View source for Kowa Kid

{{Japanese Vest
|image=[http://www.flickr.com/photos/graustark/1502073906/in/pool-camerawiki http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2117/1502073906_6ab5f1d3e2_n.jpg]<br/>''Picture courtesy of {{image author|Graustark}}. {{with permission}}''
}}
The '''Kowa Kid''' (コウワキッド) is a Japanese inexpensive camera taking 4×6.5cm and 4×4cm exposures on [[127 film]], made in 1960 by [[Kowa]].

== Description ==
The Kowa Kid has a grey coloured body, covered by grey imitation leather. The body looks like it is made of plastic, but the camera is actually all metal, except for smaller parts.<REF> All metal: Nakajima, p.34. </REF> The advance knob is at the left end of the top plate. The viewfinder is contained under a top housing that actually shows both the 4×4 and 4×6.5 fields of view if one looks carefully. There is also a fake rangefinder window, a fake exposure meter window and an accessory shoe. The latter probably allows to physically attach a flash unit, but has not much practical utility because the shutter is not synchronized. There are strap lugs on both sides. The back is hinged to the right and contains two red windows, one for each picture format, protected by a rotating plate which covers either one of the windows, or both. There are two removable walls inside the exposure chamber, used to take 4×4cm exposures.

The lens is mounted in a grey and black barrel, and it is marked ''prominar f=70mm'' and ''kowa optical works japan'', all in lowercaps.  There is a selector under the lens, with ''B'' and ''S'' positions Bulb or Instant exposures. Another control is provided for the aperture, with three colour-coded positions. The shutter release is on the side of the lens barrel.

== Name variants ==
The camera is normally called '''Kowa Kid''' and has ''Kowa'' and ''Kid'' markings on the front of the body.<REF> See for example {{Sugiyama}}, item 4153. </REF> It was announced in Japanese camera magazines dated March or April 1960.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.385. </REF> The camera was sold in an orange box marked ''KK'' and it is said that it cost {{yen|1,900|1960}}.<REF> Price: Tanimura, p.29, and [https://web.archive.org/web/20090304165810/http://www.geocities.jp/toyoo1943/profile.htm this page by Shihira] (archived). </REF> At least one example is known with misplaced red windows, which do not match the numbers on the rollfilm paper backing, for some unknown reason.<REF> Nakajima, pp.34 and 36. </REF>

The camera is also called '''Zen-99''', perhaps for export. Three variations are known: one is marked ''Kowa'' and ''ZEN-99''<REF> See for example {{MK}}, p.548. </REF>, another is marked ''Cragstan'' and ''ZEN-99'',<REF> See [http://asacame.fc2web.com/hspbestaz/bestz.htm this page at Asacame]. </REF> and the most common has ''SUPER-LARK'' and ''ZEN-99''.<REF> See for example {{Sugiyama}}, item 4180. </REF> Examples of the latter two have been observed in their original box,<REF> Examples observed in online auctions. </REF> marked ''CRAGSTAN CORPORATION JAPAN'' and ''ZEN-99 4×4CM–127 FILM CAMERA'', with no mention of 4×6.5cm exposures, perhaps because it sounded old-fashioned. The same company name is repeated on the front page of the user manual, together with the camera name ''Cragstan ZEN-99.''<REF> Camera, box and manual observed in online auctions. </REF> The camera was certainly distributed by [[Cragstan]], an importer of Japanese toys in the USA.

Yet another name variant, called '''Light Super''', has a black body with metal-colour trimming. The name ''Light Super'' is written on the top housing. The fake exposure meter window is replaced either by a window inscribed ''Light Super'', or by an opaque red nameplate inscribed ''HARMONY''.<REF> Window inscribed ''Light Super'': example pictured in {{McKeown}}, p.622. Red nameplate inscribed ''HARMONY'': example observed in an online auction. </REF> The lens is marked ''uera f=70mm'' and ''light optical works japan'' in lowercaps. The Light Super also has a flash sync connection; a flash unit attached to the accessory shoe should not have a hot connection on the foot or the flash will be going off all the time, since the camera is all metal. The camera was sold in a red box, inscribed ''L<small>IGHT</small> S<small>UPER</small> 46-44''.

== Notes ==
<references />

== Bibliography ==
* {{Showa10}} Item 1258.
* {{McKeown12}} Pp.548 and 622.
* Nakajima Akitoshi (中島章年). "Mikansei no kamera 'Kōwa Kiddo'" (未完成のカメラ「コーワキッド」, The "Kowa Kid", an unfinished camera). {{KKS040}} Pp.34–7.
* {{Zukan}} Items 4153 and 4180.
* Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Kōwa kamera no subete: 16mm kamera oyobi besuto-firumu kamera" (コーワカメラのすべて・16mmおよびベストフィルムカメラ, All of Kowa cameras: 16mm and Vest film cameras). {{KKS040}} P.29.

== Links ==
In Japanese:
* Pages at [http://asacame.fc2web.com/ Asacame]:
** [http://asacame.fc2web.com/htmcchild/bekowakid.htm Kowa Kid] among [http://asacame.fc2web.com/htmds/dbnchild.htm cameras for children]
** [http://asacame.fc2web.com/hspbestaz/bestz.htm Cragstan Zen-99] in the [http://asacame.fc2web.com/htmds/dbnbestaz.htm A–Z 127 film cameras]
* Kowa Kid and Super-Lark Zen-99 in the [https://web.archive.org/web/20090226234918/http://space.geocities.jp/kowa_camera/index.html Kowa camera page] (archived)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090304165810/http://www.geocities.jp/toyoo1943/profile.htm Kowa camera specs] in [https://web.archive.org/web/20151227184225/http://www.geocities.jp/toyoo1943/youkoso.htm Shihira's Kowa page] (archived)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040405071716/http://arihiroa.hp.infoseek.co.jp/kowakid.htm Sample pictures] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20040404001524/http://arihiroa.hp.infoseek.co.jp/index.html Japan Family Camera] (archived)
* Kowa Kid in [http://www.ajcc.gr.jp/sub1.55.html a page] of the [http://www.ajcc.gr.jp/ AJCC website] (with a link to [http://www.ajcc.gr.jp/0803ken/kowakid.jpg this picture])

[[Category: Japanese 4x6.5 viewfinder]]
[[Category: Kowa|Kid]]
[[Category: K]]