Princeflex

The Princeflex (プリンスフレックス) and Prince Junior (プリンスジュニア) are Japanese 6×6 TLR cameras, distributed from 1953 to 1956 by Mima Shōkai and made by Tōyō Seiki Kōgaku and perhaps later by Cosmo Camera Seisakusho.

The postwar Princeflex has no resemblance to the 1937 Prince Flex. (See the Prince page for a discussion of the various cameras with that name.)

Maker

Advertisements dated September 1953 and September 1954 say that the Princeflex was made by Tōyō Seiki Kōgaku, later advertisements for the Prince Junior dated September and October 1955 and January 1956 do not give the maker's name. It seems that Tōyō Seiki Kōgaku, which was also the maker of the Elbowflex and Elbow Six, changed its name for Cosmo Camera Seisakusho (Kosumo Kamera Seisakusho) in mid-1955. It is thus probable that the Prince Junior was made by Cosmo.

All the advertisements consistently mention the distributor Mima Shōkai. The name "Prince Camera Works" (プリンスカメラワークス, Purinsu Kamera Wākusu) is added above the distributor's name, often associated with a stylized "PCW" logo — just like advertisements for the prewar Prince models. Many sources interpret this as another maker name, but it is most probable that "Prince Camera Works" was not the name of any actual company and was only used in advertising, as was the case before 1945 (see Camera Works).

General description

The Princeflex and Prince Junior are regular copies of the Rolleicord. Focusing is by a knob on the right side, sliding the whole front plate. The film advance knob is on the photographer's right too. There is a magnifying lens and a sports finder in the viewing hood. The name Prince flex or Prince Junior is inscribed on a stepped nameplate above the front plate.

All the models have 80/3.5 viewing and taking lenses. The release button is placed at the bottom of the front standard, actuated by the photographer's right hand fingers.

It is possible that the Elbowflex was based on the Princeflex camera: the two models look very similar and clearly share parts.

Versions

Princeflex

Princeflex, original model, no.1012. (Image rights)

The original Princeflex has knob advance controlled by red window, and it can also take 4.5×6 pictures with a mask. There are two red windows, one for each format, placed side by side at the bottom of the back and protected by a horizontally sliding common cover. The leather case has corresponding holes for the red windows.

The camera has Luminar Anastigmat lenses and a TSK shutter (B, 1–200, self-timer), certainly made by Tōyō Seiki Kōgaku itself. The shutter release has a lock, which seems to consist of a pivoting cover containing a thread for a cable release. The ASA synch post is buried in the front plate, opposite the shutter button. The focusing knob is surrounded by a depth-of-field scale. The camera has no accessory shoe. It seems that the lenses can take push-on filters of two different diameters, as on most Elbowflex cameras.

The company name and the serial number are engraved under the Prince flex name plate. The name Princeflex is embossed at the top of the leather case, and a logo certainly reading TSK is embossed at the front.

The original Princeflex was first announced in July 1953, and was advertised in Japanese photography magazines for about a year starting from the August 1953 issues. Those reproduced below were placed in Asahi Camera by the distributor Mima Shōkai. They mention Tōyō Seiki Kōgaku as the manufacturer, and they display the name "Prince Camera Works" and the "P.C.W." logo. All give the same price of ¥17,000.

September and October 1953	November 1953	January to March 1954	April to June 1954	July and August 1954
'Advertisements for the Princeflex in Asahi Camera. (Image rights)

The camera pictured in this page at yume_camera has body no.1001 and is probably the first produced. It slightly differs by the engraving of the company name, reading TOYOSEIKI OPT.CO.LTD., whereas regular cameras have TOYOSEIKI OPTICAL CO. LTD. instead. The change was applied very soon, and is already visible on body no.1012 whose picture appears on some of the advertisements reproduced above. The highest body number confirmed so far is 1811.

Princeflex 2

The Princeflex 2 or Princeflex II has semi-automatic film advance rather than red windows, as a consequence it has lost the ability to take 4.5×6cm exposures. The advance is unlocked by pressing the center part of the advance knob. There is a round window for an exposure counter at the top of the right-hand plate, and a button next to the focusing knob to engage the exposure counter mechanism. The lenses are Super Luminar 80/3.5. The shutter is the same TSK (B, 1–200) as on the previous model. The release button has a simpler shape, with a soft release thread and what was advertised as an improved shutter lock. It is not known if it has double exposure prevention. The synch post is of the PC type and is buried in the left-hand plate, at the bottom (as on the Prince Junior). There is also an accessory shoe on the left plate. The back latch has changed, it is now the same as on the early Elbowflex (see for example here at Minosan's blog). This model, unlike others, has a P.C.W. logo above the viewing hood. It seems to have the same TOYOSEIKI OPTICAL CO. LTD. and serial number engraving as the original model.

The Princeflex 2 was advertised in Japanese photo magazines dated from September 1954 to April 1955. In an advertisement dated September 1954, it was offered for ¥18,000. Only one surviving example has been observed so far, with its original box marked Prince FLEX MODEL II.

Prince Junior

The Prince Junior was introduced as a less expensive camera (¥9,500). It has semi-automatic film advance with an exposure counter, the same as the Princeflex 2. There is no depth-of-field scale and no soft release connector. The accessory shoe and PC synch post are placed the same as on the Princeflex 2. The back latch has changed again, and it is the same as on the late Elbowflex. The serial number is engraved above the Prince Junior nameplate, and the company name has disappeared.

The Prince Junior has J-Luminar 8cm f/3.5 viewing and taking lenses and normally has a Ceres shutter (B, 1–300). The chrome lens cap covers both lenses and is engraved Prince on the upper part.

This model was advertised in Japanese photo magazines dated from September 1955 to April 1956. The advertisement placed in the September 1955 issue of Asahi Camera shows some sort of lottery: people were asked to guess the camera's release price, and among the correct answers, three people would win a Prince Junior. The answers would be collected until August 15th, and the correct answer would be published in the October 1955 issue of the magazine. The advertisement published the following month in the same magazine indeed shows the price of ¥9,500, a sure indication that the TLR boom was close to the end. The advertisement placed in the January 1956 issue says that the Prince Junior "is not above Rollei, but the results are the same" (ローライ以上とは申しませんが写した結果は同じです！).

The original Prince Junior is normally found with the Ceres shutter, but at least one isolated example is known with a Rectus shutter (perhaps B, 1–300) and J-Luminar lenses. Body numbers are known in the 6xxx, 7xxx and 9xxx range, accounting for a total production of about 10,000 units. It is not known if this total includes other models made by Tōyō Seiki Kōgaku, such as the Elbowflex or Easternflex.

Prince Junior, capital letters

Prince Junior, capital letters, Rectus shutter (B, 1–300), Tri-Lausar Anastigmat 8cm f/3.5 taking lens no.555086, Tri-Lausar Viewer 8cm f/3.5 viewing lens no.555429. Pictures by Hans Kerensky. (Image rights)

All the Prince Junior observed so far correspond to the above description, but for a few examples. They differ from the above model in the shape of the main body, strap lugs and back latch, in the position of the exposure counter and in details of the viewing hood. The name PRINCE JUNIOR is written in capital letters on a different nameplate.

The shutter is a Rectus (B, 1–300) and the lenses are Tri-Lausar 8cm f/3.5 made by Tomioka. At least example one has a serial number engraved above the nameplate, apparently consisting of five digits, either because the original number sequence went past 10000 or because this camera was numbered in a different sequence. The others have no serial number anywhere.

Bibliography

Original documents

• Asahi Camera. Advertisements by Mima Shōkai:
  • September 1953, p.67;
  • October 1953, p.61;
  • November 1953, p.141;
  • January 1954, p.184;
  • February 1954, p.104;
  • March 1954, p.92;
  • April 1954, p.173;
  • May 1954, p.103;
  • June 1954, p.107;
  • July 1954, p.114;
  • August 1954, p.52.

Recent sources

• 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. Items 792–4.
• 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). Pp.82 and 88 (brief mentions only).
• 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.803.
• 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. Item 2225.
• Takasaki Akio (高崎晶夫). "Kokusan 6×6cm-han nigan-refu A to Z" (国産6×6cm判二眼レフA to Z, Japanese 6×6cm TLR A to Z). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.49, December 1998. ISBN 4-257-13022-9. Amerika-sei 35mm renzu-shattā kamera (アメリカ製35mmレンズシャッターカメラ, issue about American 35mm lens-shutter cameras). Pp.64–73. (Shows no picture of the Princeflex or Prince Junior.)

Links

In English:

• Pages at Barry Toogood's tlr-cameras.com:
  • Princeflex I among wanted Japanese cameras
  • Prince Junior among various Japanese TLRs

In Japanese:

• Prince Junior at Nigan riteihyō
• Prince Junior page and Princeflex specs at Japan Family Camera
• Prewar Prince Flex and postwar Princeflex at yume_camera (the company name Tōyō Kōki, 東洋光機, is a mistake)
• Advertisement for the Princeflex dated 1954, reproduced in Shashin-Bako