Olympus folders

For two decades, Olympus (or its predecessor Takachiho) produced folding cameras for 120 film. The first models were the 4.5×6 format Semi Olympus. Then followed the 6×6 and 4.5×6 dual-format Olympus Six made before, during, and immediately after the war. From 1948, improved models were sold as the Olympus Chrome Six.

Semi Olympus

The first camera made by Takachiho (later Olympus) was the Semi Olympus (セミ・オリンパス, semi orinpasu).

Description

The Semi Olympus is a 4.5×6cm folding camera for 16 exposures on 120 film, with a vertical folding bed and a folding optical finder. The body is a copy of the German Baldax (the large model for #0 shutter size). It was made by the Japanese company Proud, and it is the same as the body of the prewar Semi Proud.

The advance knob is at the bottom right, as seen by the photographer holding the camera horizontally. The film advance is controlled by red windows. The back is hinged to the left and the back latch is covered by a leather handle. The folding bed release is to the right of the viewfinder and there is no body release. The name OLYMPUS is embossed in the front leather.

The lens is a four-element Zuiko 75mm f/4.5, focused by turning the front element. It was the first serial produced camera lens from the future Olympus company. The lens rim is engraved Takatiho Tôkyô Zuikô 1:4.5 f=75mm. No.1xxx, except on one composite example described below.

Origin

Takachiho had developed camera lenses from 1934. The first results were tried in mid 1936, among which were a 105/4.5 and a 75/4.5, both with four elements in three groups, designed by Pr. Miyata (宮田尚一) under the supervision of Mr Suzuki (鈴木). Two lens elements out of four were made of Japanese lens glass, supplied by the Osaka Industrial Research Institute (大阪工業試験所, Ōsaka Kōgyō Shikensho). Various camera manufacturers were approached but the lenses did not sell. Miyazaki Shizuma (宮崎静馬), founder of Proud-sha, talked to Mr Kura (内蔵), in charge of commercial planning at Takachiho, and suggested making a camera around the Zuiko lens and selling it under the "Olympus" brand, already registered by Takachiho for microscopes. He offered to supply the camera bodies, the same as for the Semi Proud, and insisted on adopting the Compur shutter, to make the camera easier to sell. According to Sakurai Eiichi, only one lot was made before the shutter imports stopped; he does not state the reason for this, although it might have been the outbreak of war with China.

Documents

Today the Semi Olympus is usually called "Semi Olympus I", but it seems that this designation was not used at the time it was sold. The camera was featured in a column of the March 1937 issue of Camera Club; this is the oldest mention reported in Japanese photographic magazines.

The Semi Olympus was advertised in the June 1937 issue of Asahi Camera and in the July 1937 issue of Ars Camera. The advertisement in Asahi Camera was placed by the distributor Yamashita Yūjirō Shōten. It mentions two versions, one with a Rulex A shutter (1–200, T, B) made by Neumann & Heilemann, priced ¥78, the other with an Auto-Compur shutter (1–250, T, B) priced ¥98, with a supplement of ¥5 for the case. (Some sources say that the camera was priced at ¥105, but no original document has yet been found to confirm this.) The Asahi Camera advertisement states that the camera's dimensions are 13×7.5×4 cm, and that it weighs 540g.

Release date

Most sources say that the camera was first sold in 1936; some specify September. No original document has yet been found to support this date, six months earlier than the cover date of the first Japanese magazine in which it is known to appear. The testimony of Sakurai Eiichi consulted so far does not explicitly support the 1936 release year either. On the contrary, he describes a number of events which necessarily took place between the final lens tests in June or July 1936 and the release of the camera: the attempts to sell the Zuiko lenses alone, the contacts with Proud, the procurement of shutters and finally the contacts with a distributor. However, Matsuzaki Sōichirō (松崎惣一郎), Sakurai's brother-in-law, remembers that he was shown an example of the Semi Olympus around 1936.

All this does not mean that the 1936 release date is mistaken, only that it is unsure. The first sales were certainly on a very small scale, and may have occurred months before the first mention in photographic magazines. Another theory would be that the September 1936 date is that of the completion of the first experimental cameras rather than that of the sales debut.

Surviving examples

The version with Compur shutter is usually said to be the earliest one. Two surviving examples are known, with lens no. 1048 and 1142. It is very plausible that the serial number sequence began at 1000: this was a very common practice at the time among Japanese optical companies. The Compur shutter plate has the FD logo on the right (for Friedrich Deckel), the usual COMPUR marking at the bottom and a small plate marked OLYMPUS screwed at the top, at the place usually provided in the Compur rim-set shutters to display the camera maker's name. The aperture scale goes from 4.5 to 22 and is screwed to the bottom. The shutter itself gives T, B, 1–250 speeds, has a self-timer and a screw to attach a soft release. There is an arm in front of the shutter plate, linked to the Compur shutter. It is tripped by the photographer's right hand and acts as a release. The Compur was designed for a body release, and without this linkage the position of the release lever would have been impractical because of the folding struts. The same device, with an exactly similar part, is known on some examples of the Semi Proud with Compur shutter. This is perhaps an indication that the Compur were supplied by Proud-sha.

The version with Rulex shutter is generally unknown to Western collectors. However one surviving example has recently surfaced (pictured in this page), with lens no. 1137. The Rulex gives 1–200, B, T speeds and has the early type of shutter plate, as described in the Rulex page. It has an OLYMPUS nameplate screwed to the top of the shutter plate, the same as on the Compur shutter. The aperture scale looks the same as on the Compur.

Semi Olympus, Rulex shutter, Zuikô 7.5cm f/4.5 lens no. 1137.
Pictures courtesy of Henk. (Image rights)

It is usually said that there is a later version with Koho shutter. The Koho shutter was made by Takachiho itself and was mounted on the Semi Olympus II and later on the Olympus Six. It was first announced for the Semi Olympus II under the name "Laurel". The existence of a Semi Olympus with Koho shutter would imply a sales overlap with the Semi Olympus II. No advertisement for this version is known, and none of the advertisements for the Semi Olympus II mentions the original model.

Two surviving examples of the Semi Olympus actually exist with a Koho shutter. One has lens no. 1078 and a shutter giving 1–200, B, T speeds. The lens number is close to the other numbers mentioned above. However the shutter version is strange: the Koho was first produced for the Semi Olympus II with 1/150 top speed, and the switch to 1/200 top speed did not occur before at least late 1939.

The other example has lens no. 6358 and is held at the Olympus gallery. It has a Koho shutter giving 1–150, B, T speeds. This time the lens number is problematic: the other four cameras are in the 10xx and 11xx range, the lowest lens number observed so far on a Semi Olympus II is no. 2001, on a camera certainly made after May 1938 (see below) and lens no. 7242 is pictured in a brochure on an Olympus Six, dated about 1940. The lens no. 6358 would not have been produced before about 1939.

It is thus likely that the two surviving cameras are composite. They were probably created by the company itself, outside the regular production. They could have been made to dispose of a stock of unsold Semi Olympus bodies. However the fact that one of them remains the property of the company suggests that they were made for an internal purpose, perhaps to serve as a testbed for the Koho shutters.

Semi Olympus II

Semi Olympus II no. 6641, Zuiko 7.5cm f/4.5 lens no. 6168, Koho shutter to 1/200, no T setting. Pictures courtesy of Richard Marks. (Image rights)

The Semi Olympus II (セミ・オリンパス・Ⅱ型) was the first camera entirely made by the company. The body was designed by Mr Kitagawa (北川).

Description

(Image rights)

The Semi Olympus II is a horizontal folder taking 4.5×6cm pictures. The folding struts are the same as on the Balda products, certainly under the influence of the previous Semi Olympus. The camera has a tubular viewfinder, an advance knob at the left end of the top plate and an accessory shoe at the right end. The serial number is engraved in the advance knob, together with an arrow indicating the winding direction. The back is hinged to the left and the back latch is covered by a leather handle; there are two red windows at the bottom to control the film advance, covered by a black plate pivoting on an axis in the middle. The bottom of the camera has two film flanges, with the shape of a truncated cone; one has a 1/4″ tripod thread and the other has a 3/8″ thread. The OLYMPUS TOKYO logo is embossed at two places: in the back leather (above the red windows) and in the handle. The lens is the same Zuiko 75/4.5 as on the previous Semi Olympus.

Evolution through original documents

The Semi Olympus II was advertised in Asahi Camera from October 1937 to March 1940, and it was featured in the January 1938 issue of the same magazine.

The first version of the camera is pictured in the October 1937 advertisement and in a brochure dated 1937. The viewfinder is offset to the left (as seen by the photographer) and the folding bed release in in the middle of the top plate. In both documents, the shutter is called Laurel (ローレル, rōreru) and is said to give 1–150, B, T speeds with a self-timer. The name LAUREL is engraved at the base of the speed rim. The shutter plate is inscribed OLYMPUS-TOKYO N at the top and the aperture scale is at the bottom.

No price is given in the October advertisement, where the camera is presented together with the Olympus Standard, and where Misuzu Shōkai and Yamashita Yūjirō Shōten are given as authorized dealers. The brochure has a sticker indicating a price of ¥105. No surviving example has been observed with the offset finder and the Laurel shutter, and it is not clear whether this version was actually sold.

The May 1938 advertisement in Asahi Camera shows the regular version of the Semi Olympus II, with the tubular finder in the middle of the top plate and the folding bed release on the right. One of the pictures shows a number of cameras from a distance (at least twenty), indicating that the serial production of the camera bodies had begun. In another picture showing a camera from a closer distance, the shutter rim reads DAURED. It is not clear whether this engraving actually existed or if this is a retouched picture of a camera with Laurel shutter. It is said that the Laurel name was dropped because it was already registered by another company, and the Daured name appearing in this advertisement was certainly the result of a hasty move.

The advertisement in the June 1938 issue of Asahi Camera shows the new shutter name Koho (コーホー), both in the text and on the pictured camera. The advertisement shows a mountain and a country road, with the catch-phrase "[Let's go] gallantly to the green mountains and fields" (緑の山野に颯爽と!), an allusion to the season and perhaps to the camera name Olympus and shutter name Kōhō (meaning "high peak" or "high mountain"). The company Honjō Shōkai was added to the list of authorized dealers and the price was given as ¥95 for the first time. It is likely that the camera was not actually sold before that date.

In advertisements dated July and September 1938, February and October 1939, the price was raised to ¥105 and the company Hinode Kōgyō K.K. (日之出興業㈱) gradually replaced the three authorized dealers and became the sole distributor. The February 1939 advertisement says that the price of ¥105 comprised a lens hood and a cable release. The top speed is given as 1/150 in all these advertisements. Incidentally, in all the advertisements for the Semi Olympus II, the lens is called 瑞光 ("Zuikō" in kanji script) while the shutter is called コーホー ("Kōhō" in katakana script).

The Semi Olympus II was advertised in Asahi Camera until the March 1940 issue. It was still mentioned in the official list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941, for ¥121. It was also in a similar price list dated November 1941, for an unknown price. The Olympus Six was already available for sale at that time, the observed serial numbers seem to indicate that there was no overlap in the production of the the two models. It is thus presumed that these prices applied to the remaining stocks of the Semi Olympus II, held by the company or by the retailers.

Surviving examples

All the examples observed of the Semi Olympus II have the viewfinder centred above the top plate and a Koho shutter. The early examples have 1–150, B, T speeds. The earliest lens number observed so far is no. 2001. This camera was necessarily made after the May 1938 "Daured" episode (see above): if the camera was available before, the company would not have used a picture (original or retouched) showing the name Daured in the May 1938 advertisement, and would have used a photograph of a camera with Koho shutter instead. This is a hint that very few Olympus cameras were made before that date.

Koho shutter to 1/200, no T setting. (Image rights)

An example is known with a folding optical finder centred above the top plate, instead of the tubular finder. It has lens no. 2048 and a Koho shutter, and the folding finder is probably not original.

On all the examples observed of the Semi Olympus II, the lens engraving differs from the early engraving found on the previous Semi Olympus. It is Zuikô 1:4,5 f=7.5cm Takatiho Tokyo No.xxxx (circunflex accent) up to lens no. 3797 and Zuiko 1:4,5 f=7.5cm Takatiho Tokyo No.xxxx (no accent) from lens no. 5253.

Later examples have 1–200, B, T speeds, with no other change. Lens no. 5253 is associated with 1/150 top speed and lens no. 5389 with 1/200 top speed, and the transition probably occurred around that time. However the different parts constituting the camera (body, shutter and lens) were not used in strict sequence: for example, lens no. 5253 goes with body no. 5368 and lens no. 5389 goes with the earlier body no. 5362.

One isolated example is known with 1–200, B speeds and no T setting. It has body no. 6641 and lens no. 6168, the latest numbers observed so far on a Semi Olympus II.

Olympus Six

Released in 1940, the Olympus Six (オリンパス・シックス) is a dual-format model and can take 6×6cm and 4.5×6cm pictures with a mask.

Description

The Olympus Six is a horizontal folder, and its folding struts are similar to that of the Semi Olympus II. There is a folding optical finder in the middle of the top plate. Two hairlines are engraved in the front glass, indicating the field of view for 4.5×6cm exposures. The folding bed release is immediately to the left of the viewfinder, as seen by the photographer. There is a body release at the right of the top plate, next to the right-hand film flange. The advance knob is at the left end, it has the serial number and an arrow engraved, as on the Semi Olympus II. There are strap lugs at both ends of the top plate, replacing the leather handle of the previous model, and there is no accessory shoe.

The back is hinged to the right and the back latch consists of a long sliding bar. There are two red windows in the back, one for each format, with a sliding cover accordingly marked 6X6 or 4.5X6. The bottom plate has two film flanges at the ends, and a 3/8″ tripod thread in the middle.

The OLYMPUS TOKYO logo is embossed in the leather of the folding bed, and the name OLYMPUS–SIX or SUPER–OLYMPUS is embossed in the back, under the red windows.

Early lens and shutter

The first lenses mounted on the Olympus Six are the Zuiko 75/4.5 (same as on the Semi Olympus) and the new Zuiko 75/3.5. They are engraved Zuiko 1:4,5 f=7.5cm Takatiho Tokyo No.xxxx and Zuiko 1:4,5 f=7.5cm Takatiho Tokyo No.xxxx.

The shutter originally mounted on the camera is a newer version of the Koho, giving 1–200, B, T speeds and adapted to the body release linkage. It still has a self-timer but does not have a thread for a distant release. Other shutters were mounted towards the end of the production, see below.

Whatever the shutter and lens model, the camera has a black depth-of-field scale around the lens, marked OLYMPUS at the bottom. The aperture scale consists of a metal plate placed above the shutter housing, and it is combined with a second scale of shutter speeds, readable from the above.

Announced as the Semi Olympus III

The camera was first announced as the Semi Olympus III (セミオリンパスⅢ型), quite a strange name for a 6×6 camera. It was featured under that name in the July 1940 issue of Asahi Camera and was advertised as such in the June and July 1940 issues of the same magazine. In the June advertisement, the camera is announced as a new model (愈々新型発売) in dual format (6×6 and 4.5×6), and the body release and depth-of-field scale are emphasized. The shutter is mentioned as a Koho II (コーホーⅡ), giving 1–200, B, T speeds, with a self-timer. Two versions are presented, one has a Zuiko (ズイコー) 7.5cm f/4.5 lens and is priced at ¥190, the other has a Zuiko 7.5cm f/3.5 lens and is priced at ¥235. A lens hood is also listed for ¥3. The company names given in the advertisement are the maker Takachiho Seisakusho and the distributor Ataka Shōkai. The pictured camera is indistinguishable from the Olympus Six with f/3.5 lens, there was probably no difference other than the name embossing in the back. No surviving example has been observed so far with markings other than OLYMPUS–SIX or SUPER–OLYMPUS, and the name Semi Olympus III was probably dropped before the camera entered serial production.

The Olympus Six in wartime documents

The Olympus Six was first advertised under that name in the December 1940 issue of Asahi Camera, and it was featured in the April 1941 issue of the same magazine. The advertisements dated December 1940 and April 1941 in Asahi Camera mention the f/3.5 and f/4.5 lens options, and say that the lenses have four elements. The shutter is called New Koho III (新コーホーⅢ) but has the same features (1–200, B, T, self-timer) as the shutter called Koho II in the advertisement for the Semi Olympus III. The distributor is still Ataka Shōkai.

The December 1940 advertisement only mentions 6×6cm format only (more precisely "6×6m/m", with a typo), whereas the April 1941 advertisement again mentions the dual-format capability. This has been interpreted by some sources as an indication that the Olympus Six was sold for some time in a single-format version, but this probably only reflects a negligence in the advertisement. All the cameras observed so far have two red windows in the back and are dual format.

The picture is the same in the two advertisements, and shows an Olympus Six with f/4.5 lens, recognized by the double lens rim already present on the Semi Olympus II. One source says that the the lens bezel and lens rim differ between the Semi Olympus III and the Olympus Six, but this apparent difference is only caused by the various lens types (f/3.5 and f/4.5) pictured in the advertisements.

In a brochure for the Olympus Six, the shutter is called Koho III. Model names and officially set prices are given for The two versions are listed, with their exact model name and the officially set price: the Olympus Six I (オリンパス・シックスⅠ) with the f/4.5 lens, for ¥128, and the Olympus Six II (オリンパス・シックスⅡ), with the f/3.5 lens, for ¥160. A lens hood is mentioned, fitting both the f/4.5 and f/3.5 lens, and a filter holder (フィルター枠), to fit 30mm diameter filters on the f/4.5 lens.

The Olympus Six I and II were mentioned in the official list of set prices published in January 1941 and already cited above. The prices were the same as in the brochure cited above, which is thus probably dated late 1940 or early 1941.

The Olympus Six was advertised in Asahi Camera until the last wartime issue dated April 1942, and it was advertised in Hōdō Shashin from December 1941 to May 1943. The shutter is reportedly called Koho II in the advertisements published in Hōdō Shashin. Some confusion seemed to reign about the exact model name of this shutter at the time.

Early surviving examples

The oldest lens numbers observed on the Olympus Six are on the cameras pictured in the brochure cited above: no. 697x for the f/4.5 lens and no. 7242 for the f/3.5 lens, both mounted on a Koho shutter to 1/200. (However, the f/3.5 lens no. 7182 is known with a Koho shutter on what is said to be a prototype of the Olympus Chrome Six, see below.)

Some early examples have a specific aperture index with two ears, whereas others have a simple pin. The two-ear index appears in the brochure and in all the advertisements, and it has been observed on actual examples with f/4.5 lens no. 7157 and f/3.5 lens no. 7382 and 10626. The simple pin has been observed on examples with f/3.5 lens no. 7601 and 10727.

Five-element lenses

The government inquiry listing Japanese camera production as of April 1943 has four models: the Olympus Six I and II, with the Koho shutter to 1/200 and the four-element Zuiko f/4.5 and f/3.5 lens, and the Super Olympus I (スーパーオリンパスⅠ) and Super Olympus II (スーパーオリンパスⅡ), with the same shutter and a five-element Zuiko S lens, respectively 75/4.5 and 75/3.5.

Some sources say that the imports of Schott glass from Germany were stopped because of the war, and that the company had to make the Zuiko lenses from all-Japanese optical glass, causing a redesign of the Zuiko lens into a five-element scheme called Zuiko-S, with the rear doublet of the Tessar design was replaced by a group of three cemented elements. The Zuiko-S lenses are known in f/4.5 aperture (no. 13501) and in f/3.5 aperture (no. 12126).

One source says that the Super Olympus was released in May 1943 and cost ¥208 with f/4.5 lens and ¥248.80 with f/3.5 lens, but no original document has been observed so far to confirm this.

Production resumed after the war

The production of the camera was resumed in early 1946, and the production details are given month by month in Lewis: 77 cameras in January 1946, 89 in February, 202 in March, 198 in April, 160 in May, 250 in June and 129 in July. The supply of shutters was certainly the main problem encountered by Takachiho. (Its own shutter plant was destroyed by aerial bombing in spring 1945.) This may have led the company to use any shutter it could find, hence the variety of shutters found on the surviving Olympus Six bodies described below. It is said that Mamiya sold some Koho shutters back to Takachiho, from a lot bought during the war for the Mamiya Six, exchanging them for new Zuiko lenses.

The Olympus Six was advertised in Ars Camera from January to March 1948. The January advertisement mentions a Zuiko f/3.5 lens and a Koho shutter (1–200, B, T). The pictured camera has a Koho shutter and a two-ear aperture index, as in the wartime advertisements.

Late observed examples

Immediately after the Zuiko-S lenses no. 12126 and 13501, the earliest lens numbers observed on an Olympus Six are no. 20309 and 20727 (both with Koho shutter), the latter mounted on body no. 13160. The gap between lens no. 13501 and 20309, as well as the sudden offset between the body number and lens number, perhaps indicates that the serial number sequence was reset at 20000. If the story about the Zuiko-S being made because of the shortage of imported optical glass is true, the production of the regular Zuiko lens was logically not resumed before 1945. This would mean that any lens number after 20000 is an indication of a postwar camera. Other postwar examples with the Koho shutter have lens no. 23504 (body no. 14210) and lens no. 25625 (body no. 15013).

An Olympus Six has been observed with a no-name shutter giving T, B, 1–250 speeds, and lens no. 24961. Three examples of the Olympus Six have been observed with a different no-name shutter giving 1–300, B, T speeds, and lens no. 24964, 25718 and 25754.

The very late examples of the Olympus Six (with lens number above 30000) have no strap lugs. Four examples have been observed, each having a different shutter type. One example has lens no. 30387 and an unmarked shutter giving 1–200, B, T speeds. (This shutter is not a Koho: the cocking lever is placed differently.) The most well-known example, belonging to the Olympus company, has lens no. 30780 and a Copal shutter giving 1–200, B, T speeds, the same as on the later Olympus Chrome Six. The third example is the latest known with a Koho shutter: it has lens no. 31665 and body no. 17328. The last example has a Wester shutter giving 1–200, B, T speeds, made by Nishida and engraved WESTER. N.S.D. at the base of the speed rim. The lens number is 32707 and the body number is 18020; these are the latest numbers observed on an Olympus Six, and the lens number is even slightly later than no. 32603, known on an example of the Olympus Chrome Six.

The offset between the lens and body numbers has widened, certainly because Zuiko lenses were sold to other companies, such as Mamiya for the Mamiya Six. Admitting that the postwar examples have lens numbers above 20000 and body numbers after about 13000, this would make a total of about 5,000 Olympus Six cameras and 12,000 Zuiko lenses made between early 1946 and the release of the Olympus Chrome Six in 1948. This is quite consistent with the total of 1,015 cameras for the period between January and July 1946.

Production estimate

From the above data, a rough estimate gives more than 6,000 prewar and wartime Olympus Six, with close lens and body numbers, comprised between c.7000 and c.13500, and about 5,000 postwar cameras, with body numbers between c.13000 and c.18000 and lens numbers between 20000 and c.33000.

Hybrid advertisements

The last advertisements for the Olympus Six are in the May to July 1948 issues of Ars Camera. The text of the May advertisement is similar to the one dated January: the camera is called Olympus Six, the lens is the Zuiko f/3.5 and the shutter is the Koho (1–200, B, T). However at first glance, the picture shows a hybrid between the Olympus Six and the Olympus Chrome Six. Upon closer inspection, only the bottom part of the illustration is an original picture, showing an Olympus Six, whereas the top part is a drawing of the top plate of the future Olympus Chrome Six.

Olympus Chrome Six I / II / III

Olympus Chrome Six II, Zuiko C. 75mm 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.

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.
• 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.
• 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

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