Samocaflex 35

The Samocaflex 35 (サモカフレックス35) is a Japanese 35mm TLR made by Sanei Sangyō, later Samoca Camera from 1954 to 1957, and distributed by Hattori Tokei-ten.

Description

The Samocaflex 35 is shaped as a conventional 35mm camera with a mirror box and viewing lens grafted above the taking lens. The film runs horizontally in a body made of black plastic. The advance knob is at the right end of the top plate, as seen by the photographer. It has an arrow indicating the turning direction and its base is surrounded by an exposure counter. Next to it are the rewind unlock lever and the shutter release, surrounded by a milled cup (which is sometimes missing on the examples found today). The other end of the top plate has the rewind knob, again with an arrow, and an additional direct vision finder.

The viewing screen has a condenser for a brighter image. The viewing hood has a magnifying lens hinged to the back and the AAA logo of Sanei Sangyō at the front. The model name is engraved to the front of the mirror box, above the viewing lens. The body serial number is engraved above the direct vision finder.

The back is removable together with the bottom plate for film loading, and it is locked in place by two knobs at the bottom. The bottom plate also has a tripod thread and a pivoting arm allowing the camera to stand upright on a table.

The taking and viewing lenses are mounted together on a focusing helical, driven by a tab at the bottom left. The shutter cocking lever is coupled to the film advance via an external linkage at the bottom, and the body release linkage is externally visible too. All the models have B, 1–500 speeds and a PC synch post.

The lens cap is made of black plastic, with the name FLEX SAMOCA 35 moulded on it. The ever-ready case is made of brown leather, embossed SAMOCA–35 REFLEX at the front.

Camera with lens cap. Picture copyright Tsuguhide Nakagi. (Image rights)

The original Samocaflex 35

Features

Seikosha-Rapid shutter, D.Ezumar lenses. Pictures copyright Tsuguhide Nakagi. (Image rights)

The original Samocaflex 35 has a Seikosha-Rapid shutter and normally has a pair of seemingly identical D.Ezumar lenses, engraved SAMOCA CO. D.EZUMAR 1:2.8 50mm No.xxxxx with a red D.

Left: viewing screen with split-image device. Right: magnifying lens in the unfolded position. Pictures copyright Tsuguhide Nakagi. (Image rights)

It is sometimes said that the original version has no split-image device in the focusing screen but a mere cross. This might be true of some cameras, but at least two examples of the original model have been observed with the split-image device.

Documents

The Samocaflex 35 was already announced in the August-September 1954 issue of Ars Camera, and was first advertised in January 1955. In the February 1955 advertisement in Asahi Camera, the company name is Sanei Sangyō and the distributor is Hattori Tokei-ten. The lenses are called C Samoca 50/2.8 and 50/3.5; it is not completely understood if this is a choice of two versions or if the 50/2.8 is the viewing lens and the 50/3.5 the taking lens. The pictured camera has a plain SAMOCAFLEX engraving above the viewing lens and has silver lens bezels. This version has not been observed yet and perhaps corresponds to a prototype.

In the May 1955 advertisement in Asahi Camera, the taking lens is announced as a four-element D.Ezumar 50/2.8, and the viewing lens as a View Ezumar 50/2.8. (The "D" in D.Ezumar was perhaps inspired by the D.Zuiko by Olympus, where the fourth letter of the alphabet is used to indicate the presence of four elements.) The picture shows the SAMOCAFLEX 35 engraving above the viewing lens, and black lens bezels. The company name has become Samoca Camera and the distributor is again Hattori Tokei-ten.

Actual examples

Samocaflex 35 no.55562, D.Ezumar 50mm f/2.8 taking lens no.56071 and viewing lens no.55157, Seikosha-Rapid shutter. Pictures copyright Tsuguhide Nakagi. (Image rights)

Most of the actual examples observed so far have a five or six-digit body number beginning with 55. The prefix "55" probably indicates the release year, the remaining digits being the production number itself. Numbers are known from 55174 to 552641, indicating a production of less than 3,000 units for this first batch. The corresponding lens numbers have five digits in the 55xxx to 59xxx range, perhaps in a single common sequence for the taking and viewing lenses.

Screws at the front and rear, only present on the early examples. Pictures copyright Tsuguhide Nakagi. (Image rights)

On about the first half of the batch, the top plate is retained at the front and rear by four apparent screws, which disappeared on later cameras. At the very end of the batch, example no.552641 has a non standard viewing lens, with no marking and a larger front element.

An isolated camera is known with a six-digit body number beginning with 57, and lens numbers in the 70xxx and 71xxx range, perhaps corresponding to a second batch.

The Samocaflex 35 II

Samocaflex 35 II in Shashin Kōgyō Summer 1957. (Image rights)

The Samocaflex 35 II is similar to the original model but for the Seikosha-MX shutter, with M/X flash synchronization. The name SAMOCAFLEX 35 II is engraved above the viewing lens.

The new model was first advertised in May 1956 and was featured in Japanese magazines dated June 1956. In the July 1956 advertisement in Sankei Camera, the camera is called "Samocaflex-35 Automat" (サモカフレックス-35オートマット), the lenses are D.Ezumar 50/2.8 and the price is ¥18,000, including the leather case. Two dedicated close-up attachments are listed: the Proxar no.2 for pictures from 15 to 28 inches and the Proxar no.3 for pictures from 10 to 15 inches, at ¥1,600 each. It is said that these attachments include a parallax-correcting element for the viewing lens.

The last reported advertisement is dated May 1957. The Samocaflex 35 II is listed again in the Summer 1957 special issue of Shashin Kōgyō on Japanese cameras, at an unchanged price. This is the last known mention of the camera.

The lens numbers observed so far on the Samocaflex 35 II have five digits in the 70xxx range.

Bibliography

• 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 531 and 1306.
• Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Nigan-refu sutairu no 35mm-han LS-kamera: Samokafurekkusu 35" (二眼レフスタイルの35mm判LSカメラ・サモカフレックス35, The Samocaflex 35, a 35mm leaf-shuttered camera of TLR style.) 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.35, November 1995. Nihon no kamera 50nen (日本のカメラ50年, special issue on 50 years of Japanese cameras). P.148.
• Kuno Mikio (久野幹雄). "35mm-han nigan-refu no sekai" (35mm判二眼レフの世界, The world of 35mm TLRs.) 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.10, September 1987. No ISBN number. Konishiroku kamera no rekishi (小西六カメラの歴史, special issue on Konishiroku). Pp.128–30.
• 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.869.
• Shashin Kōgyō no.63 (Summer 1957). "Nihon no kamera zenbō: 35-miri kamera renzu shatā tsuki" (日本のカメラ全貌・35ミリカメラ・レンズシャター付, Panorama of Japanese cameras: 35mm cameras with lens shutter.) P.111.
• 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. Items 3758–9.
• Watakushi no ni-gan-refu kamera-ten (私の二眼レフカメラ展, Exhibition of twin lens reflex cameras). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 1992. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number.) P.31.

Links

In English:

• History of the 35mm TLR in John Marriage's Photo-history pages
• 35mm TLR at Massimo Bertacchi's Innovative cameras, also reproduced here at Fotografia e Reflex (these pages are based on the above article by John Marriage)
• Past auctions by Auction Team Breker:
  • Samocaflex 35: lot no.65 of the April 30, 2005 Photographica and Film auction, also in the highlights of the sale
  • Samocaflex 35: lot no.68 of the March 25, 2006 Photographica and Film auction
• Past auctions by Christies:
  • Samocaflex 35, lot no.31 of sale no.8021 (June 11, 1998)
  • Samocaflex 35, lot no.417 of sale no.8590 (November 25, 1999)
  • Samocaflex 35, lot no.222, and other Samocaflex 35, lot no.223 of sale no.8852 (August 24, 2000)
  • Samocaflex 35, lot no.33 of sale no.9124 (June 12, 2001)
  • Pair of Samocaflex 35, lot no.143 of sale no.5688 (February 15, 2005)
• Samocaflex 35, lot no.386 of auction no.1 (November 15, 2002) by Westlicht Photographica Auction

In Swedish:

• Samocaflex 35, lot no.147 of LP Foto auction no.26 (22 April 2007).

In Japanese:

• Samocaflex 35 at AEI Collectibles
• Samocaflex 35 at the Classic Camera Beginners' Club

In Korean:

• Samocaflex 35 II at Infocam