Difference between revisions of "New Rocket"

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(on the company name)
m (other hypothesis for the Rocket Camera Co.)
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== Attribution ==
 
== Attribution ==
The attribution of the New Rocket to [[Condor Camera|Tōkyō Seiki]] is near certain. This company is known to have changed its name at various times, becoming Doris Camera, then Condor Camera in the 1950s. Before 1945, it was called Motodori (certainly after its founder's name), and used many dummy names mimicking the names of its products, such as "Victor Camera Works" or "Condor Camera Works" after the [[Victor folders|Victor]] and [[Condor folders]]. It is very likely that it did the same in the late 1940s, using the dummy name "Rocket Camera Co., Ltd." on the New Rocket.
+
The attribution of the New Rocket to [[Condor Camera|Tōkyō Seiki]] is near certain. This company is known to have changed its name at various times, becoming Doris Camera, then Condor Camera in the 1950s. Before 1945, it was called Motodori (certainly after its founder's name), and used many dummy names mimicking the names of its products, such as "Victor Camera Works" or "Condor Camera Works" after the [[Victor folders|Victor]] and [[Condor folders]]. The name "Rocket Camera Co., Ltd." found on some examples of the camera might be one such dummy name, or might be the name of the importer of the camera into the United States.
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==

Revision as of 11:27, 4 September 2008

Japanese subminiature
8mm film Camera "A" | Camera-Lite | Echo 8 | Kaitenkei
9.5mm film Doryu 1 | Fujica 8×11mm SLR | Yashica Atoron
16mm film Albert | Beauty 16 | Bell 16 | Bell Kamra | Binoca | Camera "B" | CM-16 | Cyclops | Dan 16 | Darling-16 | Doryu 2-16 | Fujica 16mm SLR | Gemmy | Glico Pistol | Konan-16 Automat | Mamiya 16 Automatic | Mica Automat | Micta | Minolta-16 | Minolta-16 EE | Minolta-16 EE II | Minolta-16 MG | Minolta-16 MG-S | Minolta-16 P | Minolta-16 Ps | Minolta 16 QT | Mycro Super 16 | Mykro Fine Color 16 | Nice | Nikon 16 | Poppy | Ramera | Ricoh 16 | Ricoreo 16 | Rubina | Rubix | Seiki 16 | Seiki 16 (pistol) | Shaty 16 | Sonocon 16 | Spy 16 | Steky | Golden Steky | Teleca | Viscawide-16 | Yashica Y16 | Yashica 16 EE | Zany | Zuman Super 16 | Zunow Z16
unknown Matchbox camera
17.5mm film Arrow | Baby Flex | Baby-Max | Barlux | Beauty 14 | Bell 14 | Blondy | Baby Colon | Comex | Corona | Croma Color 16 | Epochs | Fuji Kozet | Gamma | Gem 16 | Gemflex | Glico Lighter | Halmat | Hit | Hit-II | Hit-type | Hobby 16 | Homer No.1 | Homer 16 | Honey | Hope | Jenic | Kiku 16 | Kent | Kolt | Kute | Lovely | Mascot | Meteor | Micky | Midget | Mighty | Mini | Moment | Mycro | Myracle | Nikkobaby | Peace | Peace Baby Flex | Peace Small Lef | Pet | Petit | Petty | Prince 16-A | Prince Ruby | Robin | New Rocket | Rubina | Rubix | Saga 16 | Saica | Septon Pen | Sholy-Flex | Snappy | Spy-14 | Sun | Sun B | Sun 16 | Sweet 16 | Tacker | Takka | Tone | Top Camera | Toyoca 16 | Toyoca Ace | Tsubame | Vesta | Vista | Vestkam
20mm film Guzzi | Mycroflex | Top
round film Evarax | Petal | Sakura Petal | Star
unknown Hallow | Lyravit | Tsubasa
110 film see Japanese 110 film

The New Rocket is a Japanese subminiature camera taking ten 14×14mm exposures on 17.5mm paper backed rollfilm, made in the late 1940s or early 1950s by Tōkyō Seiki and perhaps by a Rocket Camera Co.

Description

The New Rocket is slightly better made than the average Hit-type camera. The top housing was obviously copied on that of the New Midget. (The manufacturer Tōkyō Seiki would later ape other makers' designs with the Doris, inspired by the Pearl, and the Condor, styled after the Nikon S2.) The film is advanced by a knob on the photographer's left. The back is hinged to the left and has a spring-loaded latch. The red window is protected by a sliding cover. The lens is a Rocket 20mm f/4.5, with a fixed aperture. The self-cocking shutter only gives instant exposures. The camera is identified by the name NEW Rocket engraved above the viewfinder — this name itself was obviously patterned after "New Midget".

Variations

Variations are known in the design of the shutter plate. Some examples have a clear shutter plate with the name ROCKET in red letters at the top, and the company name TŌKYŌ SEIKI Co., LTD. in black letters at the bottom.[1] Others have the company name ROCKET CAMERA CO., LTD. instead.[2] All these have the engraving ROCKET 1:4.5 F=20mm on the lens rim. Some have a gold instead of chrome finish on the metal parts.[3]

Yet other examples a black shutter plate, inscribed NEW at the top and ROCKET at the bottom, with no mention of a company name.[4] These have a slightly different shutter casing and lens rim, engraved Rocket Anastigmat 1:4.5 with no mention of the focal length.

Attribution

The attribution of the New Rocket to Tōkyō Seiki is near certain. This company is known to have changed its name at various times, becoming Doris Camera, then Condor Camera in the 1950s. Before 1945, it was called Motodori (certainly after its founder's name), and used many dummy names mimicking the names of its products, such as "Victor Camera Works" or "Condor Camera Works" after the Victor and Condor folders. The name "Rocket Camera Co., Ltd." found on some examples of the camera might be one such dummy name, or might be the name of the importer of the camera into the United States.

Notes

  1. Example pictured in McKeown, p.844.
  2. Example pictured in this page at submin.com.
  3. Example pictured in this page at submin.com.
  4. Examples pictured in Sugiyama, item 5124, and in this page at submin.com.

Bibliography

The New Rocket is not listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi.

Links

In English: