Poppy
The Poppy is a Japanese subminiature camera using 16mm film, made by Shin Nippon Kōgyō, successor of Kigawa in the late 1940s or early 1950s.
See also the Poppy Six 6×6 folder made by the same company.
Description
The Poppy has a vertical shape, reminding a miniature movie camera, with a dull metal finish all around. The tubular finder is integrated at the top, and its front window is surrounded by a POPPY nameplate, of the same type as used on the Poppy Six II. The fixed Erinar Anastigmat 2.2cm f/2.8 lens is focused by turning the rim, engraved in feet. (The same Erinar lens brand was used on many other cameras by Kigawa and Shin Nippon.) The aperture is adjusted from 2.8 to 6.3 by a wheel placed under the lens, geared to another wheel surrounding the lens barrel.
The shutter is tripped by a hemispheric button on the photographer's right, surrounded by a speed selector with 50, 25 and B positions. No shutter cocking control is visible. The film is advanced by a knob placed under the shutter release, inscribed SHIN NIPPON at the top. It has numbers engraved on the rim, certainly functioning as an exposure counter.
Bibliography
- 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.890.
- Pritchard, Michael and St. Denny, Douglas. Spy Cameras — A century of detective and subminiature cameras. London: Classic Collection Publications, 1993. ISBN 1-874485-00-3. P.73.
The Poppy is not listed in Sugiyama or in Kokusan kamera no rekishi.
Links
In English:
- Poppy (text only) at www.submin.com
- Brief mention of the Poppy among 16mm film cameras at Subclub.org
