http://www.chinesecamera.net/thread-23971-1-1.html this page at www.chinesecamera.net] (archived). </REF> That pictured on the right has serial no.31802 and corresponds to a Halma Flex IB; its shutter casing is similar but has a silver front plate. Further cameras correspond to the Halma Flex IIB.<REF> Examples pictured in {{MK}}, p.376, and observed in an online auction. </REF>

=== Type 2 nameplate ===
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|| ''Halma Flex no.43160, type 2 nameplate, [[Copal-MXV]] shutter, Halmar and Viewer Halmar 75mm f/3.5 lenses.<br />Picture by Keith Rock. {{with permission}}''
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Most of the Halma Flex cameras have type 2 nameplate and a serial number in the 4xxxx range. The accessory shoe, strap lugs and depth-of-field scale are similar to those fitting earlier examples.

The manual examples have a round red window in the back, protected by a vertically sliding cover. Examples of the model I have a black shutter plate; at least one of them is known with gray leatherette covering.<REF> Black covering: example pictured in {{MK}}, p.376. Gray covering: example pictured in [https://web.archive.org/web/20080516151518/http://www.lomo.us/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4225 this Lomo.us forum post] (archived), body no.44906. </REF>

The semi-automatic examples have a round exposure counter window above the accessory shoe, and no red window in the back. The position of the first exposure is certainly set by aligning the start mark of the leader paper with a mark inside the body. Some examples may have the same simple shutter casing as on earlier cameras, with a silver front plate. Others, such as that pictured above, have a [[Copal-MXV]] shutter under a more elaborate black casing.<REF> Examples pictured in this page, in [http://www.tlr-cameras.com/Japanese/slides/Halma%20Flex.html this page at tlr-cameras.com], and observed in an online auction. </REF> The Halmar Anastigmat and View Halmar lenses were replaced at some time by Halmar and Viewer Halmar 75mm f/3.5, as is visible on the above camera.

=== Type 3 nameplate ===
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|| ''Halma Flex, type 3 nameplate. The taking and viewing lenses are swapped.<br />Picture by [http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicoz/ NicoZ]. {{with permission}}''
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Later examples have type 3 nameplate. They are similar to the camera pictured in the 1960 advertisement, and many minor features differ from the previous examples. There are new shorter strap lugs, a different back latch engraved ''JAPAN'', and a different focus knob with a film reminder and a black depth-of-field scale. The accessory shoe has moved to a new location above the focus knob. The shutter release is bigger and contains a cable release thread. It seems that the camera now has 8.0cm f/3.5 lenses, and at least one source reports a pair of Tri-Lausar by [[Tomioka]].<REF> Tri-Lausar lenses reported in an online auction. The camera pictured in this page has unspecified 8.0cm f/3.5 lenses. The taking and viewing lenses have been swapped, probably the result of a bad repair. </REF>

== The Prinz Flex and Prinz Auto ==
{| class="plainlinks" align=center style="text-align: center;"
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|| [http://www.flickr.com/photos/alvaropics/1032033980/in/pool-camerawiki http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1358/1032033980_1cf2154eb9.jpg] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/alvaropics/1162037219/in/pool-camerawiki http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7904/46797610381_46f6fa2bba_m.jpg]
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|| ''Prinz Auto no.2606, Tri-Lausar Anastigmat 8cm f/3.5 taking lens no.23332, Tri-Lausar Viewer 8cm f/3.5 viewing lens no.23398.''<br />''Pictures by [http://www.flickr.com/photos/alvaropics/ Alvaro Munoz-Aycuens Mtnz.] {{with permission}}''
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| width=250px | [http://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/46797583321/in/pool-camerawiki/ http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7914/46797583321_a1c0650521_m_d.jpg]
| width=200px | [http://www.flickr.com/photos/camerawiki/46797610381/in/pool-camerawiki/ https://live.staticflickr.com/7904/46797610381_46f6fa2bba_m_d.jpg]
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|| ''Prinz Flex no.2567.<br />Picture courtesy of eBayer camcentre. {{with permission}}''
|| ''Prinz Auto no.3171.<br />Picture courtesy of Glyn Coburn-Gee. {{with permission}}''
|}
The Prinz Flex and Prinz Auto were distributed by the British company [[Dixons]] around 1960.<REF> Terry Scott reports in [http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00C0Mo this thread at photo.net] that he bought a Prinz Auto new in the 1960s. </REF>

The '''Prinz Flex''' is a name variant of the Halma Flex I. The nameplate reads ''PRINZ FLEX'' and has a four-digit serial number inscribed in small characters above. All the examples observed so far have grey leatherette covering; except for the nameplate, they are similar to the grey Halma Flex I (type 2) described above.<REF> Examples pictured in [http://www.tlr-cameras.com/Japanese/slides/Prinz%20Flex.html this page at tlr-cameras.com], in [http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/15198/lot/377/ this page at Bonhams], and observed for sale in online auctions and dealer websites. </REF> They have Halmar Anastigmat and View Halmar lenses. The body edges and the nameplate are painted in a dark grey colour, but the borders of the front standard and viewing hood are black. The focus knob is engraved in metres (in red) and feet (in black).

The '''Prinz Auto''' is a name variant of the Halma Flex IIB (type 2) with [[Copal-MXV]] shutter. It normally has a Tri-Lausar Anastigmat taking lens and a Tri-Lausar Viewer viewing lens, supplied by [[Tomioka]], but it is said that the Prinz Auto was also advertised with Halmar lenses.<REF> Advertised with Halmar lenses: {{MK}}, p.803. </REF> There are some minor differences from the Halma Flex with Copal: the synch post is placed at the top of the front standard, the M/X selector (with a yellow dot) is not placed the same, the aperture scale has red numbers and runs in the reverse direction (with ''3.5'' at the bottom). The name ''PRINZ AUTO'' is inscribed on a stepped nameplate, with the four-digit serial number engraved in small characters above. The right hand strap lug is engraved ''<small>JAPAN</small>'' and the accessory shoe is engraved ''H.S'', probably for <U>H</U>ara <U>S</U>eisakusho.

The Prinz Flex and Prinz Auto probably shared a common sequence of serial numbers; those confirmed so far range from 1938 to 3171.<REF> Example observed in an online auction. </REF> The ever-ready case for both cameras is similar except for the cut-out at the rear for the red window. It is made of brown leather and has a triangular ''PRINZ'' logo.
{{Flickr_image
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|image= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2338/2044418447_71b46cb822_z.jpg
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|image_text= More photos of Prinz Auto no.2606
|image_by= Alvaro Munoz-Aycuens Mtnz.
|image_rights= with permission
}}

== The Halma Auto ==
The '''Halma Auto''' is a crank advance version of the Halma Flex IIB. It was listed in the 1960 advertisement cited above,<REF name="advert-camerart" /> where the film advance is described as "fully automatic". It is not known if this corresponds to automatic film loading as on a [[Rolleiflex]], or simply to the faster crank advance, which cocks the shutter at the same time. The advertisement also mentions the ability to make double exposures when required.

The Halma Auto is only known with the type 3 nameplate and the newer strap lugs and back latch, whether in the advertising picture or in the only other picture observed so far.<REF> Example pictured in [http://www.tlr-cameras.com/Japanese/slides/Halma-Auto.htm this page at tlr-cameras.com]. </REF> The position of the exposure counter window is higher than on the regular Halma Flex, this feature is perhaps shared with the other "type 3" Halma Flex.

== Notes ==
<references />

== Bibliography ==
* {{McKeown12}} Pp.376 and 803.
The Halma Flex, Halma Auto, Prinz Flex and Prinz Auto are not listed in {{SUG}} or in {{Kokusan}}.

== Links ==
In English:
* Pages at [http://www.tlr-cameras.com/ tlr-cameras.com]:
** [http://www.tlr-cameras.com/Japanese/index.html Other Japanese 120 (6×6) TLRs], with a [http://www.tlr-cameras.com/Japanese/slides/Halma%20Flex.html Halma Flex], a [http://www.tlr-cameras.com/Japanese/slides/Prinz%20Flex.html Prinz Flex] and a [http://www.tlr-cameras.com/Japanese/slides/Prinz%20Auto%20Reflex.html Prinz Auto]
** [http://www.tlr-cameras.com/Japanese/slides/Halma-Auto.htm Halma advertisement]
* [http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/15198/lot/377/ Prinz Flex], lot no.377 of [http://www.bonhams.com/ Bonhams] auction no.6610 (3 July 1997)
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/alvaropics/sets/72157601534936585/ TLR album] among [http://www.flickr.com/photos/alvaropics/ Alvaro's Pics] at Flickr, with pictures of a Prinz Auto: [http://www.flickr.com/photos/alvaropics/1032033980/in/set-72157601534936585/], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/alvaropics/1162037219/in/set-72157601534936585/], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/alvaropics/1162037195/in/set-72157601534936585/]
* Prinz Auto pictures: [http://flickr.com/photos/39824071@N00/90411209/] and [http://flickr.com/photos/chrismehigan/90411387/] in [http://flickr.com/photos/chrismehigan/ Chrismehigan's gallery] at Flickr

[[Category: Japanese 6x6 TLR]]
[[Category: H]]
[[Category:120 film]]