Okada and Daiichi

Daiichi was a Japanese camera maker. It made the Primo 4.5×6 folders during the war. After the war, it made the Zenobia series of 4.5×6 folders and the Zenobiaflex 6×6 TLR. It also made a preseries of Leica copies, called Ichicon or Ichicon 35 depending on the source. According to Nekosan, they were related to the Honor, were only made at preseries level and some were called Zenobia 35.

Some sources say that Daiichi is related to Okada, and attribute some of the Waltax models to Daiichi.

An ad in the 23/12/1942 issue of Asahi Graph (visible in this page) for the Primo 4.5×6 folder shows the company name Daiichi Kikō K.K. (第一機工株式会社), together with the distributor's name Ōsawa Shōkai (大澤商會).

A 1954 ad (visible in this page, posted 2005/4/15) for the Zenobia and Zenobiaflex shows Daiichi's full name Daiichi Kōgaku K.K. (第一光学株式会社), side by side with the distributor's name Hattori Tokei-ten (服部時計店, Hattori Watch Shop). This ad shows pictures of the production steps, but does not give any price or version name.

120 film

4.5×6 folders

• Primo I and II
• Zenobia
• Zenobia R, with uncoupled rangefinder

6×6 TLR

• Zenobiaflex

35mm film

• Ichicon or Ichicon 35 or Zenobia 35

Links

In Japanese:

• A page by Nekosan about the Honor explains the Ichicon and Zenobia 35 story
• Zenobia R page at La Chambre Claire
• Japanese prewar and wartime ads, including the Primo
• Japanese postwar ads, mostly from 1954