Maruso 35
The Maruso 35 is a Japanese camera for Bolta film, made in the late 1940s or early 1950s.
Contents
Manufacturer
The camera is attributed to Maruso Trading Co. in one source[1] and to "Maruso Camera Sha" (マルソカメラ社) in another.[2] It however seems that the Marusō company active in that period was Marusō Kōgaku, which also sold the Maruso Camera and Maruso Refe.
Description
The Maruso 35 looks like an oversized Hit-type camera. It has a rounded body and a top housing containing the viewfinder and extending to the right end of the top plate. The advance knob is at the top left, and has a manual exposure counter at the base. The exposure size is unclear: one source says 25×31mm and another says 24×36mm.[3] The back is hinged to the right for film loading, and reportedly has a red window.[2]
The lens has a fixed focus and aperture[4] and is engraved MARUSO P.A.T.358425. The everset shutter is tripped by a lever on the right, and reportedly has Bulb and Instant settings.[2] The shutter plate is inscribed MARUSO at the top and MADE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN at the bottom. It has two logos, one of which reads MS and looks like the MTS logo used by Molta (predecessor of Minolta) in the 1930s. (The same logo has also been observed on a no-need-darkroom Maruso Camera.)
Notes
- ↑ Sugiyama, item 4224.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Takesaki, p.96 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.21.
- ↑ 25×31mm: Takesaki, p.96 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.21. 24×36mm: Sugiyama, item 4224.
- ↑ Takesaki, p.96 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.21, estimates the focal length and aperture as 38mm f/9.5.
Bibliography
- 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. Item 4224.
- Takesaki Harutoshi (竹崎春年). "Boruta-han kamera no subete [katarogu]" (ボルタ判カメラのすべて[カタログ], All Bolta-size cameras [catalogue]). In 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.21, June 1992. No ISBN number. Kurashikku kamera daikenkyū (クラシックカメラ大研究, studies on classic cameras). Pp.95–105.
The Maruso 35 is not listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi.