Palma Brilliant and Rosko Brilliant

From Camera-wiki.org
Revision as of 13:57, 14 March 2011 by Dustin McAmera (talk | contribs) (Took italics off image captions so they match new template)
Jump to: navigation, search
Japanese pseudo TLR (edit)
Prewar and wartime models
4.5×6 Hansa Rollette Ref | Roll Light Ref | Union Ref
4×4 Pilot Ref (4×4)
3×4 Alma Baby Ref | Baby Ref | Baby Roll Ref | Chukon Ref | Clover Baby Ref | Mario Ref | Pilot Ref | Prince Baby Ref | Truth
Postwar models
6×6 Cometflex | Dox New Six | Elliotte | Flex-O-Cord | Honestflex | Koniken | Mikono Flex C | Oplen Junior | Palma Brilliant | Rionflex | Rosko Brilliant | Topflex | Vesterflex
4.5×6 Binox | Maruso Refe
4×4 Herlight
Japanese true TLR ->
Japanese 6×6, 4.5×6, 3×4 and 4×4, 4×5 and 4×6.5 ->

The Palma Brilliant and Rosko Brilliant are Japanese 6×6 pseudo TLR cameras. It is said that they were distributed by Goyō Shōkai around 1955.[1] The Rosko Brilliant was certainly exported to the USA by Rosko.

Description

The Palma Brilliant and Rosko Brilliant have the same bakelite body. The central part is shaped like a TLR, with a very large brilliant finder above and a fixed-focus lens below. The film runs horizontally and the film spool containers extend from each side, with the advance knob at the top left and a dummy knob symmetrically placed on the other side. The shape is thus half way between a (pseudo) TLR and a rigid viewfinder camera.

The back is removable, and is locked by spring latches on both sides. There is a window to control the film advance, protected by a flap driven by a lever with OPEN and CLOSE indications. There are two film flanges under the camera, as well as a tripod thread, with the words MADE IN JAPAN embossed nearby.

The lens is described as a 70mm f/6.3 in the user manual. Two control wheels are available at the bottom of the front plate: one has 1, 2, 3 aperture settings, respectively corresponding to f/6.3, f/8 and f/11, and the other has B and I (1/25) speed settings.[2] The release button is to the right of the central box. There is a non standard flash shoe on the left, with cordless synch contacts.

Variations

The Palma Brilliant Model 2 reportedly takes 120 film.[3] (Despite the name, it seems that there was no model 1.) The brand PALMA is written in big letters at the bottom of the front plate, and BRILLIANT MODEL 2 is written in small letters underneath. The lens rim is black, with the name PALMA BRILLIANT inscribed in white. The knobs at the top have a double row of mills.

The Rosko Brilliant 620 Model 2 takes 620 film and is an export model,[4] certainly distributed by Rosko. The name ROSKO is written at the bottom of the front plate, with BRILLIANT 620 MODEL 2 written underneath. The knobs at the top have a single row of mills, and the lens rim is silver.

The Rosko was sold in a red box, only marked ROSKO. A black bakelite flashgun, embossed ROSKO on the back, was supplied as an accessory in a similar red box.

Notes

  1. Sugiyama, items 4164 and 4171; McKeown, p.365.
  2. Actual apertures and speeds: user manual reproduced in this article.
  3. Sugiyama, item 4164.
  4. User manual reproduced in this article, and Sugiyama, item 4171.

Bibliography

Links

In Japanese: