Nescon 35
The Nescon 35 is a Japanese 35mm viewfinder camera, made in 1956 and 1957.[1] It was made by Nihon Seiki Kōgyō and distributed by Goyō Shōkai.[2]
Contents
Advertising
The Nescon 35 was announced in various Japanese magazines in 1956.[3] It seems that it was consistently advertised as the Nescon 35 II but the nature of the new features is unknown. An advertisement dated January 1957[4] reads Nescon 35 II New or "Nescon 35 II new model" (ネスコン35Ⅱ新型). The price was ¥4,950. The only company name mentioned was the distributor Goyō Shōkai.
Description
All the examples observed so far are similar to the camera pictured in the advertisement, they are probably of the Nescon 35 II type.
The camera is certainly a derivative of the Aruba 35 II distributed in 1954 and 1955 by Chūō Shashin-yōhin and attributed to Koike Seiki. It has a metal body with chrome top and bottom plates. The advance knob is at the right end and the rewind knob at the left. The viewfinder is offset to the left and is contained in a top housing covering the space between both knobs. This housing also supports an accessory shoe and the body release, and it probably contains the exposure counter whose window is visible behind the release button. The only significant difference with the body of the Aruba 35 II is the shape and position of the shutter release and the absence of the two black lines at the front of the top housing, replaced by a NESCON 35 marking. The serial number is engraved above the viewfinder.
The back is removed together with the bottom plate to load the film. (This perhaps makes another difference with the Aruba 35 II, whose back seems to be fixed with film loading through the bottom plate only.) The bottom plate has a locking key in the middle and a tripod thread offset to the left.
The lens is a unit-focusing 40mm f/3.5. The lens rim is engraved Nihon Seiki Nescon. The shutter is situated behind the focusing helical. It gives B, 25–200 speeds, selected by a lever with the 25, B, 50, 100, 200 positions in that order. It is synchronized for flash via a PC connector at the bottom.
Notes
- ↑ Dates: advertisements and articles listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 395.
- ↑ Nihon Seiki Kōgyō: a camera was sold in an eBay auction with a box reportedly inscribed "Nihon Seiki Kogyo Co., Ltd."
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 395.
- ↑ Published in Sankei Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 265.
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 1435–6.
- 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). P. 721.
- 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 3523.
