Olympus Chrome Six

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Japanese Six (6×6)
Postwar models (edit)
folding
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rigid or collapsible
Dia Six | Ehira Chrome Six | Enon Six | Flora | Flashline | Fujipet | Harmony | Mikono-6 | Orion | Ponix | Rich-Ray-6 | Shumy | Weha Chrome Six
Japanese 6×6 TLR, pseudo TLR and medium format SLR ->
Japanese Semi (4.5×6) and older 6×9 ->
This is a work in progress.

The Olympus Chrome Six is a series of dual-format folders, taking 6×6cm and 4.5×6cm exposures, made by Takachiho and later Olympus from 1948 to 1956.

Common features

The Olympus Chrome Six are horizontal folders, whose design is essentially an evolution of the previous Olympus Six. Unlike the latter, the Chrome Six has a wholly diecast construction. The body casting introduced with the Chrome Six I was used on the subsequent models up to the Chrome Six IV and early RII, and was replaced by a newer casting on the Chrome Six V and late RII. The folding struts look the same as on the Semi Olympus II and Olympus Six, and were originally inspired from the Balda products.

All the models have the ability to take 4.5×6cm pictures using a mask. The back is hinged to the right and contains two red windows, one for each format, protected by horizontally sliding covers inscribed 4.5X6 and 6X6. The bottom of the camera has two film flanges and a tripod attachment in the middle.

None of the Olympus Chrome Six is marked as such, and the inscriptions on the camera identify it as an "Olympus Six" instead. The name "Olympus Chrome Six" and the various model numbers only appear in the advertising material and user documentation.

All the models have front-cell focusing 75mm Zuiko lenses, with four elements in three groups and either f/3.5 or f/2.8 aperture. They have a Copal shutter except for some very early cameras.

The Olympus Chrome Six I, II and II

General description

The Olympus Chrome Six I, II and III have a flat all-chrome top plate. There is a tubular finder in the middle, with parallax indications and translucid blue strips showing the field of view for 4.5×6cm exposures. The advance knob is at the left end, as seen by the photographer. There is an accessory shoe to the left of the viewfinder, with the folding bed release just in front of it. The shutter release is on the ususal location on the right. The top plate is engraved Olympus Six and has the serial number on the right of the viewfinder. The name OLYMPUS–SIX is also embossed in the back covering, under the red windows.

On all the cameras, the aperture scale is situated above the shutter casing, and the shutter plate is black with depth-of-field indications at the top. The f/3.5 lens has a silver bezel with black markings and the f/2.8 lens has a black bezel with white markings.

Released in 1948

The Olympus Chrome Six I has a Zuiko 7.5cm f/3.5 lens and was released in 1948. Advertisements for the Olympus Six in the May to July 1948 issues of Ars Camera show a camera looking like the Chrome Six. Only the bottom part of the illustration is an original picture, showing an Olympus Six or Chrome Six with a Wester N.S.D. or Copal shutter, whereas the top part is a drawing of the Chrome Six top plate.[1] In the text, the camera is called Olympus Six, the lens is described as a Zuiko f/3.5 and the shutter as a Koho (1–200, B, T). When these advertisements were published, the Chrome Six was either already available for sale or at an advanced development stage.

The Olympus Chrome Six II was released the same year 1948 — one source specifies October.[2] It only differs by the Zuiko 7.5cm f/2.8 lens, which was newly developed for this camera.[3] The Chrome Six I and II evolved in parallel until the release of the model III.

All the Chrome Six I and II have a low film flange at the right end of the top plate, as seen by the photographer, and a release button surrounded by a small milled ring.

Early examples, uncoated lens

The early Chrome Six I and II are distinguished by the low accessory shoe made of sheet metal. They also have thin folding struts, with a small rivet at the articulation. There is an apparent spring under the folding bed release, and an arrow on the advance knob indicating the turning direction.

The earliest cameras have an uncoated lens, engraved Zuiko 1:3.5 f=7.5cm Takatiho Tokyo No.xxxxx (or 1:2.8). "Takatiho" is a transcription of Takachiho, the name of the Olympus company at the time. The known lens numbers for the uncoated lenses are in the 32xxx to 34xxx range; the same sequence is shared by the f/3.5 and f/2.8 lenses.

The earliest known example has lens no.32603 and is owned by the Olympus company.[4] Its lens number is lower than no.32707, the highest lens number known on an Olympus Six. It has a Copal shutter (1–200, B, T), with a thread for a cable release and no flash synchronization, and has no marking at the bottom of the shutter plate. The aperture is controlled by a short index above the shutter housing.

At least one very early example is known with uncoated lens no.32932 and a Wester shutter made by Nishida, giving 1–200, B, T speeds, with a red-dotted self-timer lever and the name WESTER. N.S.D. at the base of the speed rim.[5] One source says that the very first cameras were sold with this Wester shutter, before the young Copal company was able to supply its own shutter.[6] On this camera, the bottom film flanges are smaller and the tripod attachment is cruder than on regular production examples; it is unclear if this feature is shared with other early cameras as well.

The other cameras observed so far with an uncoated lens have the Copal shutter and the name OLYMPUS at the bottom of the shutter plate.[7] At some point, the folding bed release became thicker and lost its apparent spring. The cable release thread disappeared around the same time.[8]

Mystery blueprint: Koho shutter to 1/400

The Olympus official website offers a wallpaper whose background is an extract of a blueprint for the early Chrome Six I. The body still has the thin accessory shoe, the small rivets on the folding struts and the apparent spring under the folding bed release. The lens marking has Takatiho Tokyo and corresponds to an uncoated f/3.5 lens, with no.43001. The speed rim has B, 1–400 markings and something beginning with KO at the bottom, certainly "KOHO". This might be an indication that the company had plans to resume the production of leaf shutters with a new Koho to 1/400. This is a mere supposition and no other element has been found to confirm this.

Coated lens

The Chrome Six I and II received a coated lens at some point. The lens marking became Olympus Zuiko Coated 1:3.5 f=7.5cm No.xxxxx (or 1:2.8). The known lens numbers are in the 52xxx to 59xxx range, showing a gap from the previous range, certainly because the intermediary numbers were allotted to the 4.0cm lenses of the Olympus 35.

Reinforced folding struts were introduced at about the same time, recognized by the larger rivets at the hinge.

The very first examples with a coated lens have a TAKATIHO TOKYO marking at the bottom of the shutter plate, instead of the previous OLYMPUS.[9] This marking was short-lived because the company changed its name from Takachiho to Olympus on January 1st, 1949.[10] After that date, the bottom of the shutter plate became plain black and the OLYMPUS TOKYO logo embossed on the leather of the folding bed was replaced by an OLYMPUS OIC logo. "Olympus OIC" stands for Olympus Optical Industrial Company, a translation of the full name Olympus Kōgaku Kōgyō K.K.[11] At about the same time, the Copal shutter received a red CPL logo on the speed rim.

The last examples with the thin accessory shoe date from that period, around early 1949.[12]

New batch, diecast accessory shoe

There is a gap in the observed body numbers between 24606 and 30076, and it seems that the numbers in the 25xxx to 29xxx range were attributed to the Olympus 35. The Chrome Six I and II received a thicker diecast accessory shoe shortly after the start of the new batch.[13] Many sources wrongly say that this diecast accessory shoe is a distinguishing feature of the Chrome Six III, and this is a frequent source of confusion.

Some examples made in that period have a MADE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN marking on the leatherette strip covering the back latch.[14]

The short aperture index was replaced by a longer milled part at some time; the transition occurred around lens no.59000.[15]

Advertised in Japan

It seems that the Chrome Six was not advertised in Japan until mid-1950. The earliest reported advertisement in a Japanese magazine is in the August 1950 issue of Kohga Gekkan.[16] The text mentions the "constant popularity" of the camera at export,[17] suggesting that the Chrome Six was initially made for export only. The advertisement lists the model I for ¥11,500 and the model II for ¥13,600 (without the case). The lens is called "Coated Zuiko" (コーテッドズイコー); the pictured camera has the Olympus Zuiko Coated marking, and perhaps the diecast accessory shoe. The company is mentioned as Olympus Kōgaku of Shibuya, Tokyo, with the OLYMPUS OIC logo.

So-called prototype

Sugiyama shows a picture of a Chrome Six I belonging to the Olympus company, with a Koho shutter (1–200, B, T) and the f/3.5 lens no.7182, marked Takatiho Tokyo.[18] The caption says that it is a prototype of the Chrome Six made around 1946, of which three were made.

The body has the diecast accessory shoe and reinforced folding struts which were introduced on the Chrome Six after some thousand examples were made; it is thus highly unlikely that this camera was an early prototype of the Chrome Six. The body also has two round parts on the top plate, one of which is partly hidden by the shoe, and whose purpose is unknown. Lens no.7182 has the lowest number known for a Zuiko f/3.5, and was made in 1940 when the Olympus Six was released. This camera was probably used by the company for experiments around 1949, and ended up for some reason with a prewar lens and shutter assembly, certainly kept from the early Olympus Six prototypes.

Zuiko C., Flash synchronization

The lens marking was altered again after some time, and became Olympus Zuiko C. 1:3.5 f=7.5cm No.xxxxx (or 1:2.8), with a red C. The observed lens numbers are in the 85xxx to 88xxx range for the f/2.8 lenses and in the 89xxx to 94xxx range for the f/3.5. The gap from the 59xxx range perhaps corresponds to lenses made for the Olympus 35 or sold to Mamiya for the Mamiya Six.

A few cameras were assembled with the Zuiko C. f/3.5 lens in the 89xxx range and an unsynched Copal shutter (1–200, B, T).[19] Some of these have been observed with an ASA synch post, which is probably not original.

Shortly after that, the shutter was replaced by a newer synchronized Copal, with an ASA bayonet synch post at the top, giving B, 1–200 speeds instead of 1–200, B, T. It has an S.COPAL marking above, next to the aperture scale.

The synchronized Chrome Six I and II were first advertised in Japanese magazines dated September 1950.[20] The advertisement in the December 1950 issue of Asahi Camera lists the Chrome Six I for ¥14,000 and the Chrome Six II for ¥16,000 (case included), as well as the Olympus Flash II (オリンパスフラッシュⅡ型) for ¥2,550. It says that the Olympus Flash was the first Japanese flashgun equipped with a bulb ejector. The picture shows a Chrome Six II with a flash gun mounted on a bracket attached to the bottom of the camera, and a synch cord plugged in the Copal shutter. The lens is called "Coated Zuiko" again but the lens markings on the picture are illegible. The advertisement mentions the maker Olympus Kōgaku Kōgyō and two authorized dealers: Nihon Shōkai in Tokyo and Takachiho Shōkai in Osaka; the latter is perhaps a dependent company of Olympus.

The English user manual for the synchronized Chrome Six I and II shows a similar picture on the front cover and the OLYMPUS OIC logo on the back cover.[21] One of the inside picture clearly shows the diecast accessory shoe, small film flange and ASA synch post, and the cameras are called "Model I" and "Model II". The lenses are called "Coated Zuiko". The text says that the camera has enjoyed a high reputation "during the past fifteen years", certainly indicating that the manual was printed in 1951, fifteen years after the company's first camera.

After the adoption of flash synchronization, the body numbers rose to the 39xxx range, then jumped to the 15xxxx range, with six digits.[22]

From that point onward, the batches allotted to the Chrome Six bodies and lenses became wider, and the lenses were not mounted on the bodies in strict ascending sequence. It seems that the production was gaining pace, and this is confirmed by stories telling that the people were queuing in the Tokyo camera shops to buy the new cameras which were brought at night by train from the Suwa plant.

On the next batch of f/3.5 lenses, with numbers in the 113xxx to 115xxx range, the marking was unchanged but for the C. in black instead of red. The shape of the arrow in the winding knob was changed at some time, around body no.155000; the older arrow has a twin tail and the newer arrow has a simpler design.[23]

Zuiko F.C. lens

The lens marking was altered again before the switch to the model III, certainly after the introduction of coating on all the lens elements. It became Olympus Zuiko F.C. 1:3.5 f=7.5cm No.xxxxx (or 1:2.8), where "F.C." stands for Full Coated.[24] The first lens numbers observed are in the 116xxx to 119xxx range for the Zuiko F.C. f/3.5, and in the 123xxx to 124xxx range for the f/2.8. One isolated example of the Chrome Six II is known with the marking Zuiko C. in white and a lens number in the 131xxx range; the white C. instead of F.C. is perhaps the result of an engraving mistake.[25] After that, the lens number sequence jumped at 300000 for the f/2.8 lens and 330000 for the f/3.5. One example of the Chrome Six II is known with a Zuiko F.C. lens in the 301xxx range.[26]

Research on film planeity

The Olympus company felt that its Zuiko lenses could not reveal their full potential because of limitations of the body. The switch from a pressed steel construction to a diecast body with the introduction of the Chrome Six was a first step in ensuring a precise positioning of the film, but Olympus wanted to make a step further. Film curling was an issue, notably because of the shallow depth-of-field of the Zuiko f/2.8 lens at full aperture, and the company concentrated its research on film planeity. Two main directions were explored: (a) improving the precision of the film chamber and pressure plate and (b) designing a device to maintain the film in position, despite the suction effect produced by the bellows when the folding bed is opened.[27]

The main result of this research was the film stabilizing device (フィルム面安定装置): a coil spring is mounted on the advance side to prevent backlash of the take-up spool, and another spring is mounted on the supply side to tension the film.[28] The device was first introduced on the Olympus Chrome Six III described below.

The Olympus Chrome Six III

The Olympus Chrome Six III is an evolution of the Chrome Six I and II, with the addition of the film stabilizing device. The small film flange at the right end of the top plate was replaced by a larger part containing a film reminder, and certainly covering the film tensioning spring. It is often said that the bigger diecast accessory shoe and the synchronized shutter are specific to the Chrome Six III, but this is a mistake.[29]

The user manual of the Chrome Six III[30] 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. 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.

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.[31]

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.[32] 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[33] and the other has a 1/300 top speed.[34] 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. Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.348, describes the camera as a version of the Olympus Six with tubular finder and accessory shoe, but this camera probably doesn't exist.
  2. October 1948: Matsuzaki, p.16.
  3. The chronology at the Olympus official site says that it was equipped with a film surface stabilizer, which is a confusion with the next Chrome Six III model.
  4. Example pictured in this page and this wallpaper of the Olympus official website, in Matsuzaki, p.16, in Francesch, p.62, in Sugiyama, item 1373, in McKeown, p.748, and in Orinpasu-ten, p.4.
  5. Example observed in an online auction (body no.20848, lens no.32932). This particular example has a PC synch post which is certainly not original.
  6. Matsuzaki, p.16.
  7. Example pictured in Hibi, p.65 (f/3.5 lens no.33162), example pictured in Francesch, p.63, and in Sugiyama, item 1374 (f/2.8 lens no.33797), and examples observed in online auctions (body no.21090, f/3.5 lens no.33856; body no.21930, f/3.5 lens no.3476x).
  8. It is absent on body no.21090 (f/3.5 lens no.33856).
  9. Examples observed in online auctions: body no.22617, f/2.8 lens no.52115; body no.22684, f/3.5 lens no.52230. They have the larger rivets.
  10. Date: History page of the Olympus official website.
  11. Meaning of OIC page of logos of the Olympus official website.
  12. Examples observed in online auctions: lens no.24606, f/3.5 lens no.54755; body no.30076, f/2.8 lens.
  13. Lowest numbers with diecast shoe: body no.30667, f/3.5 lens no.55108, observed at a Chinese dealer.
  14. Example observed in an online auction, body no.32647, lens no.56948.
  15. Highest numbers with short aperture index: body no.32923, f/3.5 lens no.58379, observed in an online auction. Lowest numbers with long aperture index: body no.34424, f/2.8 lens no.59495, observed in an online auction.
  16. Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.125. No earlier advertisement is listed on p.348 of the same source.
  17. "The constant popularity [of the Chrome Six] and the strong demand for export speaks for the excellent quality of the Olympus products." (輸出に特需に不変の声価はオリンパスの品質の優良と均を物語っています。)
  18. Sugiyama, item 1372. A bad copy of that picture is reproduced in this page of the Map Camera Museum.
  19. Example pictured in this page at Caméra de collection (probably has lens no.89107); example pictured in this page by Ross Alford (lens no.89442), and examples observed in online auctions: body no.35950 (lens no.89493), and body no.36490 (perhaps lens no.89973).
  20. Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.349.
  21. Pictures of the manual observed in an online auction.
  22. Highest five-digit number: body no.39869 (f/3.5 lens no.92828), observed in an online auction. Lowest six-digit number on a Chrome Six I or II: body no.150167 (lens no.85998), observed in an online auction.
  23. Highest body number with the older arrow: no.154x77 (observed in an online auction). Lowest body number with the newer arrow: no.155713 (observed in an online auction).
  24. The lenses are called "Full Coated Zuiko" (フルコーテッドズイコー) in the Japanese user manual for the Olympus Chrome Six III, observed in an online auction.
  25. Example observed in an online auction, body no.175300, f/2.8 lens no.131724.
  26. Example observed in an online auciton, body no.176657, f/2.8 lens no.301625.
  27. Matsuzaki, pp.16–7.
  28. Description: Matsuzaki, p.17.
  29. The English user manual for the Chrome Six I and II cited above, and the chronology of the observed lens and body numbers, demonstrate that it is a mistake. It probably originated in Francesch, p.65, and was copied in McKeown, p.748, and in various websites.
  30. Available here at butkus.org.
  31. A guarantee card dated Aug 20th, 1952 has been observed with a Chrome Six IIIA at an eBay auction.
  32. As indicated in a brochure for the Chrome Six RII available at the Olympus corporate site.
  33. See here and the pictures displayed above.
  34. See here.

Bibliography

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Literature and advertisements

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Repairs and technical info

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