Difference between revisions of "Olympus Chrome Six"

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In German:
 
In German:
* Pages within [http://olypedia.de/Hauptseite Olypedia], a German-language wiki about Olympus: [http://olypedia.de/SEMI_1._Modell Semi Olympus], [http://olypedia.de/SEMI_2._Modell Semi Olympus II], [http://olypedia.de/SIX Olympus Six], [http://olypedia.de/CHROME_SIX_I Chrome Six I], [http://olypedia.de/CHROME_SIX_II Chrome Six II], [http://olypedia.de/Chrome_SIX_III Chrome Six III], [http://olypedia.de/CHROME_SIX_IVa Chrome Six IV A], [http://olypedia.de/CHROME_SIX_IVb Chrome Six IV B], [http://olypedia.de/CHROME_SIX_Va Chrome Six V A], [http://olypedia.de/CHROME_SIX_Vb Chrome Six V B]
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* Pages within [http://olypedia.de/Hauptseite Olypedia], a German-language wiki about Olympus: [http://olypedia.de/CHROME_SIX_I Chrome Six I], [http://olypedia.de/CHROME_SIX_II Chrome Six II], [http://olypedia.de/Chrome_SIX_III Chrome Six III], [http://olypedia.de/CHROME_SIX_IVa Chrome Six IV A], [http://olypedia.de/CHROME_SIX_IVb Chrome Six IV B], [http://olypedia.de/CHROME_SIX_Va Chrome Six V A], [http://olypedia.de/CHROME_SIX_Vb Chrome Six V B]
  
 
In Japanese:
 
In Japanese:

Revision as of 18:42, 24 November 2007

Olympus Chrome Six I / II / III

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.[1]

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.[2]
  • Olympus Zuiko C. 1:3.5 f=7.5cm with black C.[3]
  • 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[4] 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[5] 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.[6]

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.[7] 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

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[8] and the other has a 1/300 top speed.[9] 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.

Notes

  1. The chronology at the Olympus corporate site says it was equipped with the film surface stabilizer, which is certainly a confusion with the next Chrome Six III model.
  2. See here.
  3. See here.
  4. Observed in an online auction, with "Nov 13, 1951" handwritten on it.
  5. Available here at butkus.org.
  6. A guarantee card dated Aug 20th, 1952 has been observed with a Chrome Six IIIA at an eBay auction.
  7. As indicated in a brochure for the Chrome Six RII available at the Olympus corporate site.
  8. See here and the pictures displayed above.
  9. See here.

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Olympus Classic Cameras
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