Nishida

Nishida is a Japanese camera maker that was active from at least 1941. Its full name was Nishida Kōgaku Kikai Seisakusho (西田光学器械製作所) and later Nishida Kōgaku Kōgyō K.K. (西田光学工業株式会社). This Japanese page says that it was the maker of the NKK shutters.

The name "Nishida" consists of two parts: nishi, meaning "west"; and ta, whose pronunciation many Japanese people find distinguishable from the "ter" sound of English "after". Thus the name "Wester" for Nishida's products: "west" from nishi, and "ter" from ta.

Nishida Kōgaku went bankrupt in January 1958.

Nishida cameras

120 film

6×6 folders

• Wester Model II
• Wester Chrome Six
• Wester Chrome Six R
• Super Wester
• Wester S2
• Wester Autorol

4.5×6 folders

• Wester or Semi Wester

McKeown lists the Mikado Semi 4.5×6 folding camera under both Nishida and Sumida, but a page of the AJCC attributes it to the latter, and a picture of the back of a Mikado shows a plate marked SUMIDA OPTICAL WORKS. The Asahi Camera collection similarly describes the Apollo II as by both Nishida and Sumida.

35mm film

• Auto West

Other cameras with lenses by Nishida

• Apollo II

References / further reading

• 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.
• 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) ISBN 0-935398-16-3 (hard) (Source for bankruptcy.)