Melcon II
The Melcon II (メウコンII) is a Japanese 35mm rangefinder camera with interchangeable lenses in Leica screw mount, made by Meguro Kōgaku Kōgyō and distributed by Hinomaruya for a brief period at the end of 1957. It is sometimes described as a copy of the Nikon S2. It was the successor of the Melcon, a copy of the Leica with a hinged back.
Contents
Description
The Melcon II was much inspired by the Nikon S2, both in terms of design and of features. It has a die-cast body with rounded ends — when viewed from a distance, these rounded ends may be the easiest way to distinguish it from the Nikon. The front frame surrounding the lens mount and the viewfinder and rangefinder windows is blatantly copied on the Nikon, as well as the step on the top plate next to the viewfinder. The dimensions of the body are 138×83×34mm,[1] very similar to those of the Nikon but a little higher.
The viewfinder and rangefinder are combined in a single eyepiece, offset to the left as seen by the photographer. The viewfinder has 1.0× magnification and a bright frame for 50mm lenses only, same features as on the Nikon S2.[2] The rangefinder has a 70mm effective base, larger than most of its competitors,[3] and maybe the larger effective base found on any 35mm rangefinder camera (the Leica M3 has 68mm and the Nikon S2 has 60mm). No diopter adjustment is visible, but it might be achieved by turning the round eyepiece on the rear.
The back is hinged to the right for film loading, and is locked by a key at the bottom, with O and S indications (for Open and Shut). This key allows to take reloadable cassettes, specific to the Melcon II.[4] The film is advanced by a lever on the right, in a single 180-degree movement.[5] The lever contains an exposure counter at the top, and is very similar to that of the Nikon S2. The rewind knob contains a folding crank, and is surrounded by a film reminder, with ASA indications from 12 to 1600. The sprocket shaft is unlocked for rewind by turning the collar surrounding the release button, with A and R indications. The button itself has an off-centered black dot, providing visual control of the film advance.
The horizontally running focal-plane shutter is controlled by two concentric dials at the top, again the same system as the Nikon S2. The upper dial is for fast speeds and has the following positions: B, 30–1 (in red), X, 60, 125, 250, 500. Its central part turns during the exposure by less than a full turn, and the speed can be set only after winding. The lower dial, driven by a tab, is for slow speeds and has T, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30 (the latter in red). The geometric progression was an improvement on the earlier Melcon, following a trend initiated in 1954 with the Canon IVSb2 and Nikon S2, whereas the Leica M3 still had the earlier progression. The Melcon II does not provide 1/1000 speed, unlike its Nikon counterpart; the curtains' travelling speed (indicated by the X synch speed) is quite similar, and 1/1000 speed could have been attained by reducing the slit width, but the manufacturing precision was perhaps not enough to guarantee consistent results.
Flash synchronization is provided via a single PC socket at the front of the body, under the rangefinder window. The socket is surrounded by a selector for F or X synchronization, easily mistaken for a self-timer lever. The accessory shoe is on the viewfinder's right, next to the step of the top plate. It is attached by four screws, and contains no flash contact. The tripod thread is on the advance side, under the camera. There are strap lugs at both ends of the body, towards the front.
Commercial life
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| Advertisement for the Melcon II in the junior edition of Asahi Camera September 1957. (Image rights) |
Notes
- ↑ Kitano, p.349 of Shashin Kōgyō October 1957.
- ↑ Kitano, p.345 of Shashin Kōgyō October 1957.
- ↑ Kitano, p.344 of Shashin Kōgyō October 1957.
- ↑ Kitano, p.348 of Shashin Kōgyō October 1957, says that the cassettes for the Melcon and Nicca look the same but actually differ.
- ↑ Kitano, p.347 of Shashin Kōgyō October 1957.
Bibliography
Original documents
- Asahi Camera September 1957, junior edition (ジュニア版). Advertisement by Hinomaruya on p.8.
- Kitano Kunio (北野邦雄). "Kōkyū 35-miri kamera o kentō suru" (高級35ミリカメラを検討する, Testing some high-end 35mm cameras). In Shashin Kōgyō no.66, October 1957. Pp.344–9. (Comparing the Canon VT, Nikon S2, Nicca 3-F, Melcon II and Leica M3.)
Recent sources
- 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 1689.
- Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Merukon II" (メルコンII, Melcon II). In Camera Collectors' News no.33 (March 1980). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.
- HPR. Leica Copies. London: Classic Collection Publications, 1994. ISBN 1-874485-05-4. Pp.226 and 229–30.
- 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.657.
- Pont, P.-H., and Princelle, J.-L. 300 Leica Copies. Neuilly: Fotosaga, 1990. ISBN 2-906840-03-3. Pp.216–7. (The drawing of the Melcon II is based on the picture in Sugiyama, item 3414.)
- 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 3414.
Links
In English:
- Melcon II at Pacific Rim Camera
- Melcon II with Nikkor-S.C 5cm f/1.4: lot no.399 of auction no.9 (May 20, 2006) by Westlicht
In Japanese:
- Melcon II among Nikon S2 copies at Nikon kamera no koneta
