Mirax

Mirax-B, Focabell and Supreme lens head on a Nikon S. Picture courtesy of eBayer toolchest. (Image rights).

This is a work in progress.

The Mirax is a reflex housing with interchangeable finders, made from 1952 by Orion Seiki, later Orion Camera then Miranda Camera. It formed a system with the Focabell bellows and Supreme lenses, and can be considered the first step in the development of the Miranda SLR cameras.

The Mirax brand was also used by an unknown French company for a multifocal viewfinder.

General description

The Mirax main mirror box has a black hammertone finish. The viewing screen has a convex face, and is placed at the top of the main part. The interchangeable viewfinder is locked by a latch on the left side, whose shape varied with time (see below). The standard viewfinder is an all chrome loupe finder — sometimes described as a "chest-level finder" — shaped as a chimney, with a magnifying lens at the top. The release button is on the right side, and can be coupled to the camera body via an adapter. There is a tripod thread underneath the mirror box.

The front part has a 44mm screw mount, of which it is the earliest occurrence, before it appeared on the Phoenix SLR prototype and later Miranda cameras. Later versions also have an external four-lug bayonet mount, as on the Miranda SLR cameras; it is unclear if this was introduced on the Mirax or on the Phoenix.

Two versions of the Mirax were sold, differing by the rear mount. The Mirax-A fits Leica screw mount cameras. It has an adjustable rear mount, which can rotate so that the reflex housing always stands upright, whatever the adjustment of the camera body.

Mirax-B, early version, with Focabell bellows and Supreme 10.5cm f/2.8 lens head or Nikkor 5cm f/1.4. Pictures courtesy of Igor's Camera Exchange. (Image rights).

The Mirax-B has a Contax or Nikon mount. The two mounts only differ by the rangefinder adjustment, causing no physical difference on the reflex housing. An original price list nonetheless distinguishes the Mirax-BC for Contax and the Mirax-Bn for Nikon, but this is either a mistake or a distinction based on the release adapters, because of the different location and shape of the shutter button on the camera bodies.

The company name is inscribed on the rear mount: Orion Camera Co. and later Miranda Camera Co., along with Made in Japan and the serial number. Reported numbers have six digits. The first two digits look like they might indicate the year of production, but this is certainly misleading: Mirax with Miranda markings are known with 54xxxx numbers, whereas the company name was only changed in 1957.

Mirax-B, intermediate version, with jewel case. Pictures courtesy of eBayer toolchest. (Image rights).

The Mirax was originally supplied with the loupe finder, a release coupler and front and rear caps, in a beautiful red jewel case, whose lid is inscribed MIRAX-A or MIRAX-B with the company name, and which is covered by a dark red cardboard box.

Evolution

The classification presented below is based on the analysis of various surviving examples; the type numbers used in this article were not officially used by the Orion or Miranda companies.

Mirax, early period

Mirax-A type 3 or 4. From Asahi Camera September 1953. (Image rights).		Mirax-A: early mirror box. From Asahi Camera November 1953. (Image rights).

The examples of the early period (types 1 to 5), from c.1952 to c.1954, have the internal 44mm screw mount only. The mirror actuator is of the early type: there is a release button above the mirror mechanism, surrounded by a male thread, and another thread underneath, allowing to attach a cable release connected to the camera's shutter button. On the Mirax-A, the adjustment of the rear mount is provided by three set screws. The loupe finder is made of two main parts, attached together by four apparent screws.

The earliest examples produced have no serial number, and no inscription whatever on the rear mount. Type 1 has a small clip to attach the viewfinder, and has the first version of the loupe finder, inscribed Orion Mirax I at the front.

Loupe finders: first and second model. From Shashin Kōgyō June 1952 and Asahi Camera November 1953. (Image rights).

Type 2 differs by its sturdier large clip to attach the finder. (The very early example or prototype pictured in the June 1952 issue of Shashin Kōgyō is either a type 1 or type 2, see below.)

Type 3 has the second version of the loupe finder, inscribed Mirax and Orion Camera Co. in small characters. Type 4 only differs by the introduction of a serial number on the rear mount, together with the words Orion Camera Co. and Made in Japan. The only confirmed serial number for this type is 530132, in a sequence that certainly started at 530001. It is not known if serial numbers in the same sequence were already assigned to the previous examples (types 1 to 3) or not.

Type 5 has a knob instead of a clip to attach the viewfinder; this knob would remain on all the subsequent examples. Serial numbers for this type are known from 530626 to 530971.

Mirroscope and Mirabox, for export

The Mirroscope is a name variant of the Mirax type 5, from which it only differs by the name MIRROSCOPE engraved at the front of the loupe finder, following a curved line. Original boxes for the Mirroscope are either marked Interstate Photo Supply Corp. or AETNA OPTIX. This certainly indicates that the model was sold in the United States both by Interstate and Aetna — this was perhaps Orion Seiki's earliest export attempt. Unlike the other Orion products, the Mirroscope has a five-digit serial number, in the 53xxx range. The example pictured below has no.53000, and is presumably the first produced. Other numbers are known up to 53542.

Mirroscope no.53000, Aetna Actinar 135/4.5 no.60099. Pictures courtesy of Brooklyn Camera. (Image rights).

The Mirabox is another name variant, which certainly came after the Mirroscope. It differs only by the straight MIRABOX engraving in front of the loupe finder. The only serial number confirmed so far is 53661, coming immediately after the Mirroscope batch.

Mirax, intermediate and late period

This is a work in progress.

Mirax-A: intermediate mirror box. From the June 1955 special issue of Photo Art. (Image rights).

The intermediate version, from c.1955, has the additional bayonet mount, still with Orion Camera Co. The release button has a different shape, with a lever on the side, whose function is unclear. The button is connected to the mirror mechanism by a long chrome rod, and the underside thread is no longer visible. It seems that the release coupler was modified at the same time, adopting a characteristic incurved shape. It must be attached to the mirror box first, via a small bayonet, and it is positioned over the camera's shutter release afterwards. The design might have been modified to insure that the mirror is raised before the shutter is tripped.

The late version differs by the black fairing covering the connection between the release button and mirror mechanism. This version seems the most common, and exists both with Orion Camera Co. and with Miranda Camera Co.

At least one example of the late Mirax-A has been observed with an intermediate part between the mirror box and loupe finder, in black hammertone finish, making the device higher. This was perhaps an aftermarket modification, for an unknown purpose.

Miranda Mirax-A, late version, Miranda Camera markings. Pictures courtesy of eBayer fargo02. (Image rights).

Other viewfinders

In addition to the loupe finder fitted as standard, eye-level and waist-level finders were also available.

Eye-level

Prism finders: prototype or early example and regular model. From Shashin Kōgyō June 1952 and the June 1955 special issue of Photo Art. (Image rights).

The prism finder was announced at the very beginning, in mid-1952. It might be the first pentaprism used on Japanese cameras. It paved the way to the later Phoenix SLR prototype, predecessor of the Miranda cameras.

The first prism finder pictured in the June 1952 article by Ogihara has an all chrome finish, and is inscribed Orion Mirax–II at the front (see below). It is quite high and practically does not protrude on the rear of the Mirax housing, perhaps making it inconvenient to stick an eye on the eyepiece. No surviving example of that first prism finder has been observed yet, and the pictured item is perhaps only a prototype. A back view of the same item is found in the user manual of the Miranda dx-3, which contains a short historical section.

The regular prism finder has the same black hammertone finish as the mirror box, with many facets and sharp edges. It is comparatively lower, and protrudes to the rear, certainly making it more convenient to use. The front facet is inscribed Mirax and Orion Camera Co. or Miranda Camera Co. in small characters, as on contemporary loupe finders. The prism finder has a serial number, engraved under the eyepiece. The known numbers again have six digits, with the first two plausibly indicating the year of production. The prism also has its own red jewel case, inscribed MIRAX and EYE-LEVEL VIEWFINDER with the company name.

Waist-level

The waist-level finder is little known, and does not appear in the original documents found so far. It consists of a mere rectangular tube diagonally cut at the top, with no magnifying lens. At first glance, it might look like someone sawed off a regular loupe finder, but various examples have been observed and this was certainly an original part.

Other accessories

The Mirax was part of a system also comprising the Focabell bellows and the Supreme 10.5cm f/2.8 lens head or direct mount lens. Various adapters were available from the start, certainly using the 44mm screw thread:

• usable at infinity:
  • for screw mount Visoflex lenses;
  • for Reflex Korelle lenses;
• usable at short distance only:
  • for Leica screw lenses;
  • for Contax or Nikon lenses;
• microscope adapter.

Other adapters were probably added afterwards, and all those made for the Miranda SLR cameras would fit on the Mirax.

Other minor accessories include a double cable release, type L.N (for Leica or Nikon) or type C (for Contax), and one or several extension tubes. Orion was also making adapters to mount Leica screw mount lenses on C-mount or D-mount cine cameras, allowing to use the Mirax-A on these too.

Origin and usage as described by Ogihara Akira

The Mirax was described by Ogihara Akira (荻原彰), founder of Orion Seiki, in the June 1952 issue of Shashin Kōgyō. The article says that the device was developed with the following specifications in mind:

1. short length;
2. small volume;
3. light weight;
4. release button usable while holding the camera with both hands;
5. viewing screen at least as bright as that of the Exakta;
6. interchangeable prism and ordinary finders.

Point no.6 eliminates the need for a rotating mirror box for vertical pictures, helping to concentrate on the first four features.

The article emphasizes the device's short length and light weight. The Mirax-A and Mirax-B are respectively 40mm and 43mm thick; this was much less than the contemporary Leitz Visoflex I reflex housing, and potentially allowed to use 75mm or 80mm lenses. The weight is respectively 200g and 250g. Ogihara suggests that the Mirax can be used without a tripod, and describes four release methods, depending on the photographer's needs:

1. trip the mirror box first, then the camera, to avoid blur for scientific applications;
2. use a dual cable release, convenient when the camera is on a tripod;
3. use a cable coupling the bottom part of the release rod to the camera's shutter button, allowing to hold the camera in both hands;
4. use the "Snap release" provided with the Mirax, a sort of metal plate connecting the release of the camera and reflex housing.

The third method is only valid on the early version of the Mirax, with the connecting thread protruding underneath the mirror mechanism, and is no longer possible on the intermediate and late versions.

Mirax prototype or early example on a Leica camera. From Shashin Kōgyō June 1952. (Image rights).
With a Supreme 10.5cm f/2.8 lens and a loupe or eye-level finder.		With an Olympus microscope.

When the article was published in June 1952, the Supreme 10.5cm f/2.8 direct mount lens was already available, as well as the adapters for Visoflex, Reflex Korelle, Leica screw mount and Contax lenses, and the microscope adapter. Ogihara also mentions a bellows system under development; this would later appear as the Focabell.

Commercial life

Advertisements by Summit Shōkai in Asahi Camera. Left: September 1953. Right: October and November 1953. (Image rights).

The Mirax was certainly already available when Ogihara wrote the article in Shashin Kōgyō June 1952. Advertisements by the distributor Summit Shōkai appear in the September to November 1953 issues of Asahi Camera. They are nearly identical, but for the addition of the prism finder from October, priced at ¥6,500 and mentioned as a new item. This perhaps indicates that the early prism finder announced in June 1952 was not satisfactory and was never commercially sold.

Advertisements by Matsushima in Asahi Camera November 1953. (Image rights).

In addition to the advertisement by Summit, the November 1953 issue of Asahi Camera also contains an advertisement by Matsushima, perhaps indicating that Orion changed its main distributor. The document shows the early version of the Mirax-A, and gives the price of ¥15,200 for the model A and ¥19,800 for the model B.

Advertisements by Matsushima in Asahi Camera. Top left: January, February and August 1955. Top right: March 1955. Bottom: April 1955. (Image rights).

Matsushima continued to distribute the Mirax for some time. In 1955, advertisements in Asahi Camera show the presumed intermediate version of the Mirax-A, with the regular prism finder. They appear in the January to April issue, and again in the August issue after a four-month interruption.

Advertisement by Matsushima in the June 1955 special issue of Photo Art. (Image rights).

The June 1955 special issue of Photo Art contains a full-page advertisement by Matsushima. The prices are the same as in 1953, except for the prism which now costs ¥9,000. The microscope adapter for the Mirax is also mentioned at ¥3,500. This advertisement gives the name of the manufacturer Orion Seiki, unlike the previous ones.

The same issue of the magazine, entirely devoted to camera accessories, describes the Mirax on two places, and gives a price list. The prices are the same as in the advertisement, but the document distinguishes between the Mirax-BC (for Contax) and the Mirax-Bn (for Nikon), as said above. Other minor accessories are listed: the double release type L.N or type C, at ¥1,800, and the extension tube, at ¥2,000. The document also presents the Focabell bellows system and Supreme lenses.

Column in the June 1955 special issue of Photo Art. (Image rights).

The Mirax was continued for some years after the introduction of the Miranda. The device was still in production when the company changed its name from Orion Camera to Miranda Camera in 1957, as indicated by the markings observed on actual examples. The last advertisement known so far to show the Mirax was placed by Matsushima in the April 1958 issue of Shashin Kōgyō.

Advertisement in Shashin Kōgyō April 1958. (Image rights).

Bibliography

• Asahi Camera. Advertisements by Summit Shōkai in September 1953 (p.190), October 1953 (p.217) and November 1953 (p.194).
• Asahi Camera. Advertisements by the photo department of Matsushima in November 1953 (p.59), January 1955 (p.229), February 1955 (p.190), March 1955 (p.180), April 1955 (p.211) and August 1955 (p.206).
• Miranda Camera Co., Ltd. Owner's manual of the Miranda dx-3. Contains pictures of the Mirax on p.2. Available in PDF format at butkus.org. (See the remarks on this document in the bibliography section of the Miranda page.)
• Ogihara Akira (荻原彰). "Mirakkusu ni tsuite" (ミラックスについて, About the Mirax). In Shashin Kōgyō no.1, June 1952. Pp.26–7.
• Photo Art rinji zōkan: Kamera akusesarī zensho (フォトアート臨時増刊・カメラアクセサリー全書, Photo Art special issue: All the camera accessories). June 1955, no.80 of the magazine.
  • Advertisement by the photo department of Matsushima Megane-ten on p.22.
  • "Zukai: Akusesarī no mekanikku. 12: Bōen, sessha, fukusha sōchi. Mirakkusu to Fōkaberu." (図解・アクセサリーのメカニック・12・望遠・接写・複写装置・ミラックスとフォーカベル. Drawings: accessory mechanisms. 12: Telephoto, close-up and reproduction devices. Mirax and Focabell.) P.51.
  • "Shashin no kaimi wa sessha to bōen satsuei kara: Purokusā, Ōtoappu, Refubokkusu, sonota." (写真の快味は接写と望遠撮影から・プロクサー・オートアップ・レフボックス・その他, Because the appeal of photography comes with close-up and telephoto pictures: Proxar, Auto-Up, reflex housing, etc.) Pp.118–20.
• Photo Art rinji zōkan: Kamera no chishiki (フォトアート臨時増刊・カメラの知識, Photo Art special issue: Knowledge of cameras). October 1955, no.87 of the magazine. "Kakubu no kikō to sono sōsa. 14: Kamera ni toritsukeru akusesarī no chishiki. Renzu zenmen ni. b: Hojo satsuei kigu, renzu." (各部の機構とその操作・14・カメラに取付けるアクセサリーの知識・レンズ前面に・b・補助撮影器具・レンズ. Mechanism and operation of all the parts. 14: Knowledge of the accessories attached to the camera. In front of the lens. b: Accessory photographic instruments, lenses.) P.47. (Short mention only, with two small pictures.)
• Shashin Kōgyō no.72, April 1958. Advertisement by Matsushima Shashin-yōhin on p.317.

Links

In English:

• Pages of the Miranda Historical Society:
  • Mirax housings
  • Focabell bellows system
  • Mirax and Focabell among rare items
• Past sales by Westlicht:
  • Orion Camera Mirax-A with Supreme 10.5cm f/2.8 lens head: lot no.365 of auction no.9 (May 20, 2006)
  • Orion Camera Mirax-A with Supreme 10.5cm f/2.8: lot no.398 of auction no.14 (November 30, 2008)
  • Miranda Camera Mirax-A and accessories (two examples with consecutive numbers): lot no.366 of auction no.9 (May 20, 2006)
  • Interstate Mirroscope for Leica, with adapter for Exakta lenses: lot no.232 of auction no.13 (June 7, 2008)
• Mirax-A on a Nikkor 25cm f/4 at Cameraquest

In Japanese:

• Text-only details on the Mirax among telephoto lenses at the Miranda Society Japan