Sakura Prano and Idea

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This is a work in progress.

The Sakura Prano Portable Camera (さくらプラノ手提暗函)[1] is a Japanese folding camera made from 1907 by Rokuoh-sha, the manufacturing branch of Konishi (predecessor of Konica). It was succeeded by the similar Idea Portable Camera (アイデア手提暗函) in 1909.

The Sakura Prano Portable

The Sakura Prano Portable is a copy of the Rochester Pony Premo. It exists in nimaigake (4×5in) and kabine (12×16.5cm) formats. Focusing is done by a small wheel on the photographer's right. The straight folding struts are maintained in position by a screw. The front standard consists of various parts assembled to form a rectangle, and allows some movements, at least on the more expensive models.[2] The brilliant finder is attached to the folding bed, on the photographer's right, and has a small hood.

The camera was reportedly released in February 1907.[3] One source mentions No.2, No.4 and No.6 models, all of them available both in nimaigake and in kabine formats.[4] It seems that No.6 is distinguished from the other models by its triple extension bellows, but the difference between No.2 and No.4 is unclear.[5] No.2 and No.4 were reportedly sold with a Bausch & Lomb RR f/8 lens and a Gem (ゼム) shutter (T, B, I), whereas No.6 was offered with an Automatic shutter and a Symmetrical lens by Bausch & Lomb for the nimaigake version, and the same shutter and Zeiss or Goerz lenses for the kabine version.[6]

It is said that an improved model was released in January 1908.[7] An advertisement or catalogue entry presents this new model as the Year-Fourty-One Sakura Prano Camera (四十一年さくらプラノカメラ), where "Year-Fourty-One" refers to Meiji year 41, i.e. 1908. It says that the camera received various improvements, but one source says that these improvements were only pretended to lower the price in a competitive context.[8] It also says that the Sakura Prano Portable was made in the company's workshops, but part of the production was certainly assumed by subcontractors.[9] The following versions are listed:

  • No.2, 4×5in, ¥27;
  • No.2, 12×16.5cm, ¥37;
  • No.4, 4×5in, ¥47;
  • No.4, 12×16.5cm, ¥58;
  • No.6, 4×5in, ¥60;
  • No.6, 12×16.5cm, ¥75;
  • No.7, 4×5in, vertical and horizontal movements ¥100;
  • No.7, 12×16.5cm, focal plane shutter ¥135.

The No.7 with focal plane shutter was certainly copied on the Rochester Premo Supreme. All the prices probably include a lens and shutter, but the advertisement does not specify which.[10] It however says that Carl Zeiss, Goerz and Dallmeyer lenses were available on request, and some sources mention Protar and Unar lenses by Carl Zeiss and Dagor and Double Anastigmat lenses by Goerz.[11]

The Sakura Prano Portable was also sold by the Osaka-based Ueda Shashinki-ten. A catalogue by Ueda pictures the Prano No.4 and lists the following versions:[12]

name format price with a lens price with no lens
No.2 4×5in ¥28 ¥18
No.2 12×16.5cm ¥43 ¥28
No.3 4×5in ¥38 ¥22
No.3 12×16.5cm ¥50 ¥30
No.4 4×5in ¥42 ¥26
No.4 12×16.5cm ¥60 ¥35
No.6 4×5in ¥65 ¥40
No.6 12×16.5cm ¥73 ¥48

Notes

  1. The name "Prano" is sometimes written "Plano" by mistake. The two spellings would be pronounced the same in Japanese, but "Prano" is confirmed by an advertisement reproduced in this page at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha.
  2. No movement ability is visible in the drawings in this page and this page of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology, which perhaps show the cheaper No.2 model. Most of the illustrations published in other sources show at least vertical movement ability.
  3. Chronology from the official company history Shashin to tomo ni hyaku-nen, reproduced in Tanaka, p.94 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10. The date is simply given as 1907 in Sakai, p.17 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10, this page and this page of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology, and this page at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha.
  4. Sakai, p.17 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
  5. Sakai, p.17 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
  6. Sakai, p.17 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
  7. Chronology from the official company history Shashin to tomo ni hyaku-nen, reproduced in Tanaka, p.94 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
  8. Received various improvements: 今回更に諸点に改良を加えて. Pretended improvements to lower the price: Sakai, p.10 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
  9. Made in the company's workshops: 本店工場の特製品にして. On subcontractors, see Sakai, p.10 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
  10. The prices are the same as those given in Sakai, p.17 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10, for cameras sold with a lens and shutter.
  11. Sakai, p.17 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10, and this page and this page at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha.
  12. Extract of an Ueda catalogue reproduced in this page at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha.

Bibliography

Links

In Japanese:


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