Picny

The Picny (ピクニー) is a Japanese camera takins 3×4cm pictures on 127 film, made by Miyagawa Seisakusho and distributed by the Mitsukoshi department store. It was introduced in 1935 and advertised at least until 1940.

Description

The Picny is closely inspired from the Gewirette by Wirgin, even if some enthusiastic dealers describe it as a Leica copy. It inspired other Japanese copies of the Gewirette, like the Gelto.

The body of the Picny seems to be made out of a metal tube (like the body of the Leica screw models up to the IIIb). The lens and shutter assembly is collapsible and is mounted on a helical, focusing down to 1/3 metre.

The top plate supports the advance knob on the right end, a key to open the camera, a tubular optical finder offset to the left and a screw thread to store a filter on the left end. Film loading is through the top plate, in the same spirit as the bottom loading of the Leica screw models. Film advance is controlled by two uncovered red windows in the back.

The bottom plate has a tripod thread and two round discs corresponding to the film spools. The serial number is engraved in one of them.

The shutter is unmarked. It is cocked by a lever on the top and tripped by another lever. It gives T, B, 25, 50, 75, 100 speeds. The lens is a Picny anastigmat 40mm f/4.5. The lens name Picny anastigmat 1:4.5 F=40mm is engraved in the same plate as the shutter speeds, and no lens number is given.

Evolution

Original black model

Black Picny n°1131, f/4.5 lens. Pictures courtesy of eBayer tuiteka. (Image rights)

The original Picny was sold in black finish. Advertisements dated March and August 1937 offers the camera for ¥48.80 (case included) and the Picny lens hood for ¥1.20. The distributor is the camera counter of the Mitsukoshi department store (三越写真機売場, Mitsukoshi Shashinki Uriba). In an advertisement dated February 1938, the price has risen to ¥58 and the following accessories are listed:

• lens cap (¥0.20);
• filter holder (¥1.20);
• lens hood (¥1.50);
• ever ready case (¥3.60).

Nickel finish

The camera was later sold in nickel-plated finish. All the examples observed have an added distant release connector on the left of the shutter housing.

Picny E

The nickel finished model appeared as the Picny E (ピクニーE型) in advertisements dated December 1939 and April 1940, at the price of ¥62. In the early one, the camera was announced as newly available and the following features are mentioned:

• red window covers;
• lighter color of the red windows to make the numbers more easily readable;
• new construction allowing easier film loading.

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. Item 192. (See also the picture on p. 11.)
• 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). P. 51.
• 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. 692.
• 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 3045–6.

Links

• Picny (black) in the Mediajoy Classic Camera website, follow the "Next" links to have an illustrated operating manual
• Picny (black) in Kamada Tetsuya's blog
• Picny (black) in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology
• Advertisements reproduced in the Japanese camera page and the small format camera page of the Gochamaze website:
  • Advertisement for the Picny, published in the 24 March 1937 and 2 February 1938 issues of Asahi Graph
  • Advertisement for the Boltax and Picny, published in the 5 October 1938 issue of Asahi Graph (on the left, only briefly mentions the Picny)
  • Advertisement for the Picny E, published in the 20 December 1939 and 24 April 1940 issues of Asahi Graph

This is confirmed by an advertisement dated September 1947 for the Picny B, where it is stated that Miyagawa Seisakusho was the maker of the earlier Picny and Boltax.

Dates: Kokusan kamera no rekishi mentions advertisements dated 1935 to 1938 but the Gochamaze website reproduces advertisements dated as late as 1940. This page of the JCII gives October 1935 as the release month but Lewis, p. 51, says 1934.

Sugiyama, item 3046, says that the black model came later in 1940 but this is a mistake.

March 1937 advertisement published in the 24 March 1937 issue of Asahi Graph, reproduced in the Gochamaze website. August 1937 advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 85.

Advertisement published in the 2 February 1938 issue of Asahi Graph, reproduced in the Gochamaze website.

Two other accessories are indicated but this is hardly legible. One concerns the ever ready case and cost ¥0.35 and the other is perhaps a picture album and cost ¥1.50.

Advertisements published in the 20 December 1939 and 24 April 1940 issues of Asahi Graph, reproduced in the Gochamaze website.