Difference between revisions of "Molby"
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The Molby was mentioned in the December 1941 issue of ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' as an example of a Japanese camera with a good finish.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p. 342. </REF> It appeared again in the {{Inquiry1943_short}}, listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943, with a Rotte 60/3.5 three-element lens made by [[Tokiwa|Tokiwa Kōgaku]] and a shutter made by [[Taron|Nippon Kōsokki]] and giving T, B, 1–200 speeds.<REF> {{Inquiry1943_short}}, item 163, lens item K5, shutter item 18-P-1. </REF> The shutter name was given as "NSK", certainly a typo for [[NKS]]. | The Molby was mentioned in the December 1941 issue of ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' as an example of a Japanese camera with a good finish.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p. 342. </REF> It appeared again in the {{Inquiry1943_short}}, listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943, with a Rotte 60/3.5 three-element lens made by [[Tokiwa|Tokiwa Kōgaku]] and a shutter made by [[Taron|Nippon Kōsokki]] and giving T, B, 1–200 speeds.<REF> {{Inquiry1943_short}}, item 163, lens item K5, shutter item 18-P-1. </REF> The shutter name was given as "NSK", certainly a typo for [[NKS]]. | ||
| − | The only surviving example observed so far is pictured in {{Sugiyama}}. It has a Rotte Anastigmat 60mm f/ | + | The only surviving example observed so far is pictured in {{Sugiyama}}. It has a Rotte Anastigmat 60mm f/3.5 lens and an [[NKS]] shutter giving T, B, 1–200 speeds. The shutter plate is marked ''MOLBY'' and the shutter rim is engraved ''NKS.'' {{Kokusan}} mentions a Rotte 60/3.5 lens on a Rotte shutter giving the same speeds, probably quoting an original source.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p. 342, probably after the article in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' December 1941. </REF> |
== Coupled rangefinder conversions == | == Coupled rangefinder conversions == | ||
Revision as of 15:44, 30 March 2007
The Molby (モルビー) is a Japanese rangefinder camera taking 3×4cm exposures on 127 film, made by Kuribayashi and distributed by Minagawa Shōten at the beginning of the 1940s.[1]
Contents
Description of the body
The Molby is probably based on the Roico. It has a rounded metal body, extremely similar to the body of the Roico. The advance knob and exposure counter mechanism at the top right are externally similar too. The exposure counter was probably adapted to the 3×4 format (the Roico takes 4×4cm pictures).
The rest of the top plate is occupied by a housing containing the viewfinder and an uncoupled rangefinder. The distance wheel is above this housing on the right, and the name MOLBY is engraved above the viewfinder. Three windows are visible at the front, a rectangular one in the middle for the viewfinder and two round ones for the rangefinder.
The telescopic tube supporting the lens and shutter assembly is mounted on a focusing helical that is different from the helical of the Roico.
Documents and actual examples
The Template:Kakaku1940 short, compiled on October 25, 1940 and published in January 1941, listed the "Molby I" (¥95), "Molby II" (¥125), "Molby III" (¥60) and "Molby IV" (¥190).[2] The Molby IV appears in the same price category as the Gokoku and Ricohl and the Canon ordinary model, this perhaps indicates that this version has a focal-plane shutter. It is not known if it was actually sold.
The Molby was mentioned in the December 1941 issue of Asahi Camera as an example of a Japanese camera with a good finish.[3] It appeared again in the "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943, with a Rotte 60/3.5 three-element lens made by Tokiwa Kōgaku and a shutter made by Nippon Kōsokki and giving T, B, 1–200 speeds.[4] The shutter name was given as "NSK", certainly a typo for NKS.
The only surviving example observed so far is pictured in Sugiyama. It has a Rotte Anastigmat 60mm f/3.5 lens and an NKS shutter giving T, B, 1–200 speeds. The shutter plate is marked MOLBY and the shutter rim is engraved NKS. Kokusan kamera no rekishi mentions a Rotte 60/3.5 lens on a Rotte shutter giving the same speeds, probably quoting an original source.[5]
Coupled rangefinder conversions
The Cyclon rangefinder conversion offered in 1943 and 1944 for the Gelto was also available for the Molby.[6] The conversion is described in detail in this section of the Gelto page. It is not known if the earlier conversion with separate range- and viewfinder, called Suzuki coupled device, was offered for this camera. No surviving example has been observed with a coupled rangefinder conversion.
Notes
- ↑ Made by Kuribayashi and distributed by Minagawa: "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras") Item 163. Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 342 and Sugiyama, item 3035, only mention Minagawa.
- ↑ Template:Kakaku1940 short, type 1, sections 9 and 10, type 2, section 5B and type 5, section 1.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 342.
- ↑ "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), item 163, lens item K5, shutter item 18-P-1.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 342, probably after the article in Asahi Camera December 1941.
- ↑ Advertisements dated July and October 1943 and May 1944 reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, pp. 111–2.
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 285. (The book presents no reproduction of an advertisement and only shows a small version of the picture published in Sugiyama.)
- "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" (国産写真機ノ現状調査, Inquiry into Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of April 1943. Reproduced in Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no shōkai to tsukaikata (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の紹介と使い方, Let's try spring cameras: Presentation and use of 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4-87956-072-3. Pp.180–7. Item 163.
- Template:Kakaku1940
- 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. Item 3035.
