Mihama
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| Mihama (Suruga) cameras image by KazumaK (Image rights) |
Mihama was a brand of Japanese cameras, particularly 120 folding cameras, produced from 1952 until 1957. It was founded by Sugie Kichizō (杉江吉三, 1904-1982)[1] in a village called Mihama (三浜, in the province of Shizuoka). This probably explains the name of the company.
The name of the company changed twice during this period. At first it was Mihama Seikō (三浜精工株式会社). It became Suruga Seiki (駿河精機株式会社) in 1953 or 1954, and finally during 1956 or 1957 it changed to Mihama Camera (ミハマカメラ株式会社): most of the "Mihama" models were produced by Suruga Seiki.
Suruga Seiki closed its business in 1957, but the son of the Sugie Kichizo established Mihama Giken in 1985, which is still thriving today.[1]
Camera list
- Semi Mihama I, II, III (4.5×6 folder)
- Mihama Six I, II, IIIA, R, S, S2, X (6×6 folder)
- Mihama Rhyme Six I, II (6×6 folder)
- Mihama 35-A, X (35mm leaf-shutter rangefinder)
- Mihamaflex (6×6 TLR)
Notes
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| Mihama Six Model II image by Fred Sherfy (Image rights) |
Source / further reading
- 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. Pp. 198–200, 306–7, 370, 408.
Links
In Japanese:
- Mihama Six S page (archived), with details about the history of Mihama, at the website of Mihama Giken, a company founded by Sugie Kichizō's son
- Mihama Flex specifications (archive.org) at Japan Family Camera
