Difference between revisions of "Hit"

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In German:
 
In German:
 
* [http://www.photodeal.de/allgemein/fernostminis.htm Enorme Typenvielfalt: Minis aus Fernost], article by Hubert E. Heckmann in [http://www.photodeal.de/ Photodeal.de]
 
* [http://www.photodeal.de/allgemein/fernostminis.htm Enorme Typenvielfalt: Minis aus Fernost], article by Hubert E. Heckmann in [http://www.photodeal.de/ Photodeal.de]
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In Swedish:
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* [http://www.fotomuseetiosby.nu/hit.html Hit-type cameras] at [http://www.fotomuseetiosby.nu/ Fotomuseet i Osby]
  
 
[[Category: Japanese 17.5mm film]]
 
[[Category: Japanese 17.5mm film]]
 
[[Category: Tougodo]]
 
[[Category: Tougodo]]
 
[[Category: H]]
 
[[Category: H]]

Revision as of 18:42, 5 November 2008

Japanese subminiature
8mm film Camera "A" | Camera-Lite | Echo 8 | Kaitenkei
9.5mm film Doryu 1 | Fujica 8×11mm SLR | Yashica Atoron
16mm film Albert | Beauty 16 | Bell 16 | Bell Kamra | Binoca | Camera "B" | CM-16 | Cyclops | Dan 16 | Darling-16 | Doryu 2-16 | Fujica 16mm SLR | Gemmy | Glico Pistol | Konan-16 Automat | Mamiya 16 Automatic | Mica Automat | Micta | Minolta-16 | Minolta-16 EE | Minolta-16 EE II | Minolta-16 MG | Minolta-16 MG-S | Minolta-16 P | Minolta-16 Ps | Minolta 16 QT | Mycro Super 16 | Mykro Fine Color 16 | Nice | Nikon 16 | Poppy | Ramera | Ricoh 16 | Ricoreo 16 | Rubina | Rubix | Seiki 16 | Seiki 16 (pistol) | Shaty 16 | Sonocon 16 | Spy 16 | Steky | Golden Steky | Teleca | Viscawide-16 | Yashica Y16 | Yashica 16 EE | Zany | Zuman Super 16 | Zunow Z16
unknown Matchbox camera
17.5mm film Arrow | Baby Flex | Baby-Max | Barlux | Beauty 14 | Bell 14 | Blondy | Baby Colon | Comex | Corona | Croma Color 16 | Epochs | Fuji Kozet | Gamma | Gem 16 | Gemflex | Glico Lighter | Halmat | Hit | Hit-II | Hit-type | Hobby 16 | Homer No.1 | Homer 16 | Honey | Hope | Jenic | Kiku 16 | Kent | Kolt | Kute | Lovely | Mascot | Meteor | Micky | Midget | Mighty | Mini | Moment | Mycro | Myracle | Nikkobaby | Peace | Peace Baby Flex | Peace Small Lef | Pet | Petit | Petty | Prince 16-A | Prince Ruby | Robin | New Rocket | Rubina | Rubix | Saga 16 | Saica | Septon Pen | Sholy-Flex | Snappy | Spy-14 | Sun | Sun B | Sun 16 | Sweet 16 | Tacker | Takka | Tone | Top Camera | Toyoca 16 | Toyoca Ace | Tsubame | Vesta | Vista | Vestkam
20mm film Guzzi | Mycroflex | Top
round film Evarax | Petal | Sakura Petal | Star
unknown Hallow | Lyravit | Tsubasa
110 film see Japanese 110 film

Hit-type cameras

After WWII the Japanese had a period of low spending capacity. So they enjoyed using cameras which didn't use much film material, making 14×14mm exposures on narrow paper-backed 17.5mm film. This kept film costs affordable. The main design used for most of these cameras was that of a miniature version of a simple contemporary 35mm viewfinder camera, with leatherette covered body, chrome plated parts, a film advance control window in the back and a characteristic top with a simple viewfinder and film advance knob. Most of these cameras had a non-focusable lens with fixed small aperture, a self-cocking shutter with bulb and instant mode. The original idea to make such 17.5mm viewfinder cameras was introduced in 1937 by the camera maker Jilona Shōkai with the Midget, followed in 1939 by the Mycro, but the vast majority of the models appeared in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

The Tōgōdō Seisakusho branch of Tougodo made simple versions of that camera type, and the name of its subminis became the synonym for that camera type: Hit. Several other Japanese 17.5mm still cameras had a quite similar design, some were more sophisticated, and all are called "Hit"-type cameras today in the Western world. In Japan, these are called mame kamera (豆カメラ), literally meaning "bean cameras". Only the cheapest of these cameras were patterned on Tougodo's Hit, the heavier and more evolved models were actually inspired by the Midget and Mycro.

Many of the Hit-type cameras were exported to the US and turned into cash. They were revealed to the US public by the magazine US Camera in September 1946 — this was before the release of the Hit, and the featured camera was certainly the Mycro, the first such camera to reach the market after 1945.[1] It is said that more publicity was given when one of these cameras was offered to Marlene Dietrich by a US soldier back from Japan.[1] The demand from the US grew rapidly, and a business model emerged in Japan, with no less than 18 manufacturers and about 50 subcontractors involved in Hit-type camera production in 1949.[1] The sales reached a peak that year, with 188,500 units sent for export, generating nearly 800 million yen.[1] It is said that many of these cameras, not seriously considered for picture taking, were used as toys or Christmas tree ornaments.[2] The sales were very seasonal, with 65,000 cameras, or about one third, bought in June and July 1949 in anticipation for Christmas.[1] By 1950, the trend for such novelty cameras was already declining, with about 50,000 units exported in the same period of the year.[1] On the Japanese user market, better subminiature cameras using 16mm film began to displace the 17.5mm film cameras.

Production of cheap Hit-type cameras nonetheless continued for a long time. Various cameras were made with a more modern design, adapting the original Hit concept. Some were made by Tougodo itself, such as the Baby-Max and Toyoca Ace, and others were probably made by different companies, such as the Homer No.1 or Bell 14.


Tougodo's original Hit

The original Hit has an f/11 lens, a self-cocking shutter with release lever at the lens tube, and an advance knob that can't be turned into the wrong direction. Its production started in the years when Japanese cameras were marked "Made in occupied Japan" (1947-1951), probably in 1950. The earliest have a 30mm lens and just instant mode. Later models have also B mode and a mode switch lever at the lens tube, opposite to the shutter release. Some examples were made with a simple exposure counter at the base of the advance knob.[3]

Redesigned Hit models

Redesigned models were made by Tougodo under the name Hit. One of these is a name variant of the Baby-Max, and the Hit-II is an adaptation of the Toyoca 16 (see the corresponding pages).

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Mame kamera hakusho", column by Haga Hideo in Asahi Camera July 1950 reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.189.
  2. Used as Christmas tree ornaments: Sugiyama, p.288.
  3. Exposure counter: see this page at Submin.com.

Bibliography

  • Haga Hideo (芳賀日出男). "Mame kamera hakusho" (豆カメラ白書, White paper on bean cameras). In Asahi Camera July 1950, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.189.
  • 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.391 and 929.
  • Pritchard, Michael and St. Denny, Douglas. Spy Cameras — A century of detective and subminiature cameras. London: Classic Collection Publications, 1993. ISBN 1-874485-00-3. Pp.74–9.
  • 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. Item 5044.

Links

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