Difference between revisions of "Romax plate folder"
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The '''Romax''' is a Japanese 6.5×9cm plate folder, about which little is known. It is attributed to [[Petri|Kuribayashi]] by Baird, for an unknown reason.<REF> Baird, pp.15 and 59. </REF> It was most certainly distributed by [[Misuzu Shōkai]], which previously distributed a [[Nifca and Molta plate folders|Lomax]], name variant of the [[Nifca and Molta plate folders|Sirius]] by [[Minolta|Molta]] — "Lomax" and "Romax" are alternate spellings of the same Japanese name ロマックス (''Romakkusu''). | The '''Romax''' is a Japanese 6.5×9cm plate folder, about which little is known. It is attributed to [[Petri|Kuribayashi]] by Baird, for an unknown reason.<REF> Baird, pp.15 and 59. </REF> It was most certainly distributed by [[Misuzu Shōkai]], which previously distributed a [[Nifca and Molta plate folders|Lomax]], name variant of the [[Nifca and Molta plate folders|Sirius]] by [[Minolta|Molta]] — "Lomax" and "Romax" are alternate spellings of the same Japanese name ロマックス (''Romakkusu''). | ||
Revision as of 22:58, 17 April 2008
The Romax is a Japanese 6.5×9cm plate folder, about which little is known. It is attributed to Kuribayashi by Baird, for an unknown reason.[1] It was most certainly distributed by Misuzu Shōkai, which previously distributed a Lomax, name variant of the Sirius by Molta — "Lomax" and "Romax" are alternate spellings of the same Japanese name ロマックス (Romakkusu).
Some sources say that the Romax was released in 1934.[2] The camera was recently listed in the official chronology of Misuzu Shōkai as released in 1938, but this was probably a mistake.[3]
Baird reports that the camera was offered with Radionar or Trinar lenses in f/6.3 or f/4.5 aperture.[4] The only surviving example observed so far is pictured in the same source.[5] It has a die-cast metal body, double extension bellows driven by a small wheel on the photographer's right, a distance scale on the left and vertical and horizontal movement ability. It visibly had a brilliant finder and wireframe finder, which are now missing. Its shutter is a dial-set Vario (25, 50, 100, B, T) and its lens is a Radionar f/4.5. However the lens front cell rotates for focusing and has a distance scale engraved on the rim. Front-cell focusing lenses are normally not mounted on a plate folder, which has its own focusing device, and we can suspect that the lens and shutter assembly is not original. Another anomaly is that Baird describes the Romax as a "basic, inexpensive model" in the text, whereas the pictured camera has expensive features such as double extension bellows and movements in two directions. The name Romax is not directly visible on the pictured example, and pictures were perhaps swapped by mistake.
McKeown shows the same picture and reports the camera with the following lens and shutter combinations:[6]
- Trinar f/6.3 (by Rodenstock), Vario;
- Radionar f/4.5 (by Schneider), Compur;
- State Anastigmat f/4.5 (by Tōkyō Kōgaku), Magna.
The pictured combination is not mentioned in the text, perhaps because of the doubts on its authenticity exposed above.
One 6.5×9cm plate folder is presented as a Mikuni in this page at Handmade and Classic Camera. It has an Amigo-Anastigmat 10.5cm f/4.5 and a rim-set Compur shutter. It is not known if the identification as a Mikuni is confirmed by a marking on the camera itself or if this is a mere guess. The body significantly differs from the illustrations of a Mikuni found in original advertisements (see the corresponding page), and it is very similar to the camera pictured in Baird and McKeown as a Romax: it has the same folding struts and focusing rails, and the front standard has strong similarities.[7]
Notes
- ↑ Baird, pp.15 and 59.
- ↑ Baird, p.59; McKeown, p.576. Lewis, p.48, gives the Romax in a list of cameras released in 1933 and 1934.
- ↑ Chronology of the Misuzu official website (web archive version Sep 24, 2004).
- ↑ Baird, p.59.
- ↑ Picture in Baird, p.59, reproduced in McKeown, p.576.
- ↑ McKeown, p.576.
- ↑ Romax pictured in Baird, p.59, and in McKeown, p.576.
Bibliography
- Baird, John R. Collectors guide to Kuribayashi-Petri Cameras. Grantsburg, WI (USA): Centennial Photo Service, 1991. ISBN 0-931838-16-9. Pp.15 and 59.
- 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). P.48 (brief mention 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.576.
The Romax is not listed in Sugiyama.
Links
In Japanese:
- Mikuni or Romax camera with Amigo lens and Compur shutter, at Handmade and Classic Camera
- A web archive version (Sep 24, 2004) of the chronology of the Misuzu Shōkai corporate site, which is now dead. (If the text is garbled rather than Japanese, switch the encoding to Shift-JIS.)
| Kuribayashi prewar and wartime cameras () | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rollfilm folders | ||||
| Eagle | Speed Pocket | First Roll | First Center | Semi First | First Six | Baby Semi First | Semi Rotte | Hokoku | Mizuho | ||||
| plate folders | rigid | SLR | TLR | unknown |
| Mikuni | First | First Etui | Kokka | Romax | Tokiwa | Molby | Speed Reflex | First Reflex | Baby First |
