Minolta Six

The Minolta Six (ミノルタ・シックス) is a bakelite collapsible 6×6 camera, made by Molta (the predecessor of Minolta) from late 1936. It was distributed by Asanuma Shōkai and was available at least until 1941. It is sometimes said that the Minolta Six was the first Japanese 6×6 camera, but it was predated at least by the Mulber Six released in late 1935.

Description

Bakelite sliding boxes, collapsed and extended. (Image rights)

The construction of the Minolta Six is very similar to the previous Minolta Vest 4×6.5 camera. The body is made of some sort of plastic, perhaps bakelite. The lens and shutter assembly is mounted on a front plate, itself attached to a collapsible structure composed of three rectangular sliding boxes. These boxes are made of the same plastic as the rest of the body, reinforced with metal parts. The result is like a folding camera with no bellows.

Nameplate. (Image rights)

Bottom plate. (Image rights)

The front plate is pulled out by two small handles and there is a table stand attached to the bottom. There is a folding optical finder in the middle of the top plate, with a red hairline cross on the front element. The advance knob is on the left end of the top plate and film advance is controlled by red window. The back is hinged to the right and a leather handle is attached to the back latch. The bottom plate has film flanges on both ends and a tripod thread in the middle. A nameplate marked Minolta Six, of which two variants are known, is screwed to the front of the body.

The camera shares some parts with the original Semi Minolta, notably the bottom film flanges and the back latch and leather handle are the same as the parts mounted on the early versions of the 4.5×6 folder. The folding optical finder has the same base and back part and only the front part is different, because of the format.

Film flange of the Minolta Six and Semi Minolta (Image rights)

All the models are equipped with a version of the Crown rimset shutter. The shutter plate is marked PATENTS–NIPPON at the top and CROWN at the bottom, and has three metal strips on each side of the lens. The shutter is everset and the release lever is at the top left of the shutter housing. Next to the release lever there is a distant release connector.

The lens is front-cell focusing and is called Coronar Anastigmat Nippon on all the models. It has 80mm focal length unless noted, and the aperture is set by an index at the bottom of the shutter plate. This lens was certainly made by Asahi Kōgaku, like the lenses for the prewar Semi Minolta, and the serial numbers probably run in the same sequence.

The camera exists in at least three versions:

• f/5.6 lens, Crown C shutter, T, B, 25, 50, 100, 150 speeds;
• f/4.5 lens, Crown B shutter, T, B, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 speeds;
• f/4.5 lens, Crown S shutter, T, B, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 speeds, self-timer.

From left to right: Coronar f/5.6 in Crown C, Coronar f/4.5 in Crown B and Coronar f/4.5 in Crown S with self-timer. Pictures courtesy of eBayer hbpartner. (Image rights)

Evolution

Original model, three red windows

Minolta Six no.3299, f/5.6 lens no.19913, three red windows. Pictures courtesy of eBayer hbpartner. (Image rights)

Back plate with three red windows and winding indications. (Image rights)

The original model has three red windows in the back, near the bottom. Each has a reminder, respectively reading 1357, 2468 or 1'3'5'7' from right to left, marked on a metal plate covering most part of the back. This complex advance pattern was needed because the paperback of 120 film was not yet marked for 6×6cm format at the time the camera was sold. The entire metal plate slides vertically and acts as a red window cover when in the down position.

The early examples have an all-metal advance knob with a flat top, attached by a small off-centered screw. The earliest cameras have an angled nameplate, only observed so far with the f/5.6 lens. The advertisement in Asahi Camera dated December 1936, unusually containing a sketch of the camera instead of a picture or detailed drawing, shows the angled nameplate and mentions the three versions (f/5.6, f/4.5, f/4.5 with self-timer) but gives the speed range as 25, 50, 100, 150, T, B in all cases.

Metal knob, flat top and leather top. (Image rights)

The regular nameplate has round edges and a different engraving font. The all-metal advance knob was replaced after some time by another metal knob with a recessed top, normally covered by a leather piece, which is often missing today. The original model is known to exist in all three versions.

They are listed in advertisements dated August 1937 (for ¥40, ¥53 and ¥60), January 1938 (for ¥46, ¥60 and ¥70) and January 1940 (for the same prices). There is no way to distinguish between this early model and the later model with a single red window. At least one advertisement or leaflet in English language is known; it is not clear if this was published for foreign residents in Japan or for export.

Single red window

Left and middle: Minolta Six no.13608, f/5.6 lens no.43405, single red window. Right: Minolta Six no.14781, f/4.5 lens no.82982, one red window. Pictures courtesy of eBayer hbpartner. (Image rights)

The camera's back was modified at some point to have a single red window in the middle, protected by a horizontally sliding cover. This change occurred after the films were sold with 6×6 numbers, probably not later than 1937.

Minolta Six no.11158, f/4.5 lens no.40575, self-timer, single red window. The three holes for the red windows are visible under the back leather. (Image rights)

At least one transitional example, pictured in this page, is known with the holes of the three original red windows covered by the back leather.

Minolta Six no.14872, f/3.5 lens no.68719, self-timer, single red window.
Pictures courtesy of Scott at www.collectiblecameras.com. (Image rights)

One example, pictured in this page, is known with a Coronar Anastigmat Nippon 75mm f/3.5 lens mounted on a Crown S shutter, but it is not known if this equipment is original.

Bakelite knob

Minolta Six no.19324, f/5.6 lens no.96222, bakelite knob. Picture courtesy of eBayer hbpartner. (Image rights)

Bakelite knob. (Image rights)

The late Minolta Six have a bakelite advance knob. The metal knob still appeared in the January 1940 advertisement cited above, thus the change occurred at a later date. Examples with a bakelite knob are known to exist with both lens types, but none has yet been observed with a self-timer.

The Minolta Six is mentioned for ¥75 in the list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941. The official price list dated November 1941 has a "Minolta Six" and a "Minolta Six II", given for the same price with no further detail.

Case

Top: case for the Minolta Six, old type. Down: case for the Minolta Six, new type. Pictures courtesy of eBayer hbpartner. (Image rights)

At least two types of cases are known. They are embossed Minolta Six. The old type has a rectangular transparent window on the rear to show the back plate, whereas the new type has smaller openings for the single red window and its sliding cover.

Production estimate

It is said that about 4–500 examples of the Minolta Six were produced per month. The lowest reported body number is 3299 and the highest is 19324; it thus seems that more than 20,000 Minolta Six were made.

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 278. (See also the advertisements for item 272.)
• Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Minolta shōryaku" (ミノルタ略史, "Minolta short history"). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.12, October 1988. No ISBN number. Minoruta kamera no subete (ミノルタカメラのすべて, special issue on Minolta). Pp.6–8.
• Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Senzen no Minolta kamera" (戦前のミノルタカメラ, "Prewar Minolta cameras"). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.12, October 1988. No ISBN number. Minoruta kamera no subete (ミノルタカメラのすべて, special issue on Minolta). Pp.13–7.
• Francesch, Dominique and Jean-Paul. Histoire de l'appareil photographique Minolta de 1929 à 1985. Paris: Dessain et Tolra, 1985. ISBN 2-249-27685-4.
• "Kamera no kōtei kakaku kanpō happyō" (カメラの公定価格官報発表, Official announcement of the set prices of the cameras), November 1941. Extract of a table listing Japanese camera production and setting the retail prices, reproduced in "Bebī Semi Fāsuto 'Kore ha bebī wo nanotta semi-ki da'" (ベビーセミファースト"これはベビーを名乗ったセミ機だ", Baby Semi First, 'this is a Semi camera called Baby'), an article by Furukawa Yasuo (古川保男) in Camera Collectors' News no. 277 (July 2000). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. P. 27. Type 4, section 1.
• Template:Kakaku1940 Type 4, section 1.
• Lewis, Gordon, ed. The History of the Japanese Camera. Rochester, N.Y.: George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film, 1991. ISBN 0-935398-17-1 (paper), 0-935398-16-3 (hard). Pp.53 and 182.
• 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.673.
• Saeki Kakugorō (佐伯恪五郎). "Tashima Gizō-shi ni kiku" (田嶋義三氏に聞く, "Asking Tashima Gizō"). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.12, October 1988. No ISBN number. Minoruta kamera no subete (ミノルタカメラのすべて, special issue on Minolta). Pp.76–9.
• Scheibel, Anni Rita and Joseph. 70 Jahre Minolta Kameratechnik — Von der Nifcalette bis zur Dynax 9. Stuttgart: Lindemanns Verlag, 3rd edition, 1999. ISBN 3-89506-191-3. Pp.20–1.
• 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. Items 1193–4.
• Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Semi Minolta I-gata to II-gata." (セミミノルタⅠ型とⅡ型, "Semi Minolta I and II") In Camera Collectors' News no. 116 (February 1987). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.
• Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Semi Minolta I-gata to II-gata (sono 2)." (セミミノルタⅠ型とⅡ型(その2), "Semi Minolta I and II (part 2)") In Camera Collectors' News no. 118 (April 1987). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.

Links

In English:

• Minolta folding cameras in the Manual Minolta website

In Japanese:

• Minolta Six at Madam's Ichirizuka website
• Minolta Six at Japan Family Camera
• Minolta Six in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology
• Minolta Six in the Zeppan Tōsan photo site (incorporating this photograph). If the link does not work, go to the Zeppan Tōsan photo site, follow the link marked "武器庫" in the page menu, and then the link marked "ミノルタSIX" in the left menu
• Minolta Six and more pictures in Miyazawa Noriyuki's camera site
• Minolta Six in the Map Camera Museum
• Minolta Six in the Kitamura Camera Museum