Pilot Six
The Pilot Six (パイロットシックス) is a Japanese 6×6 folder, made by Tachibana Shōkai.[1] It was announced in 1940 and 1941 and sold from 1942.[2]
Description
The Pilot Six is a horizontal folding camera, copied from the Ikonta B. It has a folding frame finder in the middle of the top plate, a body release on the right and a key at the top left to advance the film. There are strap lugs at both ends of the top plate. The back is hinged to the right.
Advertisements and other documents
The camera was announced in late 1940.[3] It was mentioned as "available soon" (近日発売) with a choice of f/4.5 or f/3.5 lens in an advertisement dated January 1941.[4] In an advertisement dated September 1941, it was presented as "long awaited" (待望), with two lens options (f/4.5 and f/3.5, both called Pilot Anastigmat) and three shutter options (T, B, 5–200; T, B, 1–300 and T, B, 1–300 with selftimer, all three called Pilot).[5]
In advertisements dated February 1942, the Pilot Six was offered in two versions, both with a Pilot shutter giving T, B, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 speeds:[6]
The Pilot Six was still mentioned in the "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943, again in two versions with f/4.5 or f/3.5 lens and T, B, 5–200 speeds.[7] The two lenses have three elements and were made by Sugimoto, as well as the shutter called "Pilot Six I".[8]
Notes
- ↑ Made by Tachibana: advertisements published in Asahi Camera January and September 1941, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 83, say that Tachibana was the maker and distributor of the Pilot cameras: "パイロツト写真用品製造発売元". This is also confirmed by the "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), items 82–3.
- ↑ Dates : Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 339.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 339.
- ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 83.
- ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 83.
- ↑ Advertisement published in Shashin Bunka February 1942, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 83. Advertisement published in Asahi Camera February 1942, visible in this page of Xylocopal's photolog.
- ↑ "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), items 168–9.
- ↑ "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), lens items Lb12 and Lc21, shutter item 18-U-8.
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 177.
- "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" (国産写真機ノ現状調査, Inquiry into Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of April 1943. Reproduced in Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no shōkai to tsukaikata (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の紹介と使い方, Let's try spring cameras: Presentation and use of 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4-87956-072-3. Pp.180–7. Items 82–3.
The Pilot Six is not listed in Sugiyama.
Links
In Japanese
- Advertisement for the Pilot Six published in Asahi Camera February 1942, visible in this page about old camera magazines of Xylocopal's photolog