Seica and Andes Four
Template:127 Japan The Riken Seica was a 4x4cm format camera sold by Riken around 1939. The Seica 60/4.5 triplet lens and the T-B-25-50-100-250 shutter were mounted on a telescopic tube. It had a tubular optical finder and an accessory shoe. At the time, the rollfilm paperback was not marked for 4x4 pictures, so the film advance was not by red window but there was an exposure counter with the same mechanism as on the Adler IV. Film loading was by the bottom plate.
Note: Seica means "bloom" or "flower" in the figurate sense of "elite". It is written 精華 (modern transcription would be Seika). During the war period, Riken used "patriotic" names, as well as names reminding Japan's alliance with Germany.
The Seica is listed in McKeown under the entry Kondo Seiko Co, pictured with a Neumann & Heilemann 25-50-100-250 shutter and a Helios Anastigmat 5cm f/4.5 lens. In photographica-world.de the company is named Kondo Seiki (probably 近藤精機), also said to have made a camera named Cordlef.
Links
Ricoh's corporate website:
| Asahi Bussan and Riken prewar and wartime cameras () | ||
|---|---|---|
| rigid or collapsible | ||
| Vest Adler | Gokoku | Semi Kinsi | Letix | Olympic | New Olympic | Regal Olympic | Semi Olympic | Super Olympic | Vest Olympic | Riken No.1 | Ricohl | Roico | Seica | Zessan | ||
| folders | pseudo TLR | TLR |
| Semi Adler | Adler III | Adler A | Adler B | Adler C | Adler Four | Adler Six | Gaica | Heil | Kinsi | Chukon Ref | Ricohflex | Ricohflex B |
