Difference between revisions of "Misuzu Kōgaku"
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| − | {{ | + | '''Misuzu Kōgaku Kōgyō K.K.''' (三鈴光学工業{{kabu}})<REF> Full name: advertisement in ''[[Nihon Camera]]'' June 1958, reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.222. </REF> was a Japanese company active in the second half of the 1950s. It made the [[Alta]], a Leica copy, from Autumn 1957. This camera is very similar to the [[Chiyoca and Chiyotax|Chiyotax IIIF]] previously made by [[Reise]], whose last appearance in a Japanese publication is dated Summer 1957. Reise maybe turned its name into Misuzu Kōgaku Kōgyō, or was absorbed by the latter, or sold the Chiyotax design and tooling to Misuzu. At least one source suggests that Reise was hired by the trading company [[Misuzu Shōkai]] and turned its name to Misuzu Kōgaku Kōgyō for that reason;<REF> HPR, pp.126 and 175–6. </REF> this is certainly a guess based on the apparent homonymy of the two company names. However the Japanese characters used in the two names are completely different (Misuzu is 美篶 for the trading company and 三鈴 for the camera maker), and this rules out the possibility of a direct relationship between the two companies. |
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| + | Misuzu Kōgaku Kōgyō made a few other products, including the Altair bright screen for TLR cameras, or the Altax binoculars.<REF name="kokusan 222"> Advertisement in ''[[Nihon Camera]]'' June 1958, reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.222. </REF> All trace of the company is lost after mid-1958. | ||
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| + | The name [[Altair]] was used earlier on a prototype 35mm SLR announced in 1955 by [[Arae|Arae Kōgaku]], a camera which was certainly not related to the company Misuzu Kōgaku Kōgyō.<REF> Mabuchi, in [http://www.phsc.ca/phsc_e-mail/Vol-6/PHSC-E-Mail-V6-10.pdf ''The PHSC E-mail'', vol.6–10], attributes the Altair SLR to Misuzu but this is certainly a confusion. </REF> | ||
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| + | == Product list == | ||
| + | * [[Alta]] or Alta 35 | ||
| + | * [[Alta|Bower]] microscope camera | ||
* [[39mm screw lenses#Misuzu|Misuzu 39mm screw lenses]] | * [[39mm screw lenses#Misuzu|Misuzu 39mm screw lenses]] | ||
| + | * Altair bright screen for TLR cameras<REF name="kokusan 222" /> | ||
| + | * Altax binoculars<REF name="kokusan 222" /> | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Notes == | ||
| + | <references /> | ||
== Bibliography == | == Bibliography == | ||
| − | * Mabuchi, Sam. "In search of the missing Altair camera". In [http://www.phsc.ca/phsc_e-mail/Vol-6/PHSC-E-Mail-V6-10.pdf The PHSC E-mail, vol.6–10], supplement to Photographic Canadiana, Feb. 2007. | + | * {{Showa10}} |
| + | * {{HPR}} | ||
| + | * Mabuchi, Sam. "In search of the missing Altair camera". In [http://www.phsc.ca/phsc_e-mail/Vol-6/PHSC-E-Mail-V6-10.pdf ''The PHSC E-mail'', vol.6–10], supplement to ''Photographic Canadiana'', Feb. 2007. | ||
[[Category: Japanese camera makers]] | [[Category: Japanese camera makers]] | ||
[[Category: Japanese lens makers]] | [[Category: Japanese lens makers]] | ||
Revision as of 13:21, 1 February 2009
Misuzu Kōgaku Kōgyō K.K. (三鈴光学工業㈱)[1] was a Japanese company active in the second half of the 1950s. It made the Alta, a Leica copy, from Autumn 1957. This camera is very similar to the Chiyotax IIIF previously made by Reise, whose last appearance in a Japanese publication is dated Summer 1957. Reise maybe turned its name into Misuzu Kōgaku Kōgyō, or was absorbed by the latter, or sold the Chiyotax design and tooling to Misuzu. At least one source suggests that Reise was hired by the trading company Misuzu Shōkai and turned its name to Misuzu Kōgaku Kōgyō for that reason;[2] this is certainly a guess based on the apparent homonymy of the two company names. However the Japanese characters used in the two names are completely different (Misuzu is 美篶 for the trading company and 三鈴 for the camera maker), and this rules out the possibility of a direct relationship between the two companies.
Misuzu Kōgaku Kōgyō made a few other products, including the Altair bright screen for TLR cameras, or the Altax binoculars.[3] All trace of the company is lost after mid-1958.
The name Altair was used earlier on a prototype 35mm SLR announced in 1955 by Arae Kōgaku, a camera which was certainly not related to the company Misuzu Kōgaku Kōgyō.[4]
Product list
- Alta or Alta 35
- Bower microscope camera
- Misuzu 39mm screw lenses
- Altair bright screen for TLR cameras[3]
- Altax binoculars[3]
Notes
- ↑ Full name: advertisement in Nihon Camera June 1958, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.222.
- ↑ HPR, pp.126 and 175–6.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Advertisement in Nihon Camera June 1958, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.222.
- ↑ Mabuchi, in The PHSC E-mail, vol.6–10, attributes the Altair SLR to Misuzu but this is certainly a confusion.
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.
- HPR. Leica Copies. London: Classic Collection Publications, 1994. ISBN 1-874485-05-4.
- Mabuchi, Sam. "In search of the missing Altair camera". In The PHSC E-mail, vol.6–10, supplement to Photographic Canadiana, Feb. 2007.
