Difference between revisions of "Mulber Six"

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{{Japanese Six}}
 
{{Japanese Six}}
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The '''Mulber Six''' (マルバシックス<REF> [http://sts.kahaku.go.jp/sts/detail.php?18=&key=103310371052&APage=618 This page] of the JCII says マルバーシックス, but the advertisements have no long vowel, except on rare occasions about the Mulber shutter written マルバーシャッター. </REF>) is a Japanese folding camera taking both 6&times;6 and 4.5&times;6 format pictures on [[120 film]]. It was distributed by [[Kuwata|Kuwata Shōkai]] between 1935 and 1939.<REF> Dates: {{Kokusan}}, p.&nbsp;341. Lewis, p.&nbsp;53, confirms the 1935 release date. </REF>
 
The '''Mulber Six''' (マルバシックス<REF> [http://sts.kahaku.go.jp/sts/detail.php?18=&key=103310371052&APage=618 This page] of the JCII says マルバーシックス, but the advertisements have no long vowel, except on rare occasions about the Mulber shutter written マルバーシャッター. </REF>) is a Japanese folding camera taking both 6&times;6 and 4.5&times;6 format pictures on [[120 film]]. It was distributed by [[Kuwata|Kuwata Shōkai]] between 1935 and 1939.<REF> Dates: {{Kokusan}}, p.&nbsp;341. Lewis, p.&nbsp;53, confirms the 1935 release date. </REF>
  

Revision as of 13:05, 25 October 2006

Japanese Six (6×6)
Prewar and wartime models (edit)
folding
Adler Six | Bonny Six | Clover-Six | Condor Six | First Six | Gelto Six | Gotex | Green | Lyra Six | Super Makinet Six | Mamiya Six | Miyako Six | Mulber Six | Mulix | National Six | Neure Six | Oko Six | Olympus Six | Pilot Six | Romax | Ugein | Vester-Six | Victor Six | Weha Six
collapsible
Ehira Chrome Six | Minolta Six | Shinko Super | Weha Chrome Six
unknown
Freude Six | Heart Camera | Konter Six | Tsubasa Six
Postwar models (edit)
folding
Aires Viceroy | Angel Six | Aram Six | Astoria Super Six | Atom Six | Balm Six | Baron | Beauty Six (1950) | Beauty Six (1953) | Calm Six | Carl Six | Centre Six | Crown | Crystar Six | Daido Six | Dorima Six | Doris Six | Ehira Six | Elbow Six | First Six | Flora Six | Fodor Six | Frank Six | Fujica Six | Super Fujica Six | Futami Six | Gotex | Grace Six | Kohken Chrome Six | Kyowa Six | Liner Six | Lyra Six | Mamiya Six | Middl Six | Mihama Six | Mine Six | Minon Six | Mizuho Six | Motoka Six | Mount Six | Muse Six | Super Naiku | Ofuna Six | Olympus Six | Olympus Chrome Six | Orion Six | Oscar Six | Pigeon Six | Planet | Please Six | Pluto Six | Poppy Six | Press Van | Press Van-120 | Proud Chrome Six | Proud Super Six | Renown Six | Ricoh Six | Ruvikon | Ruvinal | Sanon Six | Silver Six | Sisley 1 | Sisley 2 & 3 | Sister Six | Tenar Six | Toho Six | Tomic | Toyoca Six | Ugein Six | Wagen Six | Walcon 6 | Welmy Six | Wester | Windsor Six
rigid or collapsible
Dia Six | Ehira Chrome Six | Enon Six | Flora | Flashline | Fujipet | Harmony | Mikono-6 | Orion | Ponix | Rich-Ray-6 | Shumy | Weha Chrome Six
Japanese SLR, TLR, pseudo TLR and stereo models ->
Japanese 3×4 and 4×4, 4×5 and 4×6.5, 4.5×6 and older 6×9 ->

The Mulber Six (マルバシックス[1]) is a Japanese folding camera taking both 6×6 and 4.5×6 format pictures on 120 film. It was distributed by Kuwata Shōkai between 1935 and 1939.[2]

General description

The Mulber Six is a vertical folder, unlike most 6×6 models. It is inspired by the Baldax but it is not an exact copy. It has a folding optical finder on the left of the body (as seen by a photographer holding the camera vertically) and the advance knob on the opposite side. There is a cross engraved in the finder's front element and indents in the four corners to indicate the 4.5×6 frame size. The back is hinged to the left (holding the camera horizontally). The front leather is embossed Mulber Six.

The original model

The original model has no body release and an everset shutter. In an advertisement dated December 1936[3], it is offered in the following variants:

  • Eclat 75/4.5 lens, 5–150 shutter (¥60);
  • Eclat 75/4.5 lens, 2–250 shutter (¥65);
  • Eclat 75/4.5 lens, 1–300 shutter with self-timer (¥75);
  • Lausar 75/4.5 lens, 5–150 shutter (¥65);
  • Lausar 75/4.5 lens, 2–250 shutter (¥70);
  • Lausar 75/4.5 lens, 1–300 shutter with self-timer (¥80).

An example of the cheapest variant has been observed.[4] The lens is engraved Eclat Anastigmat 1:4.5 f=7.5cm and the shutter has 5–150, B, T speeds. The shutter plate is marked Patents~Pending at the top and perhaps KOMVUR at the bottom in handwritten style. This rip-off of the Compur name is completed by a logo on the right of the shutter plate, with the letters "F" and "B" (or "D"?) mixed in a circle, obviously intended to remind the Deckel logo ("F" and "D") of the genuine Compur shutters. The advertising picture seems to read COMBUR instead of KONVUR.

The second model

The second model[5] has a setting shutter. A release lever is attached to the shutter plate. The latter is marked MULBER at the bottom, but the rest of the markings are similar to the previous model.

This model appears in an advertisement dated July 1937.[6] Another advertisement dated October 1937 shows the full range of variants. The list is the same as above, except that the 2–250 shutter option has been replaced by a 1–300 shutter (without self-timer). The prices were unchanged.

The same model was still advertised in the September 1938 issue of Asahi Camera[7], together with the Mulber (3×4) camera. The list of variants and prices were exactly the same.

The Mulber Six III

The Mulber Six III has a body release. It was advertised in the April 1939 issue of Asahi Camera[8], with a mismatched picture showing the release lever of the second model. The following variants were listed:

  • Mulber 75/4.5 lens, Mulber shutter (5–150, B, T), ¥70;
  • Mulber 75/4.5 lens, Mulber shutter (1–300, B, T), ¥80;
  • Mulber 75/4.5 lens, Mulber shutter (1–300, B, T, self-timer), ¥105.

In the advertisements published in the June and September 1939 issues of the same magazine[9], the camera is only called "Mulber Six".

Notes

  1. This page of the JCII says マルバーシックス, but the advertisements have no long vowel, except on rare occasions about the Mulber shutter written マルバーシャッター.
  2. Dates: Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 341. Lewis, p. 53, confirms the 1935 release date.
  3. Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 95.
  4. Example observed in a Yahoo Japan auction.
  5. It is called "Mulber Six II" in Kokusan kamera no rekishi (item 259) but the two advertisements observed only say Mulber Six.
  6. Advertisement published in the 14 July 1937 of Asahi Graph, reproduced in this page at the Gochamaze website.
  7. Scans of the magazine observed in an eBay auction.
  8. Advertisements reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 95.
  9. Advertisements reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, pp. 95–6.

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. Items 258–60. (See also the advertisements for item 261.)
  • 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). P. 53 (brief mention only).

Links

In Japanese: