Kyowa Six
The Kyowa Six (キョーワ・シックス) is a Japanese folding camera with uncoupled rangefinder, taking 6×6 and 4.5×6 exposures. It was made by Kyōwa Kōki in 1954–5.[1] The only known model is called Kyowa Six RIII; it came after the Flora Six II and III by the same company, and the "R" in the name certainly stands for Rangefinder.
Contents
Description
Main body
The Kyowa Six RIII is a horizontal folder with three-part folding struts inspired from the Ikonta. It seems that the main body is the same as on the Flora Six made by the same company.
The viewfinder and the uncoupled rangefinder are contained in the top housing. The common eyepiece is offset to the left, as seen by the photographer, and the rectangular second-image window is on the left. It seems that rangefinder is controlled by a distance wheel actuated by the right thumb.
There is a sliding button on the back of the top housing, switching a mask inside the viewfinder and another inside the exposure chamber, allowing to change the picture format in mid-roll. However the user can switch only when the film roll has reached certain numbers: 1, 4, 7, 10 to switch from 6×6 to 4.5×6 and 1, 5, 9, 13 for the reverse.[2] This device was the object of the Japanese utility model (実用新案) no.19012.[3]
The advance knob is at the left end of the top plate, and there is a small film flange at the opposite end. The back is hinged to the right and certainly contains red windows to control the film advance. There is an accessory shoe above the rangefinder window, and the shutter release is at its usual location on the right. The KYOWA logo is embossed in the leather of the front door.
Lens and shutter
The lens is a Chiyoda 80mm f/3.5, made by a company called Chiyoda Kōgaku Kōgyō (which is not to be confused with Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō, predecessor of Minolta).[4] The shutter is a five-blade Kyowa or Synchro-Kyowa (B, 1–300, self-timer). The name KYOWA or SYNCHRO–KYOWA is engraved at the bottom of the rim.[5] Both shutter models are synchronized via a PC socket, but the Synchro-Kyowa has an additional switch for M or X flash synchronization. It is said that this was the first Japanese shutter incorporating an M/X synch selector;[6] it was the object of the Japanese utility model no.405668.[7]
Commercial life
The Kyowa Six RIII was featured in Japanese magazines dated August to November 1954.[8] The August 1954 advertisement in Camera Mainichi gives the price of ¥13,000 and mentions Kyōwa Kōki as the maker and Hioki Shōkai as the authorized dealer. The last reported mention of the Kyowa Six is an advertisement dated August 1955,[9] and all trace of Kyōwa Kōki is lost after that date.
Notes
- ↑ Date: advertisements and articles listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.351.
- ↑ Film numbers: Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.351.
- ↑ Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.134.
- ↑ Lens and lens maker: advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.134.
- ↑ Examples observed in online auctions.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.351.
- ↑ Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.134.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.351.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.351.
Bibliography
- Asahi Camera (アサヒカメラ) editorial staff. Shōwa 10–40nen kōkoku ni miru kokusan kamera no rekishi (昭和10–40年広告にみる国産カメラの歴史, Japanese camera history as seen in advertisements, 1935–1965). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1994. ISBN 4-02-330312-7. Item 488.
The Kyowa Six is not listed in Sugiyama.
Links
In Japanese:
- Kyōwa Kōki (1950s) in Terasaki Haruhisa's website, with information on the Kyowa Six