Olympus Chrome Six

Olympus Chrome Six I / II / III

Olympus Chrome Six II, Zuiko C. 7.5cm f/2.8 lens, Copal shutter to 1/200 Pictures courtesy of eBayer planet4sale. (Image rights)

In 1948 the Olympus Chrome Six I introduced a diecast body, a chrome top plate, an accessory shoe and a rigid optical finder. It had a Zuiko 7.5cm f:3.5 lens and a Copal 1–200, B, T shutter. It still had the ability to take pictures in 4.5×6 format with a mask. Inside the finder a blue filter distinguished the 4.5×6 picture frame. There was also a vertical parallax index. The body was only marked Olympus Six on the top plate, with Olympus-Six embossed in the back. All the following models shared these markings, which today often cause confusion.

The Chrome Six II, also released in 1948, was the same camera with a Zuiko 7.5cm f:2.8 lens.

The Chrome Six I and II progressively evolved during their production run. The very first examples had a low accessory shoe made of sheet metal, soon changed for a higher diecast part (usually said to be the distinguishing feature of the Chrome Six III, but see below). At about the same time, the shutter's distant release connector disappeared and the lens became coated. A little after, the aperture command was changed from a small index to a longer one.

The shutter was later changed from the unsynchronized Copal 1–200, B, T to the synchronized Copal B, 1–200, marked S.COPAL on top, called Synchro-Copal in the manuals. The sync connector was of the ASA bayonet type. Three examples have been observed of a synchronized Copal 1–200, B, T shutter, not marked S.COPAL. The three of them were different. One had a PC type connector on the left, another had an ASA bayonet connector on the top left and the third one had an ASA connector on the top right like the later Synchro-Copal. It is not known if these were original fittings.

At some time the advance knob slightly evolved too, from a model with flat top and an arrow engraved (in two successive shapes) to a model with no arrow and a somewhat recessed top.

During this period, the lens markings evolved too, from Takatiho Tokyo Zuiko on the early lenses to Olympus Zuiko F.C. on the late lenses. The transition from Takatiho to Olympus probably occurred in 1949 with the company's name change. It apparently occurred together with the adoption of lens coating. Here are the observed lens markings for the f:3.5 lens, ordered by ascending lens number:

• Takatiho Tokyo Zuiko 1:3.5 f=7.5cm
• Olympus Zuiko Coated 1:3.5 f=7.5cm
• Olympus Zuiko C. 1:3.5 f=7.5cm with red C.
• Olympus Zuiko C. 1:3.5 f=7.5cm with black C.
• Olympus Zuiko F.C. 1:3.5 f=7.5cm

Similar markings have been observed for the f:2.8 lens, all written in white on a black lens bezel.

It is usually said that the changes distinguishing the next Chrome Six III model from the previous Chrome Six I and II were the bigger diecast accessory shoe, the synchronized shutter with B, 1–200 speeds and the film reminder. However an English user manual for the Olympus Chrome Six presents a model with big accessory shoe, Synchro-Copal shutter and coated lens but no film reminder, and calls it "Model I coated Zuiko 1:3.5 f=7.5cm" and "Model II coated Zuiko 1:2.8 f=7.5cm". In contrast the user manual of the Chrome Six III presents a camera with a film reminder and a device called "film plane corrector", located underneath the film reminder according to one of the pictures. The purpose of this device was apparently to tension the film to enhance the film flatness. The manual of the Chrome Six III emphasizes the film plane corrector as the main innovation of the new model. It is probable but not certain that the cameras without film reminder did not have the film plane corrector either, and were sold as Chrome Six I or II. The external distinguishing features of the Chrome Six III would be the film reminder and a slightly higher release button.

The Chrome Six III exists in two variants, the Chrome Six III A with the Olympus Zuiko F.C. f:3.5 lens and the Chrome Six III B with the Olympus Zuiko F.C. f:2.8 lens. Both lenses are called "Zuiko Full Coated" in the manual. The Chrome Six III appeared in 1951 or 1952.

Olympus Chrome Six III A, D.Zuiko F.C. 7.5cm f/3.5 lens no. 134410, Copal shutter to 1/200.
Picture courtesy of M. Walters. (Image rights)

At some point during the production of the Chrome Six III, the f:3.5 lens became an Olympus D.Zuiko F.C. It was a recomputed lens design, with new lens glass. The new name indicated that the lens had four elements, D being the fourth letter in the alphabet. This lens was apparently numbered in its own sequence, with numbers starting from 100000. All the later Chrome Six models with f:3.5 lens had the same D.Zuiko F.C.

Olympus Chrome Six IV or RI

The Chrome Six IV A and Chrome Six IV B from 1954 had an uncoupled rangefinder added under a top housing, and combined with the viewfinder. You had to find the distance with a knob at the back left, then adjust the front lens ring accordingly. The film reminder was the same as for the Chrome Six III, but the release button was shorter. The IV A variant had the D.Zuiko F.C. f:3.5 lens and the IV B had the Zuiko F.C. f:2.8 lens. It is said that the IV A model was sometimes called Chrome Six RI A. Probably the IV B was also called Chrome Six RI B. "RI" presumably means "Rangefinder model I". The chronology at the Olympus corporate site presents the IV A and the RI A as separate models, both from 1954, but it is not very reliable.

Olympus Chrome Six V

The Chrome Six V A and Chrome Six V B from 1955 had a new body integrating a sleekly designed top housing. It is said that they were the first Olympus cameras designed by a specialized design staff. The top housing contained the optical finder, a recessed accessory shoe and a pyramidal release button. The opening button was now on the top of the front door. The advance knob was replaced by an advance lever at the back left. It needed six strokes to advance one exposure. On the back there was also a lever to switch a reducing mask built in the finder for the 4.5×6 format. The back door was no more embossed OLYMPUS-SIX, there was an Olympus logo instead.

The V A had the D.Zuiko F.C. f:3.5 lens and the V B had the Zuiko F.C. f:2.8 lens. The shutter housing differed somewhat from the earlier versions: the depth of field scale and the aperture scale were chromed instead of black, the sync post was now of the standard PC type and there was a distant release connection. A V B has been observed with 1/300 top speed.

Olympus Chrome Six RII

Olympus Chrome Six RII A, D-Zuiko F.C. 75mm f:3.5 lens, Copal shutter to 1/200 (hybrid variant with the old body and old release button but the new folding bed and new shutter housing). Pictures courtesy of eBayer Johnnyapg. (Image rights)

The Chrome Six RII had an uncoupled rangefinder and was also released in 1955. "RII" presumably means "Rangefinder model II". It was sold as Chrome Six RII A with the D.Zuiko F.C. f:3.5 lens and Chrome Six RII B with the Zuiko F.C. f:2.8 lens.

Both models existed in two variants. One of the variants had the same body and shutter housing as the Chrome Six V. The other variant inherited the body and shutter housing of the previous Chrome Six models I to IV, with a top housing styled like the Chrome Six V, including the lever advance mechanism. The opening button was on the top plate and the release button was of the old traditional style. John Foster suggests that Olympus made this variant to dispose of the remaining stock parts. Three hybrid examples have been observed combining the old body with the new folding bed (integrating the opening button) and the new shutter housing. Two of these hybrids have the usual 1/200 top speed and the other has a 1/300 top speed. Francesch says that the top speed upgrade to 1/300 took place in 1956.

A brochure for the Chrome Six RII is available at the Olympus corporate site (see the links below). The cameras pictured are of the old variant. The brochure describes a device meant to correct the focus setting according to the aperture. It says that the focus distance varies in the lenses with the Tessar formula, and that Olympus was the first camera maker to take it into account. Apparently this device was simply a line traced under each distance number, indicating the focus correction for f:8 and f:5.6 apertures.

The V and RII were the last Olympus folders. In 1957 Olympus had abandoned the 6×6 folders and the 6×6 TLRs and were making 35mm models only.

Bibliography

• Advertisement for the Semi Olympus (I): Asahi Camera June 1937, p. A65.
• Advertisements for the Semi Olympus II: Asahi Camera October 1937, p. A59; November 1937, p. A54; December 1937, p. A52; January 1938, p. A54; February 1938, p. A42; March 1938, p. A52; April 1938, p. A50; May 1938, p. A52; June 1938, p. A50; September 1938, p. A46; January 1939, p. A55.
• 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. Items 37–40 and 440–50.
• Francesch, Dominique and Jean-Paul. Histoire de l'appareil photographique Olympus de 1936 à 1983. Paris: Dessain et Tolra, 1985. ISBN 2-249-27679-X.
• Fujishima Kōichi (藤島広一). "Shattā ni yoru nendai shibetsu" (シャッターによる年代識別, Dating a camera from its shutter). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.8, September 1986. No ISBN number. Supuringu kamera (スプリングカメラ, special issue on spring cameras). Pp.21–4.
• Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Kōkoku kara miru Orinpasu kamera no nagare" (広告から見るオリンパスカメラの流れ, "Olympus camera history seen through the advertisements"). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no. 20, 25 March 1992. No ISBN number. Orinpasu no subete (オリンパスのすべて, special issue on Olympus). Pp. 10–1.
• Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Orinpasu kamera no subete 1: supuringu kamera <senzen-hen>" (オリンパスカメラのすべて1・スプリングカメラ戦前編, "All of Olympus cameras 1: folding cameras [prewar]"). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no. 20, 25 March 1992. No ISBN number. Orinpasu no subete (オリンパスのすべて, special issue on Olympus). Pp. 13–5.
• Hibi Takashi (日比孝). "Nihon no supuringu kamera: Orinpasu" (日本のスプリングカメラ・オリンパス, "Japanese folding cameras: Olympus"). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.8, September 1986. No ISBN number. Supuringu kamera (スプリングカメラ, special issue on spring cameras). Pp. 62–5.
• "Kamera no kōtei kakaku kanpō happyō" (カメラの公定価格官報発表, Official announcement of the set prices of the cameras), November 1941. Extract of a table listing Japanese camera production and setting the retail prices, reproduced in "Bebī Semi Fāsuto 'Kore ha bebī wo nanotta semi-ki da'" (ベビーセミファースト"これはベビーを名乗ったセミ機だ", Baby Semi First, 'this is a Semi camera called Baby'), an article by Furukawa Yasuo (古川保男) in Camera Collectors' News no. 277 (July 2000). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. P. 27. Type 3, section 6B.
• Kamera no mekanizumu sono I: "Hai! Chīzu" Shunkan o torae-tsuzukeru shattā-ten (カメラのメカニズム・そのⅠ・「ハイ！チーズ」瞬間をとらえ続けるシャッター展, Camera mechanism, part 1 "Cheese!" Exhibition of instant taking shutters). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 2002. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number)
• Kawamata Masataku (川又正卓). Olympus Chrome Six II. In Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no shōkai to tsukaikata (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の紹介と使い方, Let's try spring cameras: The use of and actual examples from 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4-87956-072-3. Pp. 114–5. (The displayed camera is actually a Chrome Six IIIB.)
• "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" (国産写真機ノ現状調査, Inquiry into Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of April 1943. Reproduced in Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no shōkai to tsukaikata (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の紹介と使い方, Let's try spring cameras: Presentation and use of 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4-87956-072-3. Pp.180–7. Items 29–30 and 86–7.
• Template:Kakaku1940 Type 3, section 6B; type 4, sections 5B and 6B.
• 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), 0-935398-16-3 (hard). Pp. 53, 60, 63, 73, 74.
• Maitani Yoshihisa (米谷美久). "Kamera-zukuri he no bōken" (カメラ創りへの冒険, "Venturing into camera production"). Volume 1 of Haikei — Sekkeisha yori (拝啓・設計者より, "Dear Sir, from the designer"). Published in the Zuiko Club website, belonging to the Olympus Imaging Corp.
• Matsuzaki Sōichirō (松崎惣一郎). "Orinpasu kamera no subete 2: supuringu kamera <sengo-hen>" (オリンパスカメラのすべて2・スプリングカメラ戦後編, "All of Olympus cameras 2: folding cameras [postwar]"). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no. 20, 25 March 1992. No ISBN number. Orinpasu no subete (オリンパスのすべて, special issue on Olympus). Pp. 16–8.
• Matsuzaki Sōichirō (松崎惣一郎). "'Orinpasu kurōmu shikkusu' to sono koto domo" (「オリンパスクロームシックス」とその周辺のことども, "About the 'Olympus Chrome Six'"). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.76, June 2005. ISBN 4-257-13078-4. Kurashikku kamera katachi to kinō 'supuringu kamera hen' (クラシックカメラ形と機能「スプリングカメラ編」, special issue on spring cameras). Pp. 28–31.
• 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). Pp. 747–8.
• Omoide no supuringu-kamera-ten (思い出のスプリングカメラ展, Exhibition of beloved self-erecting cameras). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 1992. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number.) P. 23.
• Orinpasu-ten — oputo-dejitaru-tekunolojī no kiseki (オリンパス展・オプトデジタルテクノロジーの軌跡, Olympus exhibition, the tracks of opto-digital technology). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 2005. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number.)
• Sakai Shūichi (酒井修一). "Orinpasu no rekishi" (オリンパスの歴史, "History of Olympus"). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no. 20, 25 March 1992. No ISBN number. Orinpasu no subete (オリンパスのすべて, special issue on Olympus). Pp. 6–9.
• 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 1213–7 and 1370–9.
• "Zadankai: Orinpasu no michi" (座談会・オリンパスの道, "Conversation: the way of Olympus"). Interview of Sakurai Eiichi (桜井栄一), Maitani Yoshihisa (米谷美久) and Kawazoe Mitsuo (河添光男), by Saeki Kakugorō (佐伯恪五郎). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no. 20, 25 March 1992. No ISBN number. Orinpasu no subete (オリンパスのすべて, special issue on Olympus). Pp. 64–71.

Links

General links

In English:

• Medium-format cameras, chronology and wallpapers in the Olympus official website
• Olympus folders' page at John Foster's site
• Chrome Six I at Michel Guillemette's Caméra de Collection
• Chrome Six IV A in English and in Japanese in Mediajoy's guide to classic cameras, with its operation described in pictures (For either language option, keep following the "next" link at the foot of the page)
• Chrome Six RII A (presented as a IV A) at Cosmonet's classic camera site,
• Chrome Six RII B in English and in Japanese, at Takahara Minoru's site
• Chrome Six Website by François Rossi

In German:

• Pages within Olypedia, a German-language wiki about Olympus: Semi Olympus, Semi Olympus II, Olympus Six, Chrome Six I, Chrome Six II, Chrome Six III, Chrome Six IV A, Chrome Six IV B, Chrome Six V A, Chrome Six V B

In Japanese:

• Semi models and Six and Chrome Six models at the Olympus history pages of the Olympus Photo Club website. (The information there seems to be based on the article by Hibi in Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 8. Many pictures are misidentified.)
• Chrome Six at Japan Family Camera (some photographs, no text)
• Chrome Six III A at 415 Foto, text in Japanese, some photographs
• Chrome Six III B and Chrome Six V at the Ichirizuka site by Madam-san: photographs, explanatory text in Japanese, and sample taken by the Chrome Six V.
• Chrome Six III A at Yokky's Triplet House: photograph, text in Japanese, samples taken by the Chrome Six
• Chrome Six III A at Otowa no nigan-refu
• Chrome Six III B at Shoko's Hana no shashin homepage: small photograph, text in Japanese, samples taken by the Chrome Six
• Chrome Six III B at Tetra
• Chrome Six III B in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology: poor photograph and minimal text (in Japanese), notable for demonstrating that this camera is in the collection of JCII
• Chrome Six III A at doraDD's clacamera blog
• Chrome Six IV B at a page of the All Japan Classic Camera Club: one photograph and minimal text in Japanese, within a page about many folders
• Chrome Six V B and lens specs at ksmt.com: photographs and minimal text in Japanese
• There is a Chrome Six RII A in the Zeppan Tōsan photo site. The page cannot be accessed by a direct link: follow the link marked "武器庫" in the page menu, then the link marked "オリンパス　クロームシックスRIIA" in the next menu.

In Chinese:

• Olympus Six with an unknown shutter (T, B, 1–250) and Chrome Six RII A, you can enlarge the picture by clicking on it.

Literature and advertisements

In English:

• Instruction manual for the Chrome Six III at butkus.org

In Japanese:

• Advertisements for the Semi Olympus II published in the September 1938 issue of Asahi Camera and in the 8 February 1939 issue of Asahi Graph, reproduced in the Japanese camera page of the Gochamaze website
• Advertisement for the Semi Olympus II published in the October 1939 issue of Asahi Camera, reproduced in a page of camera advertisements at the Heiki Seikatsu website
• Advertisement for the Olympus Six dated between 1942 and 1945, reproduced in Nostalgic Camera, a page of old Japanese advertisements by Toshio Inamura
• Brochures reproduced (in pdf format) in the medium format page of the Olympus corporate site and in this page of the Zuiko Club:
  • brochure of the Semi Olympus II dated 1937
  • brochure of the Olympus Six
  • brochure of the Chrome Six RII: part 1 and part 2

Repairs and technical info

In Japanese:

• Repair notes of a Chrome Six V A and a Chrome Six V B at Kan's Room
• An odd home-made camera based on a Chrome Six V body with a Copal #1 shutter and a Nikkor lens, at the Japan Handmade Camera Club