Difference between revisions of "Mamiya Pistol"

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== History ==
 
== History ==
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The Mamiya Pistol was developed after the "bloody May Day incident" (血のメーデー事件), a clash between protesters and policemen on May Day 1952, where two people were killed and more than 740 were injured.<REF> See the [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A1%80%E3%81%AE%E3%83%A1%E3%83%BC%E3%83%87%E3%83%BC%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6 Japanese Wikipedia page on the incident]. </REF> It is said that various policemen were injured while taking photographs of the protesters: with their eye on the viewfinder they could not see their opponents.<REF name="ACA July 1954"> Column in {{ACA}} July 1954, reproduced in Watanabe, p.17 of {{CCN}} no.31. </REF> After these events, the Japanese police felt the need for a camera which would be easy to use without putting the eye to a viewfinder.<REF name="ACA July 1954" /> The policemen are supposedly good at gun handling, and the idea of a pistol-shaped camera naturally emerged,<REF name="ACA July 1954" /> probably under the influence of previous pistol-shaped cameras, such as [[Okada]]'s [[Gemmy]]. It is said that the device was invented at the Osaka police headquarters.<REF name="NSKT April 20, 1954"> Column in {{NSKT}} April 20, 1954, reproduced in Watanabe, p.17 of {{CCN}} no.31. </REF>
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The camera's actual development was assigned to the [[Mamiya]] company. It was officially named "Fast-action camera" [速写カメラ] or "Fast-action camera (pistol shaped)" [速写カメラ(拳銃型)], and it seems that the name "Mamiya Pistol" is a later invention.<REF> The column in {{ACA}} July 1954, reproduced in Watanabe, p.17 of {{CCN}} no.31, says that the official name was "Fast-action camera". Awano, p.17 of the same magazine, says that he owns an original box inscribed 速写カメラ(拳銃型), which translates as "Fast-action camera (pistol shaped)". The name "Mamiya Pistol" only appeared later, after the device attracted the interest of camera collectors. </REF> It was designed without a viewfinder, and with a simple exposure control, consisting of a single number scale (see below). On actual use, the exposure number was decided beforehand, according to the predicted weather or other factors.<REF name="ACA July 1954" />
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The development took half a year, and the first units were supplied just in time for May Day 1954, but they saw no action on that day.<REF name="ACA July 1954" /> As of April 20, 1954, the Osaka police headquarters had received thirty units and was experimenting with them. As of July 1954, the camera was said to be part of the inventory of the police headquarters in all the Japanese prefectures.<REF name="ACA July 1954" />
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
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The left-hand side plate is removable for film loading, and is locked by a latch at the rear. The camera takes 35mm perforated film, but it is not clear whether it accepts the regular film cassettes or takes its own specific cartridge.
 
The left-hand side plate is removable for film loading, and is locked by a latch at the rear. The camera takes 35mm perforated film, but it is not clear whether it accepts the regular film cassettes or takes its own specific cartridge.
  
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The right-hand side plate is fixed and has the advance and rewind controls. The film is advanced by a lever on the rear, running vertically along the edge of the side plate. The shutter is cocked in the same movement. The user can actuate this lever with the thumb, so that successive pictures can be taken with a single hand. An exposure counter is visible in a crescent-shaped window next to the take-up spool axis. The rewind unlock button is on the axis centre, concealed in a slot to prevent unwanted activation. The rewind knob itself is on the same side, on the supply spool axis. A small window is visible closer to the lens, showing a red or white dot, presumably indicating if the camera is ready to shoot or not.
+
The right-hand side plate is fixed and has the advance and rewind controls. The film is advanced by a lever on the rear, running vertically along the edge of the side plate. The shutter is cocked in the same movement. The user can actuate this lever with the thumb, so that successive pictures can be taken with a single hand. An exposure counter is visible in a crescent-shaped window next to the take-up spool axis. The rewind unlock button is on the axis centre, concealed in a slot to prevent unwanted activation. The rewind knob itself is on the same side, on the supply spool axis. Closer to the lens, there is a small window showing a red or white dot, indicating if the camera is ready to shoot or not.
  
−
The shutter, from 1/50 to 1/150, is released by the trigger. The lens is a no-name 50/5.6, giving a slight telephoto effect on half-frame exposures. The diaphragm has only two blades, forming a square hole. The aperture and shutter settings are controlled by a single ring around the lens barrel, graduated from 1 to 6. This is an early form of programmed exposure, where the light level is input by hand (instead of an exposure meter). The position of the ring translates into actual exposure settings as follows:<REF> Watabe, p.16 of {{CCN}} no.31. </REF>
+
The shutter, from 1/50 to 1/150, is released by the trigger. The lens is a no-name 50/5.6,<REF name="ACA July 1954" /> giving a slight telephoto effect on half-frame exposures.<REF> The lens is called Sekor 45/5.6 in {{SUG}}, item 3401, but the column in {{ACA}} July 1954, reproduced in Watanabe, p.17 of {{CCN}} no.31, says 50/5.6, and the name "Sekor" appears nowhere on the camera itself. </REF> The fixed focus is set so that subjects are sharp from 3 to 20m at minimum aperture.<REF name="ACA July 1954" /> The diaphragm has only two blades, forming a square hole. The aperture and shutter settings are controlled by a single ring around the lens barrel, graduated from 1 to 6. This is an early form of programmed exposure, where the light level is input by hand (instead of an exposure meter). The position of the ring translates into actual exposure settings as follows:<REF> Watabe, p.16 of {{CCN}} no.31. </REF>
 
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Revision as of 21:12, 15 October 2008

This is a work in progress.

The Mamiya Pistol (マミヤピストル) or Fast-action camera (速写カメラ) is a pistol-shaped half-frame camera made by Mamiya in 1954, for the Japanese police.

History

The Mamiya Pistol was developed after the "bloody May Day incident" (血のメーデー事件), a clash between protesters and policemen on May Day 1952, where two people were killed and more than 740 were injured.[1] It is said that various policemen were injured while taking photographs of the protesters: with their eye on the viewfinder they could not see their opponents.[2] After these events, the Japanese police felt the need for a camera which would be easy to use without putting the eye to a viewfinder.[2] The policemen are supposedly good at gun handling, and the idea of a pistol-shaped camera naturally emerged,[2] probably under the influence of previous pistol-shaped cameras, such as Okada's Gemmy. It is said that the device was invented at the Osaka police headquarters.[3]

The camera's actual development was assigned to the Mamiya company. It was officially named "Fast-action camera" [速写カメラ] or "Fast-action camera (pistol shaped)" [速写カメラ(拳銃型)], and it seems that the name "Mamiya Pistol" is a later invention.[4] It was designed without a viewfinder, and with a simple exposure control, consisting of a single number scale (see below). On actual use, the exposure number was decided beforehand, according to the predicted weather or other factors.[2]

The development took half a year, and the first units were supplied just in time for May Day 1954, but they saw no action on that day.[2] As of April 20, 1954, the Osaka police headquarters had received thirty units and was experimenting with them. As of July 1954, the camera was said to be part of the inventory of the police headquarters in all the Japanese prefectures.[2]

Description

The camera is shaped as a pistol, with a handgrip and a trigger. The lens is placed at the front end, at the gun nozzle. Most of the camera is black, except for the two side plates, the trigger and usually the lens barrel. There is a single strap lug at the bottom, under the handgrip. The camera has Mamiya's SM logo on the left side plate, and a five-pointed logo on the rear, immediately above the serial number.

The left-hand side plate is removable for film loading, and is locked by a latch at the rear. The camera takes 35mm perforated film, but it is not clear whether it accepts the regular film cassettes or takes its own specific cartridge.

The right-hand side plate is fixed and has the advance and rewind controls. The film is advanced by a lever on the rear, running vertically along the edge of the side plate. The shutter is cocked in the same movement. The user can actuate this lever with the thumb, so that successive pictures can be taken with a single hand. An exposure counter is visible in a crescent-shaped window next to the take-up spool axis. The rewind unlock button is on the axis centre, concealed in a slot to prevent unwanted activation. The rewind knob itself is on the same side, on the supply spool axis. Closer to the lens, there is a small window showing a red or white dot, indicating if the camera is ready to shoot or not.

The shutter, from 1/50 to 1/150, is released by the trigger. The lens is a no-name 50/5.6,[2] giving a slight telephoto effect on half-frame exposures.[5] The fixed focus is set so that subjects are sharp from 3 to 20m at minimum aperture.[2] The diaphragm has only two blades, forming a square hole. The aperture and shutter settings are controlled by a single ring around the lens barrel, graduated from 1 to 6. This is an early form of programmed exposure, where the light level is input by hand (instead of an exposure meter). The position of the ring translates into actual exposure settings as follows:[6]

position speed aperture
1 1/50 5.6
2 1/100 5.6
3 1/150 5.6
4 1/150 8
5 1/150 11
6 1/150 16


Variations

Notes

  1. ↑ See the Japanese Wikipedia page on the incident.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Column in Asahi Camera July 1954, reproduced in Watanabe, p.17 of Camera Collectors' News no.31.
  3. ↑ Column in Nihon Shashin Kōgyō Tsūshin April 20, 1954, reproduced in Watanabe, p.17 of Camera Collectors' News no.31.
  4. ↑ The column in Asahi Camera July 1954, reproduced in Watanabe, p.17 of Camera Collectors' News no.31, says that the official name was "Fast-action camera". Awano, p.17 of the same magazine, says that he owns an original box inscribed 速写カメラ(拳銃型), which translates as "Fast-action camera (pistol shaped)". The name "Mamiya Pistol" only appeared later, after the device attracted the interest of camera collectors.
  5. ↑ The lens is called Sekor 45/5.6 in Sugiyama, item 3401, but the column in Asahi Camera July 1954, reproduced in Watanabe, p.17 of Camera Collectors' News no.31, says 50/5.6, and the name "Sekor" appears nowhere on the camera itself.
  6. ↑ Watabe, p.16 of Camera Collectors' News no.31.

Bibliography

Links

In English:

In Japanese:

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