Difference between revisions of "Japanese 3×4 and 4×4 pseudo TLR"

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(reworked, more to be done after the Clover Baby Ref)
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{{127 Japan}}
 
{{127 Japan}}
The [[Riken]] '''Chukon Ref''' was a 3×4cm format camera released around 1940. It was a [[pseudo TLR]]: its shape imitated a twin lens reflex but it was [[fixed focusing|fixed-focus]] and the finder was nothing more than a big [[brilliant finder]]. It had a black bakelite body, a Chukon Anastigmat 50/6.3 three-element lens and a B-25-50-75-100 shutter marked ''Chukon Ref'' and ''R.K.K.'' for Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō (Riken Optical Industries). It is said at Ricoh's corporate site that it was only sold by Riken and was made by another company.
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The '''Chukon Ref''' (チューコンレフ)<REF> The name Chūkon can be written 忠魂 and then it means "faithful spirit", sometimes in the sense of "loyal dead" or "war dead". Riken used such weird "patriotic" names during the war. </REF> is a 3&times;4cm format camera released by Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō (today [[Ricoh]]) in 1939. According to [http://www.ricoh.co.jp/camera/cameralist/chukon.html this page of the Ricoh official website], the camera was only sold by Riken but it was made by another company. It appears in the new products column of the August 1939 issue of ''Asahi Camera''<REF> {{Kokusan}} p.&nbsp;337. </REF>.
  
Most of the information above comes from Ricoh's corporate site; very little other information has been found.
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It is a [[pseudo TLR]]: its shape imitates a twin lens reflex but it is [[fixed focusing|fixed-focus]] and the finder is nothing more than a big [[brilliant finder]]. It has a black bakelite body, a Chukon Anastigmat 50/6.3 three-element lens and a B, 25, 50, 75, 100 shutter. The shutter plate is marked ''Chukon Ref'' at the top and ''R.K.K.'' at the bottom (for <U>R</U>iken <U>K</U>ōgaku <U>K</U>ōgyō).<REF> Most of the description comes from [http://www.ricoh.co.jp/camera/cameralist/chukon.html this page of the Ricoh official website]. </REF>
  
 
There is a reference on [http://www.tlr-cameras.com/Japanese/index.html this page at tlr-cameras.com] to a 1939 fixed focus pseudo TLR made by [[Prince]] and called "Prince Baby Ref", possibly the same as the Chukon Ref. A very similar camera called "Clover Baby Ref" is also reported as made in 1937 by Hagi Kōgyō Bōeki (荻工業貿易, Hagi Industries and Trade) (see the links).
 
There is a reference on [http://www.tlr-cameras.com/Japanese/index.html this page at tlr-cameras.com] to a 1939 fixed focus pseudo TLR made by [[Prince]] and called "Prince Baby Ref", possibly the same as the Chukon Ref. A very similar camera called "Clover Baby Ref" is also reported as made in 1937 by Hagi Kōgyō Bōeki (荻工業貿易, Hagi Industries and Trade) (see the links).
  
Note: The name Chūkon (忠魂) means "faithful spirit" and can have the sense of "loyal dead" or "war dead". Riken used such weird "patriotic" names during the war.
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== Notes ==
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<references />
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== Printed bibliography ==
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* {{Showa10}} Item 142.
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==
Ricoh's corporate website:
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In Japanese:
* [http://www.ricoh.co.jp/camera/cameralist/chukon.html Chukon Ref]
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* [http://www.ricoh.co.jp/camera/cameralist/index.html Ricoh camera list] at the [http://www.ricoh.co.jp/ Ricoh official website], with:
* [http://www.ricoh.co.jp/camera_lib/column/war-camera.html Riken wartime camera names: featured article]
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** [http://www.ricoh.co.jp/camera/cameralist/chukon.html Chukon Ref]
Other:
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** [http://www.ricoh.co.jp/camera_lib/column/war-camera.html an article about Riken wartime camera names]
 
* [http://sts.kahaku.go.jp/sts/thumb.php?id=1033&APage=6 The Clover Baby Ref] in the [http://sts.kahaku.go.jp/sts/set_brws_01.php?id=1033 Camera database] of the [http://sts.kahaku.go.jp/ Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology]
 
* [http://sts.kahaku.go.jp/sts/thumb.php?id=1033&APage=6 The Clover Baby Ref] in the [http://sts.kahaku.go.jp/sts/set_brws_01.php?id=1033 Camera database] of the [http://sts.kahaku.go.jp/ Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology]
 
  
 
{{riken prewar}}
 
{{riken prewar}}

Revision as of 16:11, 27 July 2006

Template:127 Japan The Chukon Ref (チューコンレフ)[1] is a 3×4cm format camera released by Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō (today Ricoh) in 1939. According to this page of the Ricoh official website, the camera was only sold by Riken but it was made by another company. It appears in the new products column of the August 1939 issue of Asahi Camera[2].

It is a pseudo TLR: its shape imitates a twin lens reflex but it is fixed-focus and the finder is nothing more than a big brilliant finder. It has a black bakelite body, a Chukon Anastigmat 50/6.3 three-element lens and a B, 25, 50, 75, 100 shutter. The shutter plate is marked Chukon Ref at the top and R.K.K. at the bottom (for Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō).[3]

There is a reference on this page at tlr-cameras.com to a 1939 fixed focus pseudo TLR made by Prince and called "Prince Baby Ref", possibly the same as the Chukon Ref. A very similar camera called "Clover Baby Ref" is also reported as made in 1937 by Hagi Kōgyō Bōeki (荻工業貿易, Hagi Industries and Trade) (see the links).

Notes

  1. The name Chūkon can be written 忠魂 and then it means "faithful spirit", sometimes in the sense of "loyal dead" or "war dead". Riken used such weird "patriotic" names during the war.
  2. Kokusan kamera no rekishi p. 337.
  3. Most of the description comes from this page of the Ricoh official website.

Printed bibliography

Links

In Japanese:

Asahi Bussan and Riken prewar and wartime cameras (edit)
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