Difference between revisions of "Mikuni"

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{{WIP}}
 
 
{{Japanese plate
 
{{Japanese plate
 
|image=[http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/705386277/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1017/705386277_d1a5833a6e_m_d.jpg]<br>''{{public domain Japan old}}''
 
|image=[http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/705386277/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1017/705386277_d1a5833a6e_m_d.jpg]<br>''{{public domain Japan old}}''
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|| ''Advertisement by [[Minagawa]] in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' February 1930. {{public domain Japan old}}''
 
|| ''Advertisement by [[Minagawa]] in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' February 1930. {{public domain Japan old}}''
 
|}
 
|}
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The advertisement by [[Minagawa|Minagawa Kamera-ten]] in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' February 1930 presents the Mikuni along with the [[First plate folders|First]]. The same illustration is provided, again reading ''Contessa-Nettel'' on the speed setting wheel. The following versions are listed:
 +
* Trimer f/6.3, unknown shutter, {{yen|40|1930}};
 +
* Trimer f/4.5, unknown shutter, {{yen|48|1930}};
 +
* Trimer f/4.5, [[Compur]] shutter, {{yen|65|1930}}.
 
<br style="clear: left;" />
 
<br style="clear: left;" />
 +
== Surviving examples and other sources ==
 +
At the time Baird wrote his book on [[Petri|Kuribayashi]] cameras, no Mikuni camera was known to exist.<REF> Baird, p.47. </REF> The drawing reproduced in Baird and {{McKeown}} and supposedly showing a Mikuni is very different from those found in the original advertisements;<REF> Baird, p.46; {{McKeown}}, p.575. </REF> it is not known if it comes from some other original document and shows a different version of the camera, or if it was a modern reconstitution of the supposed aspect of the camera.
 +
 +
In addition to the lens and shutter combinations cited above, Lewis and Baird mention the Tessar f/4.5 and the Welka f/4.5 (however Welka might be a typo for Wekar); Lewis also adds the [[Amigo]] f/4.5.<REF> Baird, p.46, Lewis, p.44. </REF>
 +
 +
One 6.5×9cm plate folder is presented as a Mikuni in [http://mutohide.net/reconst/amigo-1.htm this page at Handmade and Classic Camera]. It has an [[Amigo]]-Anastigmat 10.5cm f/4.5 and a rim-set [[Compur]] shutter. It is not known if the identification as a Mikuni is confirmed by a marking on the camera itself or if this is a mere guess. The body significantly differs from the illustrations in the original advertisements reproduced above. It is very similar to the [[Romax plate folder]] attributed to [[Petri|Kuribayashi]] in Baird and {{McKeown}}: it has the same folding struts and focusing rails, and the front standard has strong similarities.<REF> Romax pictured in Baird, p.59, and in {{McKeown}}, p.576. </REF>
 +
 
== Bibliography ==
 
== Bibliography ==
 
* ''[[Asahi Camera]]''. Advertisement by [[Saneidō|Saneidō Honten]] in March 1928 (p.A20), and by [[Minagawa|Minagawa Kamera-ten]] in May 1929 (p.A30), July 1929 (p.A28), February 1930 (p.A36).
 
* ''[[Asahi Camera]]''. Advertisement by [[Saneidō|Saneidō Honten]] in March 1928 (p.A20), and by [[Minagawa|Minagawa Kamera-ten]] in May 1929 (p.A30), July 1929 (p.A28), February 1930 (p.A36).
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== Links ==
 
== Links ==
 
In Japanese:
 
In Japanese:
* [http://mutohide.net/reconst/amigo-1.htm Mikuni camera with Amigo lens and Compur shutter], at [http://mutohide.net/ Handmade and Classic Camera]
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* [http://mutohide.net/reconst/amigo-1.htm Mikuni or Romax camera with Amigo lens and Compur shutter], at [http://mutohide.net/ Handmade and Classic Camera]
  
  

Revision as of 22:49, 26 February 2008

Japanese plate cameras
Monocular cameras (edit)
No.0 (4×5cm) Secrette
atom (4.5×6cm) New Argus | Egorette | Secrette
Box cameras (edit)
No.0 (4×5cm) Adam | Hayatori Renshūyō
atom (4.5×6cm) Atom Hayatori Shashinki
meishi (5.5×8cm) Cherry
tefuda (8×10.5cm) Champion | Cherry | Sakura Army | Sakura Honor | Sakura Navy
nimaigake (8×12cm) Sakura Honor
kabine (12×16.5cm) Sakura Honor
Folding bed cameras (edit)
No.0 (4×5cm) Alpha | Sweet | Pony Sweet | Taishō-shiki
atom (4.5×6cm) Monarch | Need | Palma
meishi (5.5×8cm) Eagle | Idea A | Idea B | Idea Snap | Idea No.1 | Iris | Lily (horizontal) | Pearl No.3 | Special Camera | Venis | X
daimeishi (6.5×9cm) Apollo | Arcadia | Crite | Special East | Eaton | Elliotte | First | First Etui | Gold | Happy | Hope | Idea No.1 | Idea (metal) | Kinka | Kokka | Lily (horizontal) | Lily (metal) | Tropical Lily | Lloyd | Lomax | Masnette | Mikuni | Need | Nifca Klapp | Nifca Sport | Ohca | Palma | Peter | Prince | Prince Peerless | Proud | Romax | Rosen | Rubies | Sirius | Sun | Super | Tokiwa | Venus | Weha Idea | Weha Light
tefuda (8×10.5cm) Eagle | Idea A | Idea B | Idea No.1 | Idea (metal) | Iris | Lily (original) | Lily (horizontal) | Lily (metal) | Palma | Pearl No.3, No.4 | Minimum Pearl | Special Pearl | Sakura Palace | Sakura Pocket Prano | Star | Tokiwa | Weha
nimaigake (8×12cm) Eagle | Idea | Idea Binocular | Sakura Prano | Sakura Binocular Prano | Star Premo
hagaki (8×14cm) Eagle | Noble | Pearl No.3, No.4 | Star
kabine (12×16.5cm) Idea | Noble | Sakura Prano | Star Premo
Strut-folding cameras (edit)
No.0 (4×5cm) CH
atom (4.5×6cm) Idea Spring
meishi (5.5×8cm) Minimum Idea | Korok
daimeishi (6.5×9cm) Idea Spring | Minolta | Auto Minolta | Auto Press Minolta | Nifca-Dox | Vester Klapp
tefuda (8×10.5cm) Focal Happy | Idea Spring | Idea Telephoto
10×15cm Kongo Press
kabine (12×16.5cm) Idea Spring | Idea Telephoto
SLR cameras (edit)
atom (4.5×6cm) Simplex Reflex | Speed Reflex
meishi (5.5×8cm) Speed Reflex
daimeishi (6.5×9cm) Convex Reflex | Hogo Reflex | Idea Reflex (1932) | Neat Reflex | Simplex Reflex | Speed Reflex
tefuda (8×10.5cm) Idea Reflex (1910 and 1911) | Idea Reflex (1932) | Neat Reflex | Photo Deluxe Reflex | Speed Reflex
nimaigake (8×12cm) Idea Reflex (1910 and 1911) | Sakura Reflex Prano
kabine (12×16.5cm) Idea Reflex (1910 and 1911)
daikabine (13×18cm) Guaranteed Reflex
unknown Hardflex | Leinflex | Photoman Special Reflex
Stereo cameras
3.7×5cm Tokioscope
4×5in Idea Binocular | Sakura Binocular Prano
Japanese 3×4 and 4×4, 4×5 and 4×6.5, 4.5×6, 6×6 and 6×9 ->

The Mikuni or Mikuni Camera (ミクニカメラ) is a Japanese 6.5×9cm plate folder, distributed by Saneidō and Minagawa in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and probably made by Kuribayashi.[1]

Description

The Mikuni has an all-metal body, split folding struts and double extension bellows driven by a focusing wheel on the photographer's right. There is a distance scale on the left, a swiveling brilliant finder and a wireframe finder. The front standard allows vertical movements controlled by a wheel on the right, and perhaps horizontal movements as well.

Commercial life

The advertisement by Saneidō Honten in Asahi Camera March 1928 presents the Mikuni as the "latest model" (最新型).[2] It shows a drawing of the Mikuni with a dial-set Compur shutter. The Speed Reflex, also made by Kuribayashi, is presented on the next page.[3] The Mikuni was supplied with three plate holders and one film pack holder. Two versions were available, both having a Wekar lens by Kenngott:


The advertisements by Minagawa Kamera-ten in Asahi Camera May and July 1929 say that the Mikuni received the first prize for "excellent Japanese products" at the Tokyo Fair.[4] The same prize was mentioned for the Speed Reflex in an advertisement by Saneidō in May 1929.[5] It was probably granted to the Kuribayashi company as a whole. The following options were available in May:

In July, the Wekar f/4.5 and Ibsor option was no longer offered and the price of the Meyer f/6.3 and Ibsor option was lowered to ¥48. In the most expensive option, the Trioplan f/4.5 lens could be replaced by a Trimer f/4.5 lens, made by an unknown company.[6] The picture is the same in the two advertisements; it curiously shows the words Contessa-Nettel on the speed setting wheel of the Compur shutter, probably because the drawer copied a picture of a Contessa-Nettel camera to draw the shutter.

The advertisement by Minagawa Kamera-ten in Asahi Camera February 1930 presents the Mikuni along with the First. The same illustration is provided, again reading Contessa-Nettel on the speed setting wheel. The following versions are listed:

  • Trimer f/6.3, unknown shutter, ¥40;
  • Trimer f/4.5, unknown shutter, ¥48;
  • Trimer f/4.5, Compur shutter, ¥65.


Surviving examples and other sources

At the time Baird wrote his book on Kuribayashi cameras, no Mikuni camera was known to exist.[7] The drawing reproduced in Baird and McKeown and supposedly showing a Mikuni is very different from those found in the original advertisements;[8] it is not known if it comes from some other original document and shows a different version of the camera, or if it was a modern reconstitution of the supposed aspect of the camera.

In addition to the lens and shutter combinations cited above, Lewis and Baird mention the Tessar f/4.5 and the Welka f/4.5 (however Welka might be a typo for Wekar); Lewis also adds the Amigo f/4.5.[9]

One 6.5×9cm plate folder is presented as a Mikuni in this page at Handmade and Classic Camera. It has an Amigo-Anastigmat 10.5cm f/4.5 and a rim-set Compur shutter. It is not known if the identification as a Mikuni is confirmed by a marking on the camera itself or if this is a mere guess. The body significantly differs from the illustrations in the original advertisements reproduced above. It is very similar to the Romax plate folder attributed to Kuribayashi in Baird and McKeown: it has the same folding struts and focusing rails, and the front standard has strong similarities.[10]

Bibliography

The Mikuni is not listed in Sugiyama.

Links

In Japanese:


Kuribayashi prewar and wartime cameras (edit)
rollfilm folders
Eagle | Speed Pocket | First Roll | First Center | Semi First | First Six | Baby Semi First | Semi Rotte | Hokoku | Mizuho
plate folders rigid SLR TLR unknown
Mikuni | First | First Etui | Kokka | Romax | Tokiwa Molby Speed Reflex First Reflex Baby First
  1. Made by Kuribayashi: Baird, pp.14–6 and 46–7, Lewis, p.44, McKeown, p.575.
  2. Advertisement in Asahi Camera March 1928, p.A20.
  3. Advertisement in Asahi Camera March 1928, p.A21.
  4. Advertisements in Asahi Camera May 1929, p.A30, and July 1929, p.A28: 東京博覧会ニ於テ最高賞優良国産賞受賞シ日本カメラ界ノ面目ヲ施セリ.
  5. Advertisement in Asahi Camera May 1929, p.A31: 於御大礼記念東京博覧会第一位優良国産賞受領.
  6. Trimer spelling: advertisement for the First plate folders in Asahi Camera May 1929, p.A29.
  7. Baird, p.47.
  8. Baird, p.46; McKeown, p.575.
  9. Baird, p.46, Lewis, p.44.
  10. Romax pictured in Baird, p.59, and in McKeown, p.576.