Kowa Kid

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rigid or collapsible
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unknown
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Japanese 3×4 and 4×4, 4.5×6, 6×6 and 6×9 ->

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.[1]

Description

The Kowa Kid has a grey coloured body, covered by grey imitation leather. The advance knob is at the left end of the top plate. The viewfinder is contained under a top housing, with a fake rangefinder window, a fake exposure meter window and a white plastic 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.

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 B and S setting under the lens, probably for Bulb or Instant exposures. Another control is available, with three colour-coded positions, probably for the aperture. 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.[2] It was sold in an orange box marked KK and it is said that it cost ¥1,900.[3]

The camera is also called Zen-99, perhaps for export. Three variations are known: one is marked Kowa and ZEN-99[4], another is marked Craigstan and ZEN-99[5], and the most common has SUPER-LARK and ZEN-99. An example of the latter has been observed in its original box, marked CRAIGSTAN CORPORATION JAPAN and ZEN-99 4×4CM–127 FILM CAMERA, with no mention of 4×6.5cm exposures probably because it sounded old-fashioned. It seems that Craigstan was a Japanese toy maker. Its name is also printed on the exposure manual.[6]

Yet another name variant, called Light Super, has a black body with metal-colour trimming. The word HARMONY is written in a red nameplate in place of the fake exposure meter window. The lens is marked uera f=70mm and light optical works japan in lowercaps.

Notes

  1. Date: advertisements listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 385.
  2. See for example Sugiyama item 4153.
  3. Price: see this page by Shihira.
  4. See for example McKeown, p. 548.
  5. See this page at Asacame.
  6. Camera and box observed in a Yahoo Japan auction.

Bibliography

Links

In Japanese: