Mihama Six
The Mihama Six was a series of 6×6 folding cameras using 120 film, produced by Mihama (or Suruga) from 1952 until 1957. There were a number of models, all sharing the same body with horizontal folding bed. This body was manufactured by Takane, at least for the early days. An MSK logo appeared on the folding struts.
No model of Mihama Six had any automation for film advance, and all but one could take both 6×6 and 4.5×6 pictures. These had two red windows in the back, one for each format, with a sliding cover accordingly engraved. All the lenses were 75mm f/3.5 unless stated otherwise. Mihama does not seem to have been a lens maker, and "Mihama" lenses can be presumed to have been a mere matter of branding.
The first Mihama Six was released in 1952 — the name of the company at the time was Mihama Seikō (三浜精工株式会社). At first glance it may appear to be a rangefinder camera, but instead it had two viewfinders, one for 6×6 and the other for 6×4.5. It has been observed with either a Mihama or a Seriter lens, and with an NKS shutter (B, 1–200). It has been reported with a Nomular 75/3.2 lens, and also with an alternative shutter, called MKS or MSK depending on the source.
McKeown mentions a Mihama Six Model-X, a simpler version, apparently for 6×6 format only. The camera pictured has no top housing, only a tubular optical finder centered on the top plate and a diecast accessory shoe between the finder and the advance knob.
The Mihama Six II (1953) added a viewfinder switch on the back left that put a red mask across the viewfinder that was not in use. It had a C. Mihama lens and an NKS shutter (B, 1–200). The Mihama Six IIIA (1954) — from Suruga Seiki (駿河精機株式会社) rather than Mihama — added a depth-of-field scale; it has been observed with either a Mihama lens or a Kepler triplet lens, and either an NKS shutter (B, 1–200) or an NKS-FB shutter (B, 1–300).
The Mihama Rhyme Six I (1954) had a single viewfinder, combined with an uncoupled rangefinder. The viewfinder was to the right (when holding the camera), and the rangefinder window to the left: the reverse of the usual arrangement. The rangefinder was set by a knob under the left thumb. The Rhyme Six I came with either a Tri-Lausar lens (from Tomioka) or a Kepler lens. The Mihama Rhyme Six II (also 1954) switched around the positions of the viewfinder and rangefinder. The Mihama Six R (1955) was a Rhyme Six II with a Toko lens (from Tōkyō Kōgaku) and either an NKS-FB or a Copal shutter (B, 1–300). An advertisement in the January 1955 issue of Shashin Salon offers the IIIA for ¥9800 and the R for ¥15,300.
The Mihama Six S (also 1955) was a major improvement, with a coupled rangefinder and unit focusing. The lens was either a C. Kepler or a Toko, the shutter either NKS-FB or Copal MX (both B, 1–300). An advertisement in the June 1955 issue of Shashin Salon offers it for ¥14,000. The Mihama Six S2 (1957) — from Mihama Camera (ミハマカメラ株式会社) — had a brightline finder, a Lausar 80mm f/3.5 lens and shutter speeds of B, 1–400. An advertisement in the August 1957 issue of Shashin Salon offers it, complete with case and flashgun, for ¥13,000.
Sources / 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 In Japanese only. Items 941–7, 1670.
- Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Mine Shikkusu: Gunma-ken Takasaki-shi no kameramēkā" (ミネシックス：群馬県高崎市のカメラメーカー, Mine Six: A camera-maker in Takasaki, Gunma). Chapter 7 of Zunō kamera tanjō: Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari (ズノーカメラ誕生：戦後国産カメラ10物語, The birth of the Zunow camera: Ten stories of postwar Japanese camera makers). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1999. ISBN 4-257-12023-1 In Japanese only. First published in issue 27 (December 1993) of Kamera rebyū Kurashikku kamera senka (カメラレビュー・クラシックカメラ専科). (Source for the claim that the body of the Six was manufactured by Takane.)
- Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no tsukaikata to jissha sakurei (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の使い方と実写作例, Let's try spring cameras: The use of and actual examples from 69 varieties). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4879560723 In Japanese only. On pp. 126–7, Kawamata Masataku (川又正卓) writes up his Six IIIA.
Links
In English:
In Japanese:
- Mihama Rhyme Six page at Puppy's Island, with sample pictures
- Mihama Rhyme Six sample gallery
- Mihama Six Model II article, with pictures and sample photos at SCR's Gazō & Mycamera's pages
- Repair notes of the camera presented just above, with pictures and sample photos at the Handmade and Classic Camera website
- Mihama Six Model II page, presenting the same camera again, with pictures and sample photos, at Samsul's photo website
- Mihama Six Model II at Japan Family Camera
- Mihama Six Model S page, including an original ad, at the website of Mihama Giken, a company founded by the son of Mihama's founder
