Pearlette

The Pearlette (パーレット) is a Japanese folding camera taking 4×6.5cm exposures on 127 film, made by Konishiroku (later Konica) between 1925 and the war and advertised again in 1946. The Pearlette is historically significant as the first mass-produced Japanese camera.

See also the Special Pearlette and B Pearlette which have nothing in common except for the name and format.

General description

The Pearlette is a near-copy of the Piccolette by Contessa-Nettel. Both are inspired by the Vest Pocket Kodak.

The front standard is mounted on a pair of scissor struts and extends to the bottom, acting as a standing leg. There is a round cut-off on each side of the body to pull out the front standard easily. A brilliant finder is mounted at the top right of the front plate.

The front standard is marked Pearlette at the bottom.

Old model: side loading

The old Pearlette model has a removable side plate for film loading. There is an advance key at the top left and a tripod screw at the bottom right, as seen by a photographer holding the camera vertically. This model always has an RK logo at the top left of the front plate.

Wollensak lens and shutter

The original version was released in 1925. It has a N°0 Woco shutter by Wollensak, marked N°0 WOCO above the lens and WOLLENSAK U.S.A. below. The speed is set by an index at the top, with T, 25, 50, 100 or B, 25, 50, 100 positions. The aperture scale is at the bottom. This model exists with a Delta Aplanat 75/6.3 lens and with a meniscus lens whose aperture is perhaps f/8 or f/11. Both are fixed-focus. The original version has no frame finder.

A wireframe finder was added in 1929. The wireframe is hinged to the front standard and supports a close-up lens in the middle: when the wireframe is in the folded position, the close-up lens stands in front of the taking lens. There is a simple eyepiece attached to the camera's back.

In 1931, the wireframe hinge was reinforced and the front plate was enlarged a little.

Pegasus shutter

The imported lenses and shutters were replaced in 1932 by equipment made by Rokuoh-sha. The Pearlette has a Pegasus shutter giving B, 25, 50, 100 speeds. The shutter plate is mottled and marked PEGASUS at the top and ROKUOH-SHA at the bottom. This version exists with a Hexar Ser.II 75/6.3 lens and with an f/8 meniscus lens, said to be made by Asahi Kōgaku.

An additional close-up lens for the brilliant finder is attached to the front wireframe,.

New model: hinged back

The new Pearlette model, released in 1933, has fixed side plates and the back is hinged to the bottom. There is an advance knob at the top right and a tripod screw at the bottom right, as seen by a photographer holding the camera vertically.

This model was first sold with the Pegasus shutter but it was soon replaced by the Echo shutter. The shutter plate is black with a chrome rim. It is marked Echo at the top and Rokuoh-sha at the bottom and the position of the controls is the same. This version with Echo shutter exists with an Optor 75/6.3 lens or an f/8 meniscus lens, both said to be made by Asahi Kōgaku.

The shutter plate was changed in 1937, with a metal stripe on each side. The markings on the front plate were changed in 1940, with the disparition of the logo and the adoption of a Pearlette name plate screwed to the bottom of the front standard.

Pearlette with hinged back, decorated sides and black trim. Meniscus achromat lens, Echo shutter. From the collection of Harris Aaronson. (Image rights)

Pearlette with hinged back, plain sides and chrome trim. Meniscus achromat lens, New Echo shutter. Pictures courtesy of Emanuele L. (Image rights)

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 170 and 681. (See also the advertisements for items 167–8 and 314 and the text and picture of pp. 43 and 430.)
• Baird, John R. The Japanese Camera. Yakima, WA: Historical Camera Publications, 1990. ISBN 1-879561-02-6. Pp. 27 and 33–4.
• The Japanese Historical Camera. 日本の歴史的カメラ (Nihon no rekishiteki kamera). 2nd ed. Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 2004. P. 12.
• 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. 25, 35, 46, 49, 56, 60, 182.
• 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. 544.
• Matsumura Shisui (松山思水). Yoku utsuru Pāretto shashinjutsu (よく写るパーレツト写真術). Tokyo: Kinseidō, 1934.
• Miyazaki Shigemoto (宮崎繁幹). Konika kamera no 50-nen: Konika I-gata kara Hekisā RF e (コニカカメラの50年：コニカI型からヘキサーRFへ, Fifty years of Konica cameras: From the Konica I to the Hexar RF). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 2003. ISBN 4-257-12038-X.
• Nakajima Kenkichi (中島謙吉). Vesutan Pāretto no tsukaikata (ヴェス単パーレットの使ひ方). Tokyo: Kōdaisha, 1938.
• 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 1135–42, 1144–6 and 1382.

Links

In English:

• Pearlette at medfmt
• Pearlette in English and in Japanese at Cosmonet's Classic Camera

In Japanese:

• Pages of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website:
  • Pearlette history
  • Pictures of the front standard, Wollensak lens and original box
  • Camera list with the Pearlette
• Pearlette in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology
• Pearlette variations at Asacame
• Pearlette at Aya's Camera
• Pearlette at Puppy's Island
• Pearlette at Kamera no Tabi
• Pearlette at S. Takagi's Shashinki no Mori
• Pearlette and more pictures at Hayata Camera Laboratory
• Pearlette and Pearlette lens at Pleasure Classic Lenses
• Pearlette, other Pearlette and colour Pearlette at Nagoya's Camera Club
• Repair of a Pearlette and of another Pearlette at the Handmade and Classic Camera site
• Pearlette in a Japanese blog
• Pearlette in Sakusen Ichiman-ri's camera pages
• Pearlette in the first page and second page of the Yamada Camera Museum
• Pearlette (postwar) at Camera Collection Minorhouse
• Page with a picture of a Pearlette in Tomo ni shita kamera
• Pearlette, small picture at Ken's website
• Advertisement for the Pearlette, published in the 23 March 1938 issue of Asahi Graph, reproduced in the small format camera page of the Gochamaze website