Difference between revisions of "Rorox and Shinko Baby"

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{{Japanese Baby and Four}}
 
{{Japanese Baby and Four}}
The '''Rorox''' is a Japanese camera taking 3&times;4cm exposures on [[127 film]]. It is only known from an entry in {{McKeown}}. It seems that it was made by a company called [[Shinko|Shinko Seiki]], probably in the late prewar period.<REF> McKeown, p.&nbsp;891, says 1939 but this is unconfirmed. </REF>
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The '''Rorox''' is a Japanese camera taking 3&times;4cm exposures on [[127 film]]. It is only known from entries in {{McKeown}}.<REF> McKeown, pp.&nbsp;860 and 891, curiously does not make a link between the two versions of the camera. </REF> It was perhaps by a company called [[Shinko|Shinko Seiki]], probably in the late prewar period.<REF> McKeown, p.&nbsp;891, says 1939 but this is unconfirmed. </REF>
  
== Description of the body ==
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== General description ==
The Rorox has a metal body and a telescopic tube supporting the lens and shutter assembly. It seems that this tube is mounted on a focusing helical.
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Two examples of the Rorox are known. Both have a metal body and a telescopic tube supporting the lens and shutter assembly. The advance knob is at the right end of the top plate and there is an accessory shoe at the left end.
  
The top plate is engraved ''ROROX 3x4 SHINKO''. It supports the advance knob on the right end. The eye-level viewfinder is in the middle, it is contained in a housing extending to the left end of the top plate. This housing contains an additional [[brilliant finder]] and supports an accessory shoe.
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== Single finder, front-cell focusing ==
 +
The '''first example''' has an eye-level finder contained in a small prismatic housing offset to the left. The accessory shoe is supported by a small stepped part attached to the left end of the top plate. The name ''ROROX'' and the format ''3X4'' are engraved on the top plate, to the right of the viewfinder. Something else is engraved too, perhaps the serial number.
 +
 
 +
It seems that the back is fixed and that film is loaded through the bottom plate.
 +
 
 +
The shutter gives T, B, 5&ndash;200 speeds and it is tripped by a lever on the shutter housing. The shutter plate is marked ''ROROX'' at the top and something beginning with ''PATENT'' at the bottom. The front-cell focusing lens is engraved ''ROROX ANASTIGMAT 1:4.5 F=5.0cm N°0002''. The serial number seems to indicate that the camera is a prototype.
 +
 
 +
== Dual finder, unit focusing ==
 +
The '''second example''' has a focusing helical at the base of the telescopic tube. The advance knob is the same but it is mounted on a conical base protruding from the top plate. The eye-level finder, in the middle of the top plate, is contained in a top housing extending to the left end, that also contains an additional [[brilliant finder]] and supports the accessory shoe. The name ''ROROX 3x4 SHINKO'' is engraved on the top plate between the viewfinder and the advance knob.
  
 
It seems that the back is removed together with the bottom plate for film loading.
 
It seems that the back is removed together with the bottom plate for film loading.
  
== Lens and shutter equipment ==
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The shutter gives T, B, 5&ndash;200 speeds. The shutter plate is marked ''SHINKO'' at the top and ''SHINKO SEIKI'' in small letters at the bottom. There is a logo on the right whose meaning is unclear. The release lever is on the shutter housing itself.
The only known example of the Rorox has a shutter giving T, B, 5&ndash;200 speeds. The shutter plate is marked ''SHINKO'' at the top and ''SHINKO SEIKI'' in small letters at the bottom. There is a logo on the right whose meaning is unclear. The release lever is on the shutter housing itself.
 
  
The lens is a Shinko-Anastigmat 50mm f/4.5 and the aperture scale is above the shutter housing.
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The lens is engraved ''Shinko-Anastigmat 1:4.5 f=50mm N°2729'' and the aperture scale is above the shutter housing.
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==
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== Bibliography ==
 
== Bibliography ==
* {{McKeown12}} P.&nbsp;891.
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* {{McKeown12}} Pp.&nbsp;860 and 891.
 
This camera is not listed in {{Kokusan}} nor in {{Sugiyama}}.
 
This camera is not listed in {{Kokusan}} nor in {{Sugiyama}}.
  
 
[[Category: Japanese 3x4 viewfinder]]
 
[[Category: Japanese 3x4 viewfinder]]
 
[[Category: R]]
 
[[Category: R]]

Revision as of 13:43, 21 January 2007

Japanese Baby (3×4) and Four (4×4) (edit)
folding
3×4 Baby Balnet | Doris | Baby Doris | Baby Germa | Kinsi | Baby Leotax | Loren | Baby Lyra | Baby Pearl | Baby Pilot | Baby Rosen | Baby Suzuka | Walz
4×4 Adler Four | Rosen Four
rigid or collapsible
3×4 Baika | Baby Chrome | Comet | Cyclon | Gelto | Baby Germa | Gokoku | Hamond | Baby Hawk | Kinka Lucky | Lausar | Light | Baby Light | Molby | Mulber | Olympic | Baby Ōso | Peacock | Picny | Ricohl | Rorox | Shinko Baby | Slick | Baby Sport | Tsubasa Arawashi | Baby Uirus | Zessan
3.5×4 Kenko 35
4×4 Alma Four | Andes Four | Anny 44 | Arsen | Balnet Four | Bonny Four | Freude | Kalimar 44 | Auto Keef | Kraft | Letix | Mykey-4 | Olympic Four | Roico | Royal Senior | Seica | Terra Junior | Vero Four | Welmy 44 | Yashica Future 127
unknown
Baby First | Baby Lyra Flex
Japanese SLR, TLR, pseudo TLR and stereo models ->
Japanese 4×5 and 4×6.5, 4.5×6, 6×6 and 6×9 ->

The Rorox is a Japanese camera taking 3×4cm exposures on 127 film. It is only known from entries in McKeown.[1] It was perhaps by a company called Shinko Seiki, probably in the late prewar period.[2]

General description

Two examples of the Rorox are known. Both have a metal body and a telescopic tube supporting the lens and shutter assembly. The advance knob is at the right end of the top plate and there is an accessory shoe at the left end.

Single finder, front-cell focusing

The first example has an eye-level finder contained in a small prismatic housing offset to the left. The accessory shoe is supported by a small stepped part attached to the left end of the top plate. The name ROROX and the format 3X4 are engraved on the top plate, to the right of the viewfinder. Something else is engraved too, perhaps the serial number.

It seems that the back is fixed and that film is loaded through the bottom plate.

The shutter gives T, B, 5–200 speeds and it is tripped by a lever on the shutter housing. The shutter plate is marked ROROX at the top and something beginning with PATENT at the bottom. The front-cell focusing lens is engraved ROROX ANASTIGMAT 1:4.5 F=5.0cm N°0002. The serial number seems to indicate that the camera is a prototype.

Dual finder, unit focusing

The second example has a focusing helical at the base of the telescopic tube. The advance knob is the same but it is mounted on a conical base protruding from the top plate. The eye-level finder, in the middle of the top plate, is contained in a top housing extending to the left end, that also contains an additional brilliant finder and supports the accessory shoe. The name ROROX 3x4 SHINKO is engraved on the top plate between the viewfinder and the advance knob.

It seems that the back is removed together with the bottom plate for film loading.

The shutter gives T, B, 5–200 speeds. The shutter plate is marked SHINKO at the top and SHINKO SEIKI in small letters at the bottom. There is a logo on the right whose meaning is unclear. The release lever is on the shutter housing itself.

The lens is engraved Shinko-Anastigmat 1:4.5 f=50mm N°2729 and the aperture scale is above the shutter housing.

Notes

  1. McKeown, pp. 860 and 891, curiously does not make a link between the two versions of the camera.
  2. McKeown, p. 891, says 1939 but this is unconfirmed.

Bibliography

This camera is not listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi nor in Sugiyama.