Mascot

The Mascot is a Japanese subminiature taking 14×14mm pictures on 17.5mm paper backed rollfilm, made around 1950 by Shimura.

Description

The Mascot has a vertical shape, somewhat similar to a lighter. There is a tubular finder sunken at the top. The film is advanced by a knob on the photographer's right. The shutter is tripped by a button at the top, on the right of the viewfinder. The lens is a fixed-focus Mascot Anastigmat 25mm f/4.5. The speed is selected by a pivoting index on the front plate, above the lens, with 100, 50, 25, B positions. The aperture is selected by a symmetrical index placed below the lens, with 8 and 4.5 positions.

Commercial life

The Mascot was announced in Japanese magazines dated January 1950, and was still featured in the January 1951 issue of Photo Art on the national camera production. The sources disagree on the maker's name, saying either "Shimura Kōgaku", "Shimura Koki" or "Shimura Seiki Co." It was certainly not made in large quantities, and the only surviving example known so far, belonging to the Pentax Gallery, is pictured in Sugiyama and in Kokusan kamera no rekishi.

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 846 (see also the picture on p.432).
• 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). P.890.
• 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 5062.

Links

In English:

• Mascot (text only) at Submin.com
• Brief mention of the Jenic among 17.5mm film cameras at Subclub.org