Misuzu Kōgaku
Misuzu Kōgaku Kōgyō K.K. (三鈴光学工業㈱)[1] was a Japanese company active in the second half of the 1950s, based in Azusawa, Tokyo.[2] It released the Alta, a Leica copy, in September 1957. It was already active before that date, and was best known as the maker of the Altair bright screen for TLR cameras.[3]
The Alta camera is very similar to the Chiyotax IIIF previously made by Reise, whose last appearance in a Japanese publication is dated Summer 1957. It seems likely that there is a connection between the two models. Reise was perhaps absorbed by Misuzu Kōgaku Kōgyō, or acted as a subcontractor for Misuzu, or less likely sold the Chiyotax design and tooling to the latter.
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;[4] this is surely 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. Moreover Misuzu Kōgaku was already in existence before the release of the Alta, as said above.
In addition to the the Altair bright screen, other products made by Misuzu Kōgaku Kōgyō include the Altax binoculars.[5] 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. This camera might be related to the Misuzu company, but the details are unknown.[6]
Product list
- Alta or Alta 35
- Bower microscope camera
- Misuzu 39mm screw lenses
- Altair bright screen for TLR cameras
- Altax binoculars[5]
Notes
- ↑ Full name: advertisement in Nihon Camera June 1958, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.222.
- ↑ Its address was Tōkyō-to Itabashi-ku Azusawa 1–35 (東京都板橋区小豆沢1の35). Source: column in Asahi Camera September 1957, reproduced in Awano, p.3 of Camera Collectors' News no.38, and advertisement in Nihon Camera June 1958, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.222.
- ↑ The company was presented as the maker of the Altair bright screen (ライトスクリーン[フレネルレンズ]"アルタイル"のメーカーである、東京の三鈴光学工業) in the column announcing the Alta in Asahi Camera September 1957, reproduced in Awano, p.3 of Camera Collectors' News no.38.
- ↑ HPR, pp.126 and 175–6.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 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, apparently after an article by Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛).
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.
- Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Aruta 35" (アルタ35, Alta 35). In Camera Collectors' News no.38 (August 1980). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.
- 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, pp.4–5. Also published in Camera Shopper no.173, Mar. 2007, pp.11–2.
