Owla Stereo
The Owla Stereo (アウラステレオ) is a Japanese stereo camera taking pairs of 23×24mm exposures on 35mm film. It was first announced in 1956 by Sankei Kōki under the name Stereo Sankei (ステレオサンケイ), and was later made by Owla Kōki until the early 1960s.
Contents
First model
Description of the first Owla Stereo
The camera has an all-metal body. The viewfinder window is contained in the middle of the top housing. The film is advanced by a knob at the right end of the top plate, as seen by the photographer, and the rewind knob is at the opposite end; arrows are engraved to indicate the turning direction. There is a small sliding button next to the advance knob, with the letter A engraved on its side; this is perhaps used to unlock the film advance after each exposure. The shutter release is at its usual location on the right, and is surrounded by a small cup. The exposure counter is above the top housing, to the left of the viewfinder, and there is an accessory shoe on the right. The back is hinged to the right for film loading.
There is a chrome-finished rectangular plate screwed to the front of the body, and a long black casing with round edges, grafted to this plate and containing the shutter and lenses. There is a PC synch socket buried in the chrome plate under the left-hand lens, and an F/X selector under the other lens. There is a sliding button on top of the black casing, certainly used to cock the shutter.
The speed and aperture are controlled by turning the lens rims: the left-hand lens rim has the aperture scale and the right-hand lens rim has B, 10–200 speed settings. The top of the front casing has the words DIAPHRAGM, FOCUS and SPEED, reminding the position of the main controls. The lenses are Owla Anastigmat 35/3.5.[1]
The focus knob is placed between the two lenses, and its rim has the same diameter and shape as the two lens rims. It is engraved in feet and has depth-of-field indications and three coloured marks above, with FAR, MEDIUM and NEAR captions.
The name Owla STEREO is engraved at the front of the top housing, under the exposure counter. The body serial number is engraved on the accessory shoe, and PAT. N°34372 is inscribed on the top plate, above the viewfinder eyepiece. The original lens caps are black, with Owla in white.
Announced as the Stereo Sankei
The camera was announced as the Stereo Sankei (ステレオサンケイ) by Sankei Kōki in 1956. It was advertised in the February 1956 issue of Sankei Camera and featured in the March 1956 issue of the same magazine.[2] It is not known if there is a further relationship between the magazine Sankei Camera and the company Sankei Kōki.
In the February advertisement, the lenses are announced as three-element 35/3.5, the speeds are given as B, 10–200 and the price is ¥12,000.[3] The pictured camera is very similar to the first version of the Owla Stereo, with the focus knob between the two lenses.[4] It seems that the shutter cocking lever is placed between the focus knob and the right-hand lens. The marking at the front of the top housing only reads STEREO in small capital letters. The details of the top plate are not visible. It is said that the Stereo Sankei has auto-stop advance but no double exposure prevention;[5] the first Owla Stereo certainly has the same features.
No surviving example of the Stereo Sankei has been observed so far, and it is not known if the camera was actually sold as such.
Released as the Owla Stereo
The camera was announced as the Owla Stereo (アウラステレオ) from June 1956.[6] The September 1956 issue of Camera Mainichi reportedly attributes the Owla Stereo to Sankei Kōki,[7] but most sources give the company name Owla Kōki.[8]
Second model
Notes
- ↑ Lenses: Sugiyama, item 6037.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.388.
- ↑ Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.252.
- ↑ Focus knob on the Stereo Sankei: Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.388.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.388.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.376.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.388.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.376 (Owla Kōki K.K.), McKeown, p.770 ("Owla Koki"), Sugiyama, item 6037 ("Owla Optical Co.").
Bibliography
- 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 1089 and 1317.
- 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). P.770.
- Shima Kazuya (島和也). "Sutereo kamera onparēdo" (ステレオカメラオンパレード, Stereo cameras on parade). 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.27, December 1993. No ISBN number. Stereo World (ステレオワールド). Pp.21–5.
- 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 6037.
Links
In English:
- Advertisement showing the second Owla Stereo, at Barry Toogood's tlr-cameras.com
In German: