Kyowa Six

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Japanese Six (6×6)
Postwar models (edit)
folding
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rigid or collapsible
Dia Six | Ehira Chrome Six | Enon Six | Flora | Flashline | Fujipet | Harmony | Mikono-6 | Orion | Ponix | Rich-Ray-6 | Shumy | Weha Chrome Six
Japanese 6×6 TLR, pseudo TLR and medium format SLR ->
Japanese Semi (4.5×6) and older 6×9 ->

The Kyowa Six (キョーワ・シックス) is a Japanese folding camera taking 6×6 and 4.5×6 exposures, made by Kyōwa Kōki in 1954–5.[1] The only known model is called Kyowa Six RIII, and there is no record of any other.

Description of the 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 80/3.5, 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 (B, 1–300) with a self-timer and M/X flash synchronization via a PC socket.[5] The name SYNCHRO–KYOWA is engraved at the bottom of the speed ring.[6] It is said that this was the first Japanese shutter incorporating an M/X synch selector;[7] it was the object of the Japanese utility model no.405668.[8]

Commercial life

The Kyowa Six RIII was featured in Japanese magazines dated August to November 1954.[9] 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,[10] and all trace of Kyōwa Kōki is lost after that date.

Notes

  1. Date: advertisements and articles listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.351.
  2. Film numbers: Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.351.
  3. Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.134.
  4. Lens and lens maker: advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.134.
  5. M/X synch: advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.134.
  6. Example observed in an online auction.
  7. Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.351.
  8. Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.134.
  9. Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.351.
  10. Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.351.

Bibliography

The Kyowa Six is not listed in Sugiyama.