Mycro

The Mycro (マイクロ) is a Japanese subminiature camera, released in 1939. It was made by Akita Seisakusho and distributed by various companies until 1945. After World War II, it was exclusively distributed by Sanwa Shōkai, and the maker's name was Mycro Camera Co. Ltd. by the mid-1950s.

General description

The Mycro takes ten 14×14mm exposures on unperforated 17.5mm film, the same as its competitor the Midget, which was released two years earlier in 1937. The Midget and Mycro were certainly the first still cameras in the world to use this type of film, certainly obtained by slicing 35mm film in two. After World War II the same format was adopted by Tougodo's Hit and a host of similar "Hit-type" cameras, most of which were more cheaply made and had lesser features than the Midget and Mycro.

All the Mycro models have the same main body made of pressed metal. The lens and shutter assembly is mounted on a tube at the front. The lens is a fixed-focus 20mm f/4.5, and the aperture is set from 4.5 to 11 by an index placed under the barrel. The shutter has B, 25, 50, 100 settings selected by an index at the top, and the release lever is on the shutter casing itself. The film is advanced by a knob at the top left, as seen by the photographer. The back is hinged to the left and contains a single red window to control the advance.

Original model

Description and variations

The original Mycro has a tubular finder attached to the middle of the top plate, and a round film flange on the right. The red window on the back is uncovered and surrounded by a round metal frame. The back latch consists of a small sliding button. The shutter is everset and is tripped by a lever actuated by the photographer's right hand. The name Mycro is inscribed at the top of the shutter plate, above the lens. The ever-ready case is made of brown leather and embossed Mycro at the front; it curiously does not fully cover the top plate when shut.

Many variations are known on the original Mycro; these are detailed in this page at Mycro.jp and in this page at Submin.com. Two different markings exist on the right film flange, either a stylized A and a cross, or the words MYCRO T.A.Co. The letter "A" certainly stands for the manufacturer Akita, and "T.A." might correspond to the initials of the founder. Different lens markings are found, either 1:4.5 F=20mm at the bottom of the shutter plate and nothing on the lens rim, or F=20mm on the shutter plate and MYCRO ANASTIGMAT 1:4.5 on the lens rim. The latter might be a late variation, adopted before the release of the New Mycro. The back latch is either attached to the main body or to the back itself. Finally, some examples have a black painted finder instead of the regular chrome plated part, perhaps because of a shortage of raw materials during wartime.

History and documents

The Mycro was first announced in the new products column of the June 1939 issue of Asahi Camera. In this document, the camera is attributed to the distributor Sasaki Shōten, the price is given as ¥18.50 and a dedicated hood with filter is mentioned for ¥1.80. The description states that the lens has four elements, maybe using the Rapid Rectilinear formula. It also mentions a "security device" on the shutter, actually a release lock; this is the S setting visible on the speed scale on some cameras. These two features are also repeatedly mentioned in advertisements.

The first advertisement for the camera appears in the October 1939 issue of Asahi Camera. It takes two full pages and basically contains the same information, but does not state a price. The camera is pictured with and without its dedicated hood, and one of the pictures is unintentionally reversed. The company names are Mycro-sha on one side, and the distributors Sasaki Shōten and Yamamoto Shashinki-ten on the other. Mycro-sha might be the original name of the manufacturer; this name only appears in this particular advertisement.

The November 1939 advertisement in Asahi Camera, placed by Yamamoto and Sasaki alone, consists of a single page. It gives the price of ¥18.50, case included, and mentions the hood and filter for ¥1.80. A similar advertisement dated December clearly shows the A logo on the right film flange. In addition to the advertisements placed by Yamamoto and Sasaki, the Mycro was also independently advertised by Matsuzaki Shashinki-ten from about that time.

The November 1940 advertisement in Asahi Camera, placed by Tōyō Shōkai and Yamamoto Shashinki-ten, does not mention Sasaki any more. The Mycro is presented together with the Light 4×6.5cm camera, at an unchanged price. The Mycro appears in the official list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941, for ¥19.

Advertisements mentioning the manufacturer Akita Seisakusho and the distributor Sanwa Shōkai first appeared in Summer 1941. The August advertisement in Asahi Camera shows the manufacturer's name together with that three distributors: Sanwa Shōkai, Mizuno Shashinki-ten and Yamamoto Shashinki-ten; that in the November issue shows Akita's name alone. On both months, the price is given as ¥19, and the catch phrase is "An ultra-small camera unique in the world" (世界唯一の超小型).

Akita's name disappeared from the advertisements in 1942, and Sanwa emerged as the main distributor. The April 1943 government inquiry on Japanese camera production lists the Mycro as made by Akita and distributed by Sanwa. It also says that the lens has three elements and was made by Kigawa; this might mean that the actual lens scheme changed at some time.

The original Mycro was advertised by Sanwa till late 1944 or early 1945. In February 1944, the price was ¥25.64, it was ¥30.70 in September, reflecting the high inflation of the time. The catch phrase used at the time was "Very small and delicate, as a jewel" (最小にして精緻、珠玉の如き); it would be used again after the war for a few years.

New Mycro

Description

The New Mycro (新型マイクロ) has a new top housing containing the viewfinder and extending to the right; this new styling was surely inspired by the New Midget (released in 1939). The shutter is now set by a small lever actuated by the photographer's left hand, and the rest of the body is unchanged.

The name MYCRO and the word PATENTS are engraved above the viewfinder. The shutter plate reads MYCRO at the top and F=20mm at the bottom, and the lens rim is sometimes engraved MYCRO ANASTIGMAT 1:4.5.

Evolution

The New Mycro was released in late 1944. The wartime model has a plain decorative knob above the top housing on the right, and always has the engraving on the lens rim. It appears in advertisements by Sanwa Shōkai in the September and November issues of Shashin Kagaku, where the price is given as ¥48.20. This model seems particularly rare, but at least one surviving example is known, pictured in this page at Mycro.jp.

The postwar model has a lesser finish. It lacks the decorative knob on the right, weld is used for the top housing and viewfinder eyepiece, and the engraving on the lens rim is absent on most cameras. There are disparities in the metal plating: nickel plating is applied on the top and bottom surfaces, or on the viewfinder housing alone, whereas the lens barrel is normally chrome plated. Other minor variations are known: the advance knob has different milling patterns and sometimes has an arrow engraved at the top, the red window frame is either chrome or black, the camera's inside is either painted black or left in metal finish, etc.

The postwar model was offered very soon after the end of the war; an advertisement already appears in the February 1946 issue of Ars Camera. The advertisement in Kohga Gekkan July 1947 seems to show the New Mycro again, shortly before the switch to the next model. (In the documents, the name "Mycro New" (マイクロ新型) is sometimes used instead of "New Mycro".)

Transitional model

The New Mycro was followed by a transitional model, easily recognized by the SANWA SHOKAI marking under the lens. This model has a new spring-loaded back latch, replacing the sliding button inherited from the original model. It also has no frame around the viewfinder's front window, and an all-nickel finish.

The advertisement in Kohga Gekkan October 1947 shows a picture of the transitional model, which is still called "Mycro New" (マイクロ新型) in the document. The pictured camera has a milled lens rim with some engravings, and is marked Mycro PATENTS MADE IN JAPAN at the top. On the actual examples observed so far, the lens rim has no marking and is either milled or plain, and the MADE IN JAPAN mention is not always present on the top engraving. One source says that the camera was sold for ¥800 around 1947–8, but this was a period of high inflation for Japan, and the prices did not remain stable for long.

Mycro I

Description and variations

The mainstream Mycro model, or Mycro I, appeared in late 1947 or early 1948. It has the same back latch and viewfinder as the transitional model, and normally has an all-chrome finish. The lens rim is engraved MYCRO UNA 1:4.5 F=20mm; Una is a brand of Sanwa, already used for various accessories. The new model is easily recognized by the SANWA CO. LTD. inscription below the lens, together with a logo formed by the letters S and WWW inside a circle. (Though it is not its original meaning, the company name Sanwa can be taken for "three W" in Japanese, hence the "WWW".)

Many variations are known, but their chronology is unclear, and it seems that some variants were made simultaneously (notably the stars and lines on the shutter plate). The camera was maybe produced at various locations by different subcontractors of Sanwa, and this might explain some of the variations. Here is a list of the most important variations (a more detailed account with pictures is provided in this page at Mycro.jp):

• the shutter plate either has two lines or a star on each side of the lens;
• the markings on the shutter plate are either printed (giving a flat aspect) or stamped (showing some relief);
• the advance knob is either small with an attach pin at the center, or large with an arrow engraved above;
• the top housing is either engraved Mycro PATENTS or Mycro PATENTS MADE IN JAPAN;
• the back latch sometimes has MADE IN JAPAN or MADE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN engravings (MADE IN JAPAN was presumably added for export only);
• the hinge has either three or five sections;
• the shutter speeds are either in the order 25, 50, 100, B or in the order 100, 50, 25, B;
• the leatherette has various grain patterns;
• the red window usually has a sliding cover, but it is absent on some examples, presumably the earliest ones.

In addition to these production variants, some cameras have a diamond-shaped engraving at the top right containing the Roman letters CPO or the equivalent katakana characters シピオ. These markings were applied to the cameras sold at the Post Exchange shops of the US military bases in Japan. In the US territory itself, the Mycro was perhaps distributed by a company called Mycro Camera Co., Inc. based in New York, as indicated by the markings observed on an original box.

The lens and shutter assembly of the Mycro is easily interchanged, giving birth to non original variants. This is probably the case of the camera pictured in this page at submin.com with a Hope Anastigmat f/4.5 lens and a Sugaya Model II shutter taken from a Hope or Myracle subminiature camera.

Commercial life

The Mycro I was a large commercial success. One source says that the monthly production reached 2,000 units around 1947 and 15,000 units around 1948, and that 35,000 cameras were exported in the year 1948 alone. In March 1948, the distributor Sanwa Shōkai organized a special contest for pictures taken with the Mycro; this was the first photographic contest held in Japan after 1945. In November 1948, it also organized an exhibition of photographs taken with the Mycro in the Mitsukoshi department store.

In Japanese advertisements dated 1948 and early 1949, the camera is pictured with the small advance knob. The shutter plate indifferently has the two stars or four lines. The name used for the camera is either "New Mycro" (新型マイクロ), "Mycro New" (マイクロ新型) or plainly "Mycro" (マイクロ).

Left: advertisement in Ars Camera February 1949. Middle and right: advertisements in Photo Art December 1949 and May 1950. They show the transition from the small to the large advance knob. (Image rights)

Advertisements dated late 1949 and early 1950 show the large advance knob. In advertisements dated May 1950, the camera is priced at ¥1,550; in June and July 1950, the uncoated model is called "Mycro Ordinary" (マイクロ普及型) and is priced at ¥1,250, along with the Mycro II with a coated lens (see below). The last known advertisement for the uncoated model is in the January 1951 issue of Asahi Camera, where the camera is called "Mycro Camera I" (マイクロカメラⅠ); the price has fallen to ¥850, certainly to dispose of the stock.

Mycro II

The Mycro II (マイクロⅡ型) differs from the previous model by the adoption of lens coating. It is easily recognized by the words COATED LENS added under the lens, above the company name. Various recent sources say that the coated lens of the Mycro II was made by Asahi Kōgaku (predecessor of Pentax); one of these states that the Asahi company led by Matsumoto Saburō (松本三郎) was supplying "25,000 lenses per month" to Sanwa Shōkai, and that "at peak time, the lens elements for the Mycro camera were polished and coated in the Asahi factory at daytime and then brought to Mr. Matsumoto’s house at night to have them glued together with optical balsam".

Two versions of the Mycro II exist: the early version has no other difference from the Mycro I; the late version has a new type of back latch consisting of a sliding bar, and a cable release thread added to the side of the shutter casing. All the Mycro II have the stamped shutter plate with two stars; the markings above the viewfinder are either Mycro PATENTS or Mycro PATENTS MADE IN JAPAN, perhaps depending on the intended market — export or domestic.

The earliest mention of the Mycro II is in the June 1950 advertisement in Ars Camera, where it is listed at ¥1,550, ¥300 more than the uncoated model; however the illustration still shows the Mycro I. The July 1950 advertisement in Asahi Camera gives the same price and shows a picture of an early Mycro II. In the January 1951 issue, emphasis is made on the newer Mycro Super 16 (see below), and the "Mycro Camera II" (マイクロカメラⅡ) is listed at ¥1,400, ¥250 less than the new model. The Mycro II is no longer pictured, but it is supposed that the features of the late version were introduced after the release of the Super 16.

Mycro Super 16

Description and variations

The Mycro Super 16 (マイクロスーパー16) is a redesigned model using perforated 16mm film in special cassettes instead of the paper backed 17.5mm film. The new exposure format is 10×14mm instead of 14×14mm, and the viewfinder is now rectangular. The body shell remains the same, but the top housing and advance system are modified, and a tripod socket is added under the camera. The newer top housing is flatter and covers the whole length of camera, extending to the left under the advance knob. The red window is of course suppressed, and an exposure counter disc is added to the right of the viewfinder. The exposure counter has twelve graduations, with 0, 3, 6 and 9 indications. The film magazines used within the camera allow to take 14 exposures, so that the exposure counter makes more than one full turn. The film is advanced via a ratchet visible inside the camera above the exposure chamber, facing a slit in the pressure plate. The back latch and cable release thread are the same as on the late Mycro II.

Some examples have an auto-stop advance mechanism, unlocked by a small lever placed behind the top cover, to the right of the viewfinder eyepiece. At least one example is known without this lever; it presumably has manual film advance, relying on the position of the exposure counter.

Most of the Mycro Super 16 observed so far have the same shutter plate and lens rim as the Mycro II: the shutter plate has two stars, the name Mycro, the words COATED LENS and SANWA CO. LTD., and the logo of Sanwa, all inscribed in silver on a black background, and the lens rim is silver with an unfilled engraving MYCRO UNA 1:4.5 F=20mm. However at least two examples have a silver shutter plate with a pair of black lines on each side of the lens and black markings: Mycro at the top and 1:4.5 F=20mm COATED at the bottom. They have an all-black lens rim with no marking, and the word IMPORT engraved on the tripod socket; on of them also has MADE IN JAPAN stamped in yellow ink on the bottom plate.

Commercial life

The Mycro Super 16 appears in Japanese advertisements and articles dated September 1950 to June 1951. The October 1950 advertisement in Ars Camera shows a picture of the camera with a flashgun attached to the tripod thread. However no synch cable appears in the picture, and no synch post is visible on the examples observed so far. No price is given in the documents dated late 1950 seen so far, probably indicating that the camera was not yet commercially available; an advertisement dated January 1951 still states that the Mycro Super 16 and Mycro synchro flash gun "will be released soon" (近く[...]新発売致します). The advertisement in Asahi Camera January 1951 gives the price of ¥1,650 (case included), ¥200 more than the Mycro II. All the documents show the black shutter plate, and none explicitly mentions auto-stop advance.

It seems that the Mycro Super 16 is rarely found in the USA or in Japan, but various examples have turned out in Sweden for some reason, perhaps because it was exported to Northern Europe.

Mycro IIIA

Mycro IIIA, early version. Picture courtesy of Pacific Rim Camera. (Image rights)

The Mycro IIIA was the last model in the Mycro line, switching back to the original 17.5mm paper backed rollfilm. It was not advertised in Japan, and was made for export only, where it was reportedly released in November 1953. It has the same top housing as the Mycro Super 16, but it lacks the exposure counter and again has a covered red window in the back, similar to that of the Mycro I and II. The name Mycro IIIA is engraved in the top housing above the viewfinder.

The early version re-used excess parts from the Super 16, which certainly proved a commercial failure. It notably has a rectangular viewfinder window and a rectangular exposure chamber giving 10×14mm exposures. It also has the same back latch sliding downwards, and the same black shutter plate with two stars as the regular Super 16.

The middle version is easily recognized by the pair of lines drawn on each side of the lens, replacing the two stars. It also has a square viewfinder window, a square exposure chamber giving 14×14mm exposures, and a new back latch sliding upwards instead of downwards.

The late version is the most common. It has a silver shutter plate inscribed Mycro at the top and MYCRO CAMERA COMPANY. LTD. at the bottom, with the Una logo under the lens. There is no explicit mention of Sanwa Shōkai any more, but the Una brand, found in the Una logo and the Mycro Una lens name, clearly indicates that the company was still implicated in the distribution of the Mycro IIIA. At this late period, Mycro Camera Co., Ltd. was the name of the manufacturer, as is clearly stated in the English user manual. Some examples of the late version, certainly the last ones, have a serial number engraved on the advance knob.

The vogue for subminiature cameras using 17.5mm film was reaching an end by the mid-1950s, and the long-lived Mycro camera line disappeared without leaving any descent.

Bibliography

• Ars Camera. Advertisement by Sanwa Shōkai in February 1949, p.51.
• 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 248 and 841–2. (See also the pictures on pp.13 and 444.)
• Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Maikuro kamera (senzenhen)" (マイクロカメラ[戦前編], Mycro camera [prewar edition]). In Camera Collectors' News no.274 (April 2000). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.
• Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Maikuro sengohen (1)" (マイクロ戦後編[1], Mycro postwar edition [1]). In Camera Collectors' News no.275 (May 2000). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.
• Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Maikuro sengohen (2)" (マイクロ戦後編[2], Mycro postwar edition [2]). In Camera Collectors' News no.276 (May 2000). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.
• Jonkman, Peter. "A new vision on the history of the Asahiflex". In Spotmatic no.27, January 2001. Available in this page of the Asahi Optical Historical Club. (States that the lens of the Mycro was made by Asahi Kōgaku.)
• "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.. Items 185–6.
• "Kokusan shashinki no kōtei kakaku" (国産写真機の公定価格, Set prices of the Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of October 25, 1940 and setting the retail prices from December 10, 1940. Published in Asahi Camera January 1941 and reproduced in 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. Pp.108—9.. Type 5, section 6A.
• 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). Pp.62, 64 and 68.
• McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). Pp.869–70.
• Nihon Shashin Kōgyō Tsūshin (日本写真興業通信). Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku (百号ごと十回の記録, Ten records, every hundred issues). Tokyo: Nihon Shashin Kōgyō Tsūshin Sha (日本写真興業通信社), 1967. No ISBN number. Advertisements on pp.43 and 59, corresponding to pp.9 and 25 of the December 15, 1939 issue, on p.78, corresponding to the fourth cover of the February 15, 1944 issue, on p.86, corresponding to the fourth cover of the April 20, 1948 issue, and on p.98, corresponding to the fourth cover of the January 10, 1951 issue.
• Photo Art. Advertisements by Sanwa Shōkai in December 1949 (p.67) and May 1950 (p.99).
• 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. Items 5005–6 and 5098–101.

Links

In English:

• Mycro pages in English and in Japanese at Mycro.jp
• Mycro at Submin.com
• Mycro at Subclub.org
• Mycro in a page at Ioannis' camera collection
• Mycro IIIA at the Living Image vintage camera museum
• Mycro IIIA and sample pictures at Larry Hester's photography site
• Mycro with sample pictures at Light of Day
• Mycro I with original box and user manual in monkeyjunkie's Flickr gallery
• Mycro I in the Flickr gallery of artdsgnr
• Mycro II in the Flickr gallery of cinefil_

In Swedish:

• Mycro Super 16 at www.le-loberg.se
• Mycro (transitional), Mycro II, Mycro Super 16 and Mycro IIIA at Fotomuseet i Osby
• Sales by LP Foto:
  • Mycro IIIA, lot no.438 of auction no.17 (8 December 2002)
  • Mycro Super 16, lot no.361 of auction no.21 (5 December 2004)
  • Mycro IIIA, lot no.281 of auction no.22 (29 May 2005)
  • Mycro Super 16, lot no.377 of auction no.28 (9 December 2007)

In Japanese:

• Advertisement for the Mycro in Asahi Graph September 23, 1942, reproduced in the Japanese camera page and the small format camera page at Gochamaze
• Advertisement for the Mycro in Ars Camera December 1949, reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura