Difference between revisions of "Konica"

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=== Disc film ===
 
=== Disc film ===
 
* Konica disc 10
 
* Konica disc 10
* Konica disc 15 autofocus
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* [[Konica disc 15 autofocus]]
  
 
=== 120 film ===
 
=== 120 film ===

Revision as of 21:32, 3 July 2008

See also Konica Minolta.

Konica was the oldest Japanese camera company until it stopped its camera activity in 2006.

History

The company originated as a drugstore called Konishi-ya Rokubei Ten (小西屋六兵衞店), ruled by Sugiura Rokuemon V (5代杉浦六衞門).[1] His son Sugiura Rokusaburō (杉浦六三郎) entered the company and expanded its activities by selling photographic products from 1873.[2] Sugiura Rokusaburō took the name of Sugiura Rokuemon VI (6代杉浦六衞門) in 1879, and the company was subsequently renamed Honten Konishi Rokuemon (本店小西六右衞門), abridged as Konishi Honten (小西本店).[3] Early cameras were produced by artisan subcontractors, such as Hasegawa Toshinosuke (長谷川利之助) and Tōjō Kamejirō (東条亀次郎).[4] The company founded a manufacturing branch called Rokuoh-sha (六桜社) in 1902, and released the Cherry in 1903, the first Japanese camera to have a brand name.[5] The factory of Hasegawa Toshinosuke became the wood workshop of Rokuoh-sha in 1906.[6] Most of the camera production was still assumed by other subcontractors, many of which were merged into Rokuoh-sha in 1919.[7]

The company became G.K. Konishiroku Honten (合資会社小西六本店) in 1921. The character roku (六) is a double allusion to Sugiura Rokuemon VI: it means "six" and is the first character of Rokuemon. The logo of the company shows this character inside a cherry blossom. Konishiroku founded the Konishi College of Photography (小西写真専門学校) in Tokyo in 1923.[8] It introduced the Pearlette in 1925, which would be the first mass-produced Japanese camera, under the supervision of Yamada Kōgorō (山田幸五郎).[9] In 1929, it launched the Sakura rollfilm, the second rollfilm brand in Japan.[10] In 1931, it released the first Japanese camera lens commercially available, called Hexar; this name was again formed after the number "six".

The company changed status again in 1936 and became K.K. Konishiroku (㈱小西六). The cameras and lenses were still marked as made by the manufacturing branch Rokuoh-sha. The company was reorganized in 1943 as Konishiroku Shashin Kōgyō K.K. (小西六写真工業㈱), based in Tokyo, Yodobashi;[11] the name Rokuoh-sha was abandoned at that time. The company name was translated after the war as Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd.

The name Konica was originally that of a 35mm rangefinder model presented in 1947. Similarly to "Leica", "Yashica" and many others, the name "Konica" was constructed by abbreviating the name of the manufacturer and attaching "ca" (for "camera") as a suffix.[12] The company as a whole changed its name to Konica Corporation only in 1987, although its US branch did so earlier.

Konica merged with Minolta in 2003 and became Konica Minolta, which would stop the production of cameras in 2006.

Cameras

Digital

  • Konica Digital Revio C2
  • Konica Digital Revio KD-200Z / KD-300Z / KD-400Z / KD-500Z
  • Konica Digital Revio KD-310Z / KD-410Z / KD-510Z
  • Konica Digital Revio KD-220Z / KD-420Z
  • Konica Digital Revio KD-3300

35mm film

SLR, F-mount (Konica Bayonet Mount)

SLR, AR-mount (Konica Bayonet Mount II)

SLR, fixed mount

Rangefinder, interchangeable lens

Viewfinder and rangefinder, fixed lens

Unperforated 35mm film

126 film

  • Konipak 100 / Sakurapak 100
  • Konipak 100X
  • Konipak 300 / Sakurapak 300
  • Auto S 261

APS film

Disc film

120 film

4.5×6

6×6

6×7

6×9

127 film

118 film

Plate film

Magazine or detective cameras

The Midg is presented by some sources as a Konishi product, copy of the Butcher model of the same name; however this is unsure and it might be a camera imported by Konishi instead.

Folders

  • Sakura Prano (4×5in and 12×16.5cm, 1907)
  • Sakura Palace (8×10.5cm, 1908)
  • Noble (8×14cm or 12×16.5cm, 1908)
  • Idea (4×5in and 12×16.5cm, 1909)
  • Idea A series:
    • Pocket Idea A1, Idea A1 and Idea A (8×10.5cm, 1909–23)
    • Idea A1 and Idea A (5.5×8cm, 1915–23)
  • Idea B series:
    • Pocket Idea B and Idea B (8×10.5cm, 1909–23)
    • Idea B and Idea Snap (5.5×8cm, 1915–23)
  • Lily (original) (8×10.5cm, 1909)
  • Lily (horizontal):
    • Lily No.2 and Special Lily (5.5×8cm, 8×10.5cm and 8×14cm, 1916–22)
    • Neat Lily and Special Lily (5.5×8cm and 8×10.5cm, 1923–30)
  • Idea No.1 (5.5×8cm, 6.5×9cm and 8×10.5cm, 1923–30)
  • Idea (metal models)
    • 1930 Idea (6.5×9cm and 8×10.5cm)
    • Year-Eight Idea (6.5×9cm, 1933)
  • Lily (metal models)
    • 1930 Lily (6.5×9cm and 8×10.5cm)
    • Tropical Lily (6.5×9cm and 8×10.5cm, 1931)
    • 1934 Lily (6.5×9cm and 8×10.5cm)
    • New Lily (6.5×9cm, 1937)
    • Military Lily (8×10.5cm)
  • Ohca (6.5×9cm, 1935)

Stereo folders

Strut folders

SLR

Telephoto

Lenses

Interchangeable lenses for 35mm SLR cameras

F-mount SLR (Konica Bayonet Mount)

  • Hexanon 35mm f2.8
  • Hexanon 35mm f2.0 (Konica F)
  • Hexanon 52mm f1.4 (Konica F, 49mm filter thread)
  • Hexanon 50mm f2.0
  • Hexanon 52mm f1.4 (55mm filter thread)
  • Hexanon 85mm f1.8 (Konica F)
  • Hexanon 100mm f2.8
  • Hexanon 135mm f2.8 (preset)
  • Hexanon 135mm f3.5
  • Hexanon 200mm f3.5
  • Hexanon 400mm f4.5
  • Hexanon 800mm f8.0

AR-mount SLR (Konica Bayonet Mount II)

Prime lenses
  • 15mm f2.8 and 15mm f2.8 UC Hexanon AR (full-frame fisheye)
  • 21mm f4 Hexanon AR
  • 21mm f2.8 Hexanon AR
  • 24mm f2.8-16 and 24mm f2.8-22 Hexanon AR
  • 28mm f3.5-16 and 28mm f3.5-22 Hexanon AR
  • 28mm f3.5 Hexanon AR-P
  • 28mm f3.5 Hexar AR
  • 28mm f1.8 and 28mm f1.8 UC Hexanon AR
  • 35mm f2.8-16 and 35mm f2.8-22 Hexanon AR
  • 35mm f2.0 Hexanon AR
  • 40mm f1.8 Hexanon AR
  • 50mm f1.8 Hexanon AR
  • 50mm f1.7 Hexanon AR
  • 50mm f1.4-16 and 50mm f1.4-22 Hexanon AR
  • 52mm f1.8 Hexanon AR
  • 57mm f1.4 Hexanon AR
  • 57mm f1.2 Hexanon AR
  • 58mm f1.2 Hexanon AR
  • 85mm f1.8 Hexanon AR
  • 100mm f2.8 Hexanon AR
  • 135mm f3.5-16 and 135mm f3.5-22 Hexanon AR
  • 135mm f3.5 Hexar AR
  • 135mm f3.2 Hexanon AR
  • 135mm f2.5 Hexanon AR
  • 200mm f3.5 Hexanon AR
  • 200mm f3.5 Hexanon AR-P and AR-M
  • 200mm f4 Hexanon AR
  • 200mm f4 Hexar AR
  • 200mm f5.6 Hexanon AR-P
  • 300mm f4.5 Hexanon AR
  • 300mm f6.3 Hexanon AR “Fluorite”
  • 400mm f5.6 UC Hexanon AR
  • 400mm f4.5-32 and 400mm f4.5-45 Hexanon AR-M
  • 400mm f4.5-45 Hexanon AR-M
  • 800mm f8 Hexanon AR-M
  • 1000mm f8 Reflex Hexanon AR
  • 2000mm f11 Reflex Hexanon AR
  • 2X Hexanon Teleconverter
Zoom lenses
  • 28-135mm f4-4.6 Hexanon AR
  • 35-70mm f3.5 Hexanon AR
  • 35-70mm f3.5-f4 Hexanon AR
  • 35-70mm f4.0 Hexanon AR
  • 35-100mm f2.8 Hexanon Varifocal AR
  • 45-100mm f3.5 UC Hexanon AR
  • 47-100mm f3.5 Hexanon AR-H
  • 65-135mm f4 Hexanon AR
  • 70-150mm f4 Hexanon AR
  • 70-230mm f4.5 Hexanon AR
  • 80-200mm f3.5 Hexanon AR
  • 80-200mm f4 Hexanon AR
  • 80-200mm f4 UC Hexanon AR
  • 80-200mm f4.5 Hexanon AR
  • 58-400mm f4 Hexanon AR
Macro lenses
  • 55mm f3.5 Macro Hexanon AR and 1:1 Extension
  • 105mm f4 Macro Hexanon AR and Auto Helicoid AR

Interchangeable lenses for 35mm rangefinder cameras

Interchangeable lenses for the Konica SF medium-format SLR

See Konica SF.

  • 50mm f/3.5 Hexanon
  • 80mm f/2.8 Hexanon
  • 135mm f/3.5 Hexanon

Other lenses were planned but never made: 35/4, 180/4.5, 250/5.6 and 500/8.

Fixed lenses

Enlarging lenses

  • Sakura Enlarging Lens 80mm f/6.3[13]
  • Sakura Enlarging Lens 135mm f/6.3[14]

Other

Leaf shutters:

Imported products

Konishiroku imported various foreign products, at least until World War II.

Notes

  1. Kamei, p.6 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10, Shibano, p.90 of the same, and this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website.
  2. Kamei, p.6 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10; Shibano, p.90 of the same.
  3. Kamei, p.6 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10; Shibano, p.90 of the same.
  4. This page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website, and Sakai, p.10 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
  5. Kamei, p.6 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10, and this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website.
  6. This page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website.
  7. Sakai, p.10 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10. More details are found in this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website.
  8. Kamei, p.6 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
  9. Pearlette supervised by Yamada Kōgorō: Kamei, p.6 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
  10. Kamei, p.7 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
  11. Its address in 1943 was Tōkyō-to Yodobashi-ku Jū-ni-sha 320 (東京都淀橋区十二社320). Source: "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943.
  12. The structure of the name "Konishiroku" (小西六) is ko (小) - nishi (西) - roku (六): nishi within it (meaning "west") is indivisible. (Ni is no more meaningful an abbreviation of nishi than "we" is of "west".) Thus the new name does not "make sense".
  13. See this page at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha.
  14. See this page at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha and this page of the Tōkachi Banbetsu blog.

Bibliography

Links

In English:

In French:

In Japanese:

In Chinese: