Orion Six

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Japanese Six (6×6)
Postwar models (edit)
folding
Aires Viceroy | Angel Six | Aram Six | Astoria Super Six | Atom Six | Balm Six | Baron | Beauty Six (1950) | Beauty Six (1953) | Calm Six | Carl Six | Centre Six | Crown | Crystar Six | Daido Six | Dorima Six | Doris Six | Ehira Six | Elbow Six | First Six | Flora Six | Fodor Six | Frank Six | Fujica Six | Super Fujica Six | Futami Six | Gotex | Grace Six | Kohken Chrome Six | Kyowa Six | Liner Six | Lyra Six | Mamiya Six | Middl Six | Mihama Six | Mine Six | Minon Six | Mizuho Six | Motoka Six | Mount Six | Muse Six | Super Naiku | Ofuna Six | Olympus Six | Olympus Chrome Six | Orion Six | Oscar Six | Pigeon Six | Planet | Please Six | Pluto Six | Poppy Six | Press Van | Press Van-120 | Proud Chrome Six | Proud Super Six | Renown Six | Ricoh Six | Ruvikon | Ruvinal | Sanon Six | Silver Six | Sisley 1 | Sisley 2 & 3 | Sister Six | Tenar Six | Toho Six | Tomic | Toyoca Six | Ugein Six | Wagen Six | Walcon 6 | Welmy Six | Wester | Windsor Six
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 ->

The Orion Six is a Japanese folding camera with an uncoupled rangefinder, taking both 6×6cm and 4.5×6cm exposures. It was made by a company called Orion Seiki,[1] certainly in the mid-1950s. It is not known for sure if that company was the same as Miranda's predecessor Orion Seiki, which was active under that name until it was renamed Orion Camera in 1955.

General description

The Orion Six has a horizontal folding body with smoothly tapered edges. The folding bed is opened by a sliding button, placed at the top of the door itself. The folding struts are inspired by those of the 6×6 Ikonta. The viewfinder and rangefinder are contained in the top housing. The common eyepiece is offset to the left, as seen by the photographer, and the rectangular second-image window is on the right. There are translucid strips on both sides of the viewfinder, indicating the field of view for 4.5×6cm exposures. There is an accessory shoe to the right of the viewfinder.

The film is advanced by a knob at the left end of the top plate. There is a film flange on the right end of the top plate, and the shutter release is placed next to it. The film advance is controlled by two red windows, one for each format, protected by individual sliding covers marked 4.5X6 and 6X6. The back is hinged to the right, and is locked by a sliding bar on the left. The name ORION SIX is embossed under the red windows. There is also an ORION logo embossed in the leatherette of the front door, at least on the uncoupled rangefinder model. This logo is repeated at the front of the ever-ready case.

The uncoupled rangefinder model

The regular model has an uncoupled rangefinder, controlled by a wheel falling under the right thumb. The name Orion Six is engraved above the top cover, together with the serial number and model name (normally MODEL RIII) situated above the viewfinder eyepiece.

The shutter gives B, 1–200 speeds, has a self-timer and is synchronized for flash. The lens is a front-cell focusing Rhythner 75mm f/3.2, engraved RHYTHNER LENS 1:3.2 f=75mm No.xxxxx.

Some examples have an ASA synch post and a chrome lens bezel with black engravings. None of these is confirmed as a Model RIII, and one has been reported as an "Orion Six Model RII".[2]

Other cameras have a PC socket and a black lens bezel with white engravings.[3] Their shutter is a TSK, perhaps supplied by Tōyō Seiki Kōgaku. These examples are reported or confirmed as Orion Six Model RIII, with the MODEL RIII markings.

The known body numbers are 7361 and 7482 (both on Model RIII), probably indicating that at least a few hundred units were made.[4]

The Orion 66 Super S, with coupled rangefinder

The Orion 66 Super S has a focusing helix placed behind the lens and shutter unit, driven by a focusing tab and coupled to the rangefinder. The second image window is slightly larger than on the model RIII, and the distance setting wheel on the rear is of course absent. The name Orion 66 is engraved above the top cover, together with the serial number and model name SUPER S situated above the viewfinder eyepiece.

Two presumably different surviving examples have been observed so far. One has a Mihama shutter (400–1, B, self-timer) synchronized via a PC socket, with a black front face inscribed MIHAMA at the bottom, and a Techol Anastigmat 75mm f/3.5 lens (no.16096).[5] The other has body no.59002, and might have the same lens and shutter equipment.[6] Both cameras have a yellow and black original box inscribed ORION SIX and ORION SEIKI CO.

Notes

  1. The name ORION SEIKI CO. appears on the original box of the Orion 66 Super S, pictured in Furukawa, p.6 of Camera Collectors' News no.263, and observed in an online auction.
  2. Example pictured in this page by Koujiya (reported as "Model RII"), and example observed in an online auction (illegible markings).
  3. Example pictured in Sugiyama, item 1380, and example observed in an online auction (body no.7361, lens no.62254).
  4. Body no.7361, lens no.62254: example observed in an online auction. Body no.7482: example pictured in Furukawa, p.5 of Camera Collectors' News no.263 (the details of the shutter are unknown).
  5. Example observed in an online auction, with original case and box.
  6. Example pictured in Furukawa, pp.5–6 of Camera Collectors' News no.263, with original box. It seems that the lens and shutter unit is similar to the other camera, from what is visible in the small front picture.

Bibliography

  • Furukawa Haruo (古川保男). "Orion 66 Super S: 'Naka kara patto hakuen ha denakatta'" (Orion 66 Super S・'中からパッと白煙は出なかった', Orion 66 Super S: 'no white smoke came out of it'). In Camera Collectors' News no.263 (May 1999). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. Pp.5–7.
  • 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. Item 1380.

The Orion Six is not listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, and was certainly not announced or advertised in Japanese photography magazines of the time.

Links

In Japanese: