Prince Flex
The Prince Flex is the first Japanese 6×6 TLR. It was released in 1937, somewhere between July and September, before the Minoltaflex (December).[1] (A year previously, the 4.5×6 Hansa Rollette Ref had been the first TLR shaped Japanese camera, but the viewing lens was not used for focusing.[2]) This camera has no design feature in common with the later Princeflex camera made by either Tōyō Seiki Kōgaku or Prince Camera Works.
The Prince Flex looks somewhat like the first Ikoflex "coffee can" model. It has a Neotar 75/4.5 taking lens, a Radionar f:3.5 viewing lens and a Perfect shutter by Neumann & Heilemann, giving T, B, 1–300 speeds. Focusing is done via a lever on the side of the lens plate, turning a helical that moves the lens plate back and forth. The advance is by knob and red window.
The camera itself is engraved Prince Flex on the viewing hood and Neumann & Heilemann at the top of the front plate. There is another marking above the viewing lens, that could not be deciphered on the few pictures observed, maybe it is the serial number.
It is difficult to know exactly who was the maker of the Prince Flex. The markings on the camera seem to point at Neumann & Heilemann.[3] A rumor says that Neumann & Heilemann merged with the Prince factory and that the Prince Flex was the first resulting product.[4]
Some sources[5] attribute it to Fujimoto, as well as any other camera with the name Prince. This seems to be a confusion originating from the fact the Fujimoto made the Semi Prince folders (see the Prince page).
An advertisement dated September 1937 for both the Prince Flex and the Semi Prince II [6] does not mention either Neumann & Heilemann (although this name is clearly visible within the illustration of the Prince Flex) or Prince Camera Works, instead merely naming Fukada Shōkai as distributor; however, it does show the stylized P.C.W. logo associated with Prince Camera Works. In this advertisement, the camera is announced as a new product but no price is given yet.
The Prince Flex is advertised until 1939[7], and an advertisement dated January[8] offers the camera for ¥198.
Notes
- ↑ July: The Japanese Historical Camera, p. 29 (in Japanese and English); Japanese-only version in this page of the JCII. — August: date of the first advertisement mentioned by Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 340. — September: the Prince Flex is featured in the new products column of Asahi Camera, according to Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 340.
- ↑ The Japanese Historical Camera, p. 23 (in Japanese and English); Japanese-only version in this page of the JCII.
- ↑ The attribution to Neumann & Heilemann is also supported by this page at yume_camera.
- ↑ This is mentioned as a rumor in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 340. However Neumann & Heilemann continued to produce shutters under its own name at least until the war. Maybe it was only its camera department that was merged with Prince.
- ↑ Including McKeown, p. 331.
- ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, and reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 91.
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 340.
- ↑ Published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 91.
Sources / further reading
- 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 229. (See also the picture p. 12 and the discussion p. 439.)
- 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. 331.
- The Japanese Historical Camera. 2nd ed. Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 2004.
Links
In Japanese:
