Difference between revisions of "Prince Peerless"

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{{Japanese plate folding bed}}
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The '''Prince Peerless''' is a Japanese 6.5×9 folding plate camera sold from 1934, certainly by the distributor [[Fukada|Fukada Shōkai]], owner of the Prince brand name and of the ''P.C.W.'' logo found on an advertisement.<REF> Release date: Lewis, p.48, where the camera is attributed to Fukada Shōkai and mistakenly called "Price Peerless". ''P.C.W.'' logo visible in the advertisement dated July 1935 reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.90. </REF> Some modern sources attribute the camera to [[Fujimoto]], which later manufactured the [[Semi Prince]] for Fukada, but this is unconfirmed.<REF> Attribution to [[Fujimoto]]: {{Sugiyama}}, item 1227, {{McKeown}}, p.331. </REF>
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The '''Prince Peerless''' is a Japanese 6.5×9 folding plate camera sold from 1934, probably by the distributor [[Fukada|Fukada Shōkai]], owner of the Prince brand name and of the ''P.C.W.'' logo found on an advertisement.<REF> Release date: Lewis, p.48, where the camera is attributed to Fukada Shōkai and mistakenly called "Price Peerless". ''P.C.W.'' logo visible in the advertisement dated July 1935 reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.90. </REF> Some modern sources attribute the camera to [[Fujimoto]], which later manufactured the [[Semi Prince]] for Fukada, but this is unconfirmed.<REF> Attribution to [[Fujimoto]]: {{SUG}}, item 1227, {{MK}}, p.331. </REF>
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''(See the [[Prince]] page for a discussion of the various cameras with that name.)''
  
 
== Description of the body ==
 
== Description of the body ==
The Prince Peerless is a copy of the [[Plan Primar]], a German camera made by [[Bentzin]]. The metal body is very thin when folded, with a bulging folding bed. A nameplate is riveted inside, marked ''PRINCE PEERLESS'' and ''MADE IN JAPAN''.
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The Prince Peerless is a copy of the Plan Primar, a German camera made by [[Bentzin]]. The metal body is very thin when folded, with a bulging folding bed. A nameplate is riveted inside, marked ''PRINCE PEERLESS'' and ''MADE IN JAPAN''.
  
 
There is a swivelling [[brilliant finder]] attached to the front standard. This brilliant finder must be folded flat to fit in the very thin body, as appears in [http://minosan05.cocolog-nifty.com/syasin/2006/03/prince_peerless.html this page by Minosan]. There is also a folding frame finder made of two parts: a wireframe attached to the lens standard and a simple pin articulated to the body. There is a handle on top of the body and the folding bed release is placed on the same side as the frame finder. There is a tripod screw on the opposite side and another one under the body.
 
There is a swivelling [[brilliant finder]] attached to the front standard. This brilliant finder must be folded flat to fit in the very thin body, as appears in [http://minosan05.cocolog-nifty.com/syasin/2006/03/prince_peerless.html this page by Minosan]. There is also a folding frame finder made of two parts: a wireframe attached to the lens standard and a simple pin articulated to the body. There is a handle on top of the body and the folding bed release is placed on the same side as the frame finder. There is a tripod screw on the opposite side and another one under the body.
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Focusing is done by a small wheel on the right of the folding bed, with a focusing scale on the left. It seems that some limited vertical movement is available, and a spirit level is attached to the brilliant finder support.
 
Focusing is done by a small wheel on the right of the folding bed, with a focusing scale on the left. It seems that some limited vertical movement is available, and a spirit level is attached to the brilliant finder support.
  
== Lens and shutter equipment ==
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== Commercial life ==
The lens and shutter combinations include:
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The advertisement in the July 1935 issue of {{ACA}} says that the Prince Peerless was available from ¥78 in several versions, but it does not give a list.<REF> Advertisement reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.90. </REF> The last reported advertisement for the Prince Peerless is dated October 1936.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.340. </REF>
* Radionar 10.5cm f/4.5 lens by [[Schneider]], [[Perfect]] shutter (1–200, B, T) by [[Neumann & Heilemann]];<REF> Example pictured in {{Sugiyama}}, item 1227. Combination also reported in Lewis, p.48, and in {{Kokusan}}, p.340. </REF>
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* Radionar 10.5cm f/4.5 lens by Schneider, [[Compur]] shutter (T, B, 1–250) speeds;<REF> Example pictured in [http://minosan05.cocolog-nifty.com/syasin/2006/03/prince_peerless.html this page by Minosan], example pictured in [http://asahide.zdap.jp/hcla02/htakat07.htm this page of the Nagoya Club website], example pictured in Lewis, p.48, and example observed in an online auction. </REF>
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== Actual examples ==
* Tessar f/4.5 lens by [[Carl Zeiss]], Compur shutter.<REF> Combination reported in Lewis, p.48. one example with a Tessar 12cm f/4.5 and a Compur has been observed in an online auction, but the Compur has a ''Zeiss–Ikon'' plate screwed at the top and is perhaps not original. </REF>
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Actual examples have been observed with the following lens and shutter combinations:
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* [[Schneider]] Radionar 10.5cm f/4.5 lens, [[Perfect]] shutter (1–200, B, T) by [[Neumann & Heilemann]];<REF> Example pictured in {{SUG}}, item 1227, and example observed in an online auction. Combination also reported in Lewis, p.48, and in {{Kokusan}}, p.340. </REF>
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* [[Schneider]] Radionar 10.5cm f/4.5 lens, [[Compur]] shutter (T, B, 1–250).<REF> Example pictured in [http://minosan05.cocolog-nifty.com/syasin/2006/03/prince_peerless.html this page by Minosan], example pictured in Lewis, p.48, example observed in a Japanese website which is currently dead, and example observed in an online auction. </REF>
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Serial numbers for the Radionar lens are known in the 588xxx range.<REF> Examples observed in online auctions. </REF>
  
The advertisement in the July 1935 issue of ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' says that the Prince Peerless was available from ¥78 in several versions, but it does not give a list.<REF> Advertisement reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.90. </REF> The last reported advertisement for the Prince Peerless is dated October 1936.<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.340. </REF>
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The combination of a [[Carl Zeiss]] Tessar f/4.5 lens and a [[Compur]] shutter has been reported too, but it is unconfirmed.<REF> Combination reported in Lewis, p.48. One example has been observed in an online auction with a Tessar 12cm f/4.5 and a Compur, but the shutter has a ''Zeiss–Ikon'' plate screwed above the lens and an added ASA synch socket, and the lens and shutter unit is surely not original. </REF>
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==
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In Japanese:
 
In Japanese:
 
* [http://minosan05.cocolog-nifty.com/syasin/2006/03/prince_peerless.html Prince Peerless] at [http://minosan05.cocolog-nifty.com/ Minosan's website]
 
* [http://minosan05.cocolog-nifty.com/syasin/2006/03/prince_peerless.html Prince Peerless] at [http://minosan05.cocolog-nifty.com/ Minosan's website]
* [http://asahide.zdap.jp/hcla02/htakat07.htm Prince Peerless and Plan Primar] at [http://asahide.zdap.jp/ Nagoya's Camera Club]
 
  
 
[[Category: Japanese 6.5x9 folding]]
 
[[Category: Japanese 6.5x9 folding]]

Latest revision as of 11:39, 10 November 2015

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Japanese plate cameras, folding bed (edit)
No.0 (4×5cm) Alpha | Sweet | Pony Sweet | Taishō-shiki
atom (4.5×6cm) Monarch | Need | Palma
meishi (5.5×8cm) Eagle | Idea A | Idea B | Idea Snap | Idea No.1 | Iris | Lily (horizontal) | Pearl No.3 | Special Camera | Venis | X
daimeishi (6.5×9cm) Apollo | Arcadia | Crite | Special East | Eaton | Elliotte | First | First Etui | Gold | Happy | Hope | Idea No.1 | Idea (metal) | Kinka | Kokka | Lily (horizontal) | Lily (metal) | Tropical Lily | Lloyd | Lomax | Masnette | Mikuni | Need | Nifca Klapp | Nifca Sport | Ohca | Palma | Peter | Prince | Prince Peerless | Proud | Romax | Rosen | Rubies | Sirius | Sun | Super | Tokiwa | Venus | Weha Idea | Weha Light
tefuda (8×10.5cm) Eagle | Idea A | Idea B | Idea No.1 | Idea (metal) | Iris | Lily (original) | Lily (horizontal) | Lily (metal) | Palma | Pearl No.3, No.4 | Minimum Pearl | Special Pearl | Sakura Palace | Sakura Pocket Prano | Star | Tokiwa | Weha
nimaigake (8×12cm) Eagle | Idea | Idea Binocular | Sakura Prano | Sakura Binocular Prano | Star Premo
hagaki (8×14cm) Eagle | Noble | Pearl No.3, No.4 | Star
kabine (12×16.5cm) Idea | Noble | Sakura Prano | Star Premo
Japanese plate film: monocular, box, strut-folding and SLR ->
3×4 and 4×4, 4×5 and 4×6.5, 4.5×6, 6×6 and 6×9 ->

The Prince Peerless is a Japanese 6.5×9 folding plate camera sold from 1934, probably by the distributor Fukada Shōkai, owner of the Prince brand name and of the P.C.W. logo found on an advertisement.[1] Some modern sources attribute the camera to Fujimoto, which later manufactured the Semi Prince for Fukada, but this is unconfirmed.[2]

(See the Prince page for a discussion of the various cameras with that name.)

Description of the body

The Prince Peerless is a copy of the Plan Primar, a German camera made by Bentzin. The metal body is very thin when folded, with a bulging folding bed. A nameplate is riveted inside, marked PRINCE PEERLESS and MADE IN JAPAN.

There is a swivelling brilliant finder attached to the front standard. This brilliant finder must be folded flat to fit in the very thin body, as appears in this page by Minosan. There is also a folding frame finder made of two parts: a wireframe attached to the lens standard and a simple pin articulated to the body. There is a handle on top of the body and the folding bed release is placed on the same side as the frame finder. There is a tripod screw on the opposite side and another one under the body.

Focusing is done by a small wheel on the right of the folding bed, with a focusing scale on the left. It seems that some limited vertical movement is available, and a spirit level is attached to the brilliant finder support.

Commercial life

The advertisement in the July 1935 issue of Asahi Camera says that the Prince Peerless was available from ¥78 in several versions, but it does not give a list.[3] The last reported advertisement for the Prince Peerless is dated October 1936.[4]

Actual examples

Actual examples have been observed with the following lens and shutter combinations:

Serial numbers for the Radionar lens are known in the 588xxx range.[7]

The combination of a Carl Zeiss Tessar f/4.5 lens and a Compur shutter has been reported too, but it is unconfirmed.[8]

Notes

  1. Release date: Lewis, p.48, where the camera is attributed to Fukada Shōkai and mistakenly called "Price Peerless". P.C.W. logo visible in the advertisement dated July 1935 reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.90.
  2. Attribution to Fujimoto: Sugiyama, item 1227, McKeown, p.331.
  3. Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.90.
  4. Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.340.
  5. Example pictured in Sugiyama, item 1227, and example observed in an online auction. Combination also reported in Lewis, p.48, and in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.340.
  6. Example pictured in this page by Minosan, example pictured in Lewis, p.48, example observed in a Japanese website which is currently dead, and example observed in an online auction.
  7. Examples observed in online auctions.
  8. Combination reported in Lewis, p.48. One example has been observed in an online auction with a Tessar 12cm f/4.5 and a Compur, but the shutter has a Zeiss–Ikon plate screwed above the lens and an added ASA synch socket, and the lens and shutter unit is surely not original.

Bibliography

Links

In Japanese: