Nifcarette

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The Nifcarette (ニフカレッテ) is a Japanese 4×6.5 folding camera, made by Nichidoku Shashinki Shōten (the later Minolta) from 1929.

Origin

The Nifcarette was the first camera made by Nichidoku. It is said that the first example was completed in March 1929.[1] To design the camera, Tashima Kazuo, the founder of the company, was helped by the German engineers Billy Neumann and Willy Heilemann (who later founded Neumann & Heilemann). Billy Neumann previously worked for Krauss and the Nifcarette was inspired from the Rollette made by this company. The lens and shutter were imported from Germany and only the body was made in Japan.

Name

"Nifca" comes from Nichidoku Foto Camera.[2] Nichi in Nichidoku means Japan, and it is certainly not coincidental that "Nifca" can also be read as Nippon Foto Camera.

The name Nifcarette was certainly inspired by the names of some German cameras of the time, like the Icarette, Cocarette and Rollette, as well as the Japanese Pearlette.

The Roman spelling appearing on the advertisements and on the camera itself is "Nifcarette".[3] Nifcarette was thus the Roman name used by Nichidoku at the time, and it is used throughout this article. The camera is often called "Nifcalette" by mistake. It would be written and pronounced the same in Japanese, and the name "Nifcalette" is probably the result of an old translation mistake, occurred during the redaction of an early company history after 1945.

General description

The Nifcarette is a vertical folder, taking 4×6.5cm exposures on 127 film. It is not self-erecting: the front standard needs to be manually pulled out after opening the bed. There is a brilliant finder attached to the front standard, and sometimes a folding frame finder too. There is a winding key at the top right (as seen by a photographer holding the camera vertically) and the film advance is controlled by a single uncovered red window in the middle of the back.

The side plate and the film chamber with the bellows assembly and spool holders probably slides out of the body shell when the camera is opened, like on the Krauss Rollette. The camera is probably locked in closed position by the small button that is visible on one side of the body.

The name Nifcarette is embossed in the leather covering on the folding bed.[4]

Versions

The Nifcarette was offered in at least three body versions, called A, B and D. It is not known if there was a model C. An anonymous Japanese source reproduced in Tanimura[5] gives the following list of lens and shutter combinations, probably corresponding to the advertised variants:

  • Xenar f/4.5, Compur;
  • Wekar Double Anastigmat f/4.5, Compur;
  • Wekar Anastigmat f/4.5, Ibsor;
  • Wekar Anastigmat f/6.3, Ibsor;
  • Wekar Anastigmat f/6.3, Pronto;
  • Aplanat f/8, Pronto;
  • Aplanat f/8, Vario.

The documents observed so far are insufficient to assign these combinations precisely to the body versions. Of course the most expensive combinations tended to be mounted on the most sophisticated Nifcarette A, and the cheapest on the simpler Nifcarette D. Only six different Nifcarette cameras have been observed so far, in the three body versions, in addition to one example of the Sirius Bebe.

The Nifcarette A

The Nifcarette A has a focusing worm-screw on the right of the folding bed, moving the lens standard back and forth on precisely machined rails. There are two handles at the bottom of the lens standard to pull it out after opening the folding bed. The body edges have a metal finish and there is no frame finder.

This model appears in an advertisement dated May 1930[6] where it is precisely called Nifcarette Model A (ニフカレッテ・モデルA). The advertising picture is heavily retouched and it is reproduced alone in Scheibel and Lewis.[7] It depicts an example with a Schneider Xenar 7.5cm f/4.5 lens and a rim-set Compur shutter giving T, B, 1–300 speeds. The bottom of the lens standard is written Nifca and 1370 (certainly the serial number). It is said that the price of the Xenar version was ¥75 in 1929 and ¥90 in 1930.[8]

The only surviving example of the Nifcarette A observed so far is pictured in Awano.[9] The lens seems to be a Wekar Anastigmat f/6.3 and the shutter is a dial-set Pronto. The serial number is perhaps 1404, engraved at the same place as on the advertising picture.

The Nifcarette B

The Nifcarette B has a focusing lever on the right instead of the worm-screw. The focusing rails are simpler and made of folded sheet metal. The front standard is pulled out by two pins.

This model appears in an advertisement dated September 1930[10] where it is called Nifcarette B (ニフカレッテB型). This advertisement gives a choice of two shutters: Pronto and Ibsor. The advertising picture shows metal body edges and a wireframe finder in addition to the brilliant finder. The same picture still appears in an advertisement dated January 1931.[11]

Three actual examples have been observed. One is pictured in Francesch and Sugiyama and in this page of the Konica Minolta website.[12] This example belonged to the Minolta Gallery in the 1980s[13] and it is certainly the one that was displayed in the JCII exhibition about Konica and Minolta in 2005. Today (2007) it is probably the property of Konica Minolta or Sony. It has a Wekar[14] Anastigmat 75mm f/6.3 lens (Nr.3782), probably made by Kenngott but not engraved as such, and a dial-set Pronto shutter giving 25, 50, 100, B, T speeds and sporting an AGC logo. The bottom of the lens standard is written Nifca and 3774. This example has metal finished body edges and a folding frame finder, similar to the advertising picture. The frame finder consists of a wireframe attached to the front standard and a simple retractable eyepiece.

The second example, sold in 2007 in an online auction, is extremely similar. It also has metal body edges, the wireframe finder and a Pronto shutter. The lens seems to be inscribed W. Kenngott Stuttgart and the aperture is perhaps f/6.3, but the pictures of the auction were hardly legible. The camera also has the Nifca nameplate, perhaps with serial number 30xx.

Another example is pictured in Francesch, Scheibel, McKeown and Baird.[15] It has a Heliostar Anastigmat München 75mm f/6.3 lens (Nr 75004) and a dial-set Koilos shutter giving 25, 50, 100, B, T speeds. The shutter plate is written Nifca Photo. The nameplate with the serial number is absent, perhaps because it is missing: a hole is visible that was probably intended for the attaching screw. This example has black body edges and a different advance key.

The Nifcarette D

The Nifcarette D has a simpler lens standard, moved back and forth by hand for focusing. There is an index on the left, moving along a distance scale. It is said that the cheapest variant with Vario shutter cost ¥18.[16]

One example is pictured in this page at Yone Lab, with no frame finder and metal body edges. The advance key differs from the other examples observed. The shutter is a dial-set Pronto giving T, B, 100, 50, 25 speeds. The lens has f/8 to f/32 aperture settings and is reportedly engraved "Wekar-Aplanat". The camera has the Nifca nameplate with body n°5019.

Another example is pictured in Francesch and Sugiyama.[17] It has a dial-set Vario shutter giving 25, 50, 100, B, T speeds and it is reported to have an Aplanat 75mm f/8 lens. The body edges are black painted. The bottom of the lens standard is rougher than on the other examples and is left in plain metal finish.

The Sirius Bebe

It seems that the Nifcarette was renamed Sirius Bebe (シリウスベベ) after the company changed its name from Nichidoku Shashinki Shōten to Molta Gōshi-gaisha in 1931.[18] Only one example has been observed so far, pictured in Awano.[19] It has a dial-set Compur shutter and black painted body edges. It seems that the advance key is replaced by a knob. A folding frame finder is attached to the side plate but it is probably not original: it has two bars for 3×4cm format and a clamp is visible to attach a wireframe at the side of the lens standard.

Notes

  1. ↑ Awano, p.6 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.12.
  2. ↑ See Francesch, p.17, and the Nifcarette page of the Konica Minolta website.
  3. ↑ Advertisements reproduced in Hagiya, p.9 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.12. Embossing in the leather covering of the Nifcarette D pictured in this page at Yone Lab.
  4. ↑ See the third picture in this page of the Yone Lab website.
  5. ↑ Minolta chronology published in Shashin Kōgyō no.77, reproduced in Tanimura, p.7 of Camera Collectors' News no.116.
  6. ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera May 1930, reproduced in Hagiya, p.9 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.12.
  7. ↑ Scheibel, p.8, Lewis, p.49.
  8. ↑ Awano, p.6 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.12.
  9. ↑ Awano, p.13 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.12. Francesch, p.68, wrongly identifies the surviving example with Heliostar and Koilos as a Nifcarette A.
  10. ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera May 1930, reproduced in Hagiya, p.9 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.12.
  11. ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera January 1931, reproduced in Awano, p.6 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.12.
  12. ↑ Francesch, p.68 and cover page, Sugiyama, item 1180. Also pictured in this page at kefk.net and in this page at Manual Minolta.
  13. ↑ According to Sugiyama, item 1180.
  14. ↑ Sugiyama, item 1180, says "Weker" but this is a typo.
  15. ↑ Francesch, p.68, Scheibel, p.8 and cover page, McKeown, p.671, Baird, p.39. Also pictured in this page at Infocam. Francesch says that it is a Nifcarette A but this is a mistake.
  16. ↑ Scheibel, p.9.
  17. ↑ Francesch, p.28, Sugiyama, item 1179.
  18. ↑ Awano, p.6 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.12.
  19. ↑ Awano, p.13 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.12.

Bibliography

Links

In English:

In German:

In Japanese:

In Korean:

In Chinese:


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