Lily (metal and tropical)
The Lily (リリー) are Japanese plate folders made by Rokuoh-sha, manufacturing branch of Konishiroku (predecessor of Konica). This page is about the models made after the introduction of a metal body in 1930, including the Tropical Lily despite its wooden construction. These models exist in 6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm size. For the earlier wooden models, see Lily (wooden).
Contents
Description
The Lily has a metal body and folding struts hinged in the middle, inspired from the Voigtländer Bergheil models. The U-shaped front standard allows vertical movements, controlled by a small knob at the top of the right-hand branch, and horizontal movements, controlled by two small knobs at the base. The bellows have true double extension, and there is a small focusing wheel at the end of the folding bed, on the photographer's right, and a distance scale on the left. There is a collapsible brilliant finder offset to the left at the top of the front standard, and a wireframe hinged to the front standard. The most advanced models add a second focusing wheel on the left, and even an Albada finder on the left-hand side of the body (see below). There is a leather handle at the top, and the folding bed release is on the right-hand side of the body. The name Lily is normally inscribed in cursive script in a round escutcheon inside the folding bed. The original ground glass hood has the name Rokuoh-sha embossed in the leather, and the metal plate holders also have ROKUOH-SHA inscribed in relief.
Evolution
Original 1930 model
The metal Lily models were released in 1930.[1] The original 1930 model (昭和5年型) does not have the focus lock on the focusing wheel, added on the 1934 model. The eyepiece for the wireframe finder has a rectangular shape and folds on a metal part screwed to the side plate and extending towards the front; it is smaller than that of the 1934 model.
The 1930 Lily is reported with the following lens and shutter combinations:
- Tessar f/4.5 lens by Carl Zeiss, rim-set Compur shutter, in 6.5×9cm;[2]
- Radionar f/4.5 lens by Schneider, rim-set Compur shutter, in 6.5×9cm;[3]
- Tessar f/4.5 lens by Carl Zeiss, dial-set Compur shutter, in 6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm;[4]
- Heliar f/4.5 lens by Voigtländer, dial-set Compur shutter, in 6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm;[5]
- Trinar f/4.5 lens by Rodenstock, Ibsor shutter, in 6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm;[6]
- Trinar f/6.3 lens by Rodenstock, Ibsor shutter, in 6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm;[7]
- Verito f/4.8 lens by Wollensak, Betax shutter, in 8×10.5cm;[8]
- Cooke f/6.8 lens, Compur shutter, in 8×10.5cm.[9]
It is said that twenty examples in 6.5×9cm size were delivered to Nippon Kōgaku, to mount its first camera lens Anytar Anastigmat 12cm f/4.5 with a dial-set Compur shutter.[10] At least one surviving example is known to exist, pictured in Sugiyama.
Tropical Lily
The Tropical Lily (トロピカルリリー) was released in 1931, in 6.5×9cm or 8×10.5cm size. It has a body made of teak and frosted metal fittings. The bellows is made of maroon leather, and the parts which are black lacquered on the regular model are painted maroon on the Tropical Lily. The shape and features are otherwise similar to the 1930 model. The name TROPICAL Lily is written inside the folding bed, instead of the mere Lily of the regular model.
The Tropical Lily was offered with the rim-set Compur shutter and a choice of three lenses: the Tessar f/4.5 by Carl Zeiss, the Heliar f/4.5 by Voigtländer and the Hexar f/4.5 by Rokuoh-sha itself.[11] Th Hexar f/4.5 was the first camera lens made in Japan, and was first mounted on the Tropical Lily, in 11.5cm or 10.5cm focal length for 6.5×9cm size and in 13.5cm focal length for 8×10.5cm.[12] A surviving example in 6.5×9cm size is pictured with the Hexar Ser.1 11.5cm f/4.5 in Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10, and another with the Hexar Ser.1 10.5cm f/4.5 in Sugiyama.[13] An example in 8×10.5cm size is pictured with the Hexar Ser.1 13.5cm f/4.5 in Lewis.[14] Examples with the Tessar lens are pictured in McKeown in 6.5×9cm size and in Tanaka in 8×10.5cm size.[15]
Notes
- ↑ Tanaka, p.35 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
- ↑ Pictured in 6.5×9cm size in Sugiyama, item 1123, in McKeown, p.538 and in this page at ksmt.
- ↑ Pictured in 6.5×9cm size in Sugiyama, item 1124.
- ↑ Reported in Tanaka, p.36 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
- ↑ Reported in Tanaka, p.36 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
- ↑ Pictured in 8×10.5cm size in Sugiyama, item 1129, where it is wrongly called "Lily (Showa 8)", and in Tanaka, p.36 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10. Reported in 6.5×9cm size in the latter source.
- ↑ Reported in Tanaka, p.36 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10. It is perhaps the combination pictured in 8×10.5cm size in McKeown, p.538.
- ↑ Reported in Tanaka, p.36 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
- ↑ Reported in Tanaka, p.36 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
- ↑ Sugiyama, item 1126.
- ↑ Tanaka, p.37 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10, and this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website.
- ↑ First mounted on the Tropical Lily: Tanaka, p.37 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10, Lewis, p.183, and this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website.
- ↑ Hexar Ser.1 11.5cm: example pictured on the cover page of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10, and in Tanaka, on p.37 of the same magazine. The lens has no.2741. Hexar Ser.1 10.5cm: example pictured in the first colour pages in Sugiyama, and as item 1125. The lens has no.3129.
- ↑ Example pictured in Lewis, p.47. The lens has no.1532x.
- ↑ 6.5×9cm: example pictured in McKeown, p.545. 8×10.5cm: example pictured in Tanaka, p.37 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
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 314.
- Lewis, Gordon, ed. The History of the Japanese Camera. Rochester, N.Y.: George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film, 1991. ISBN 0-935398-17-1 (paper), 0-935398-16-3 (hard). Pp.46–7, 54 and 183.
- McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). Pp.538 and 545.
- Sugiyama, Kōichi (杉山浩一); Naoi, Hiroaki (直井浩明); Bullock, John R. The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras. 国産カメラ図鑑 (Kokusan kamera zukan). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1985. ISBN 4-257-03187-5. Items 1123–34. (See also the colour pictures at the beginning.)
- Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Konica history 4. Taishō 12-nen – Shōwa 8-nen." (Konica history 4. 大正12年–昭和8年. From Taishō year 12 (1923) to Shōwa year 8 (1933).) Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.10, September 1987. No ISBN number. Konishiroku kamera no rekishi (小西六カメラの歴史, special issue on Konishiroku). Pp.33–8. (See also the cover page of the magazine.)
- Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Konica history 5. Shōwa 8-nen – 20-nen." (Konica history 5. 昭和8年–20年. From Shōwa year 8 (1933) to Shōwa year 20 (1945).) Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.10, September 1987. No ISBN number. Konishiroku kamera no rekishi (小西六カメラの歴史, special issue on Konishiroku). Pp.40–4.
Links
In Japanese:
