Difference between revisions of "Seiki 16 pistol camera"

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(on Japanese pistol-shaped cameras)
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The name ''Seiki 16'' and the company name ''SEIKI KOGAKU CO.'' are inscribed on the right side. Another illegible inscription appears on the left, under the exposure counter window.
 
The name ''Seiki 16'' and the company name ''SEIKI KOGAKU CO.'' are inscribed on the right side. Another illegible inscription appears on the left, under the exposure counter window.
  
== Origin ==
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== History ==
The camera was certainly a derivative of the [[Seiki 16]] subminiature made by the same company. The relatively large number of pistol-shaped models appearing in Japan in the late 1940s or early 1950s suggests that they were answering some official program, perhaps to provide training cameras for the Japanese police at a time when the use of actual firearms was certainly very restricted.<REF> [http://www.submin.com/16mm/collection/seiki16/introduction.htm This page at Submin.com] says that both Seiki 16 models were "introduced in 1950 for the Japanese police", but this certainly applies only to the pistol-shaped model. </REF>
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The camera was certainly a derivative of the [[Seiki 16]] subminiature made by the same company. It is only known by a single example pictured in {{SUG}}, and it certainly remained at prototype level.
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The Seiki was surely one of the first pistol-shaped cameras made in Japan, together with the [[Gemmy]] by [[Okada and Daiichi|Okada]]. Research on such cameras started in the late 1940s, certainly instigated by the police forces.<REF> An article in {{SK}} March 1955 states that the [[Doryu]] company started to develop pistol-shaped cameras in 1949, with official support of the concerned authorities (see [[Doryu 1]] and [[Doryu 2-16]]). </REF> The intended use was to catch photographic evidence of criminal behaviour in the act. Other famous examples are the [[Doryu 2-16]], which was sold to the general public in limited quantities, and the [[Mamiya Pistol]], which was officially adopted by the Japanese police in 1954.
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==

Revision as of 14:16, 3 November 2008

Japanese subminiature
8mm film Camera "A" | Camera-Lite | Echo 8 | Kaitenkei
9.5mm film Doryu 1 | Fujica 8×11mm SLR | Yashica Atoron
16mm film Albert | Beauty 16 | Bell 16 | Bell Kamra | Binoca | Camera "B" | CM-16 | Cyclops | Dan 16 | Darling-16 | Doryu 2-16 | Fujica 16mm SLR | Gemmy | Glico Pistol | Konan-16 Automat | Mamiya 16 Automatic | Mica Automat | Micta | Minolta-16 | Minolta-16 EE | Minolta-16 EE II | Minolta-16 MG | Minolta-16 MG-S | Minolta-16 P | Minolta-16 Ps | Minolta 16 QT | Mycro Super 16 | Mykro Fine Color 16 | Nice | Nikon 16 | Poppy | Ramera | Ricoh 16 | Ricoreo 16 | Rubina | Rubix | Seiki 16 | Seiki 16 (pistol) | Shaty 16 | Sonocon 16 | Spy 16 | Steky | Golden Steky | Teleca | Viscawide-16 | Yashica Y16 | Yashica 16 EE | Zany | Zuman Super 16 | Zunow Z16
unknown Matchbox camera
17.5mm film Arrow | Baby Flex | Baby-Max | Barlux | Beauty 14 | Bell 14 | Blondy | Baby Colon | Comex | Corona | Croma Color 16 | Epochs | Fuji Kozet | Gamma | Gem 16 | Gemflex | Glico Lighter | Halmat | Hit | Hit-II | Hit-type | Hobby 16 | Homer No.1 | Homer 16 | Honey | Hope | Jenic | Kiku 16 | Kent | Kolt | Kute | Lovely | Mascot | Meteor | Micky | Midget | Mighty | Mini | Moment | Mycro | Myracle | Nikkobaby | Peace | Peace Baby Flex | Peace Small Lef | Pet | Petit | Petty | Prince 16-A | Prince Ruby | Robin | New Rocket | Rubina | Rubix | Saga 16 | Saica | Septon Pen | Sholy-Flex | Snappy | Spy-14 | Sun | Sun B | Sun 16 | Sweet 16 | Tacker | Takka | Tone | Top Camera | Toyoca 16 | Toyoca Ace | Tsubame | Vesta | Vista | Vestkam
20mm film Guzzi | Mycroflex | Top
round film Evarax | Petal | Sakura Petal | Star
unknown Hallow | Lyravit | Tsubasa
110 film see Japanese 110 film

The Seiki 16 pistol camera is a Japanese subminiature taking 10×14mm pictures on 16mm film, shaped as a pistol and made by Seiki Kōgaku in the late 1940s or early 1950s.

Description

The camera is shaped as a pistol, but is less realistic than the Doryu 2-16 or Gemmy. There is a folding frame finder at the top, which is perhaps removable.[1] There is a fake lens at the position of the pistol's nozzle, and the actual 25mm f/3.5 lens is situated in a recession situated below.[2] It has a fixed focus, and the aperture is adjustable from 3.5 to 11 by a control placed at an unknown position.[3]

The camera takes 16mm film in Mamiya 16 cassettes. There is a wheel on the left side, driven by the user's thumb, certainly used to advance the film, and a small window on the same side for an exposure counter. The shutter is certainly tripped by the trigger located in front of the handgrip. Another button is visible under the trigger, perhaps used to open and lock the camera for film loading. The speeds are selected by a small index on the rear, below the advance wheel, with 100, 50, 25, B positions.

The name Seiki 16 and the company name SEIKI KOGAKU CO. are inscribed on the right side. Another illegible inscription appears on the left, under the exposure counter window.

History

The camera was certainly a derivative of the Seiki 16 subminiature made by the same company. It is only known by a single example pictured in Sugiyama, and it certainly remained at prototype level.

The Seiki was surely one of the first pistol-shaped cameras made in Japan, together with the Gemmy by Okada. Research on such cameras started in the late 1940s, certainly instigated by the police forces.[4] The intended use was to catch photographic evidence of criminal behaviour in the act. Other famous examples are the Doryu 2-16, which was sold to the general public in limited quantities, and the Mamiya Pistol, which was officially adopted by the Japanese police in 1954.

Notes

  1. Sugiyama, item 5132, provides two pictures of the camera, supposedly showing the same example. The viewfinder is deployed on the left picture but seems altogether absent on the right one, perhaps because it was removed.
  2. 25mm f/3.5: Sugiyama, item 5132.
  3. Aperture from 3.5 to 11: Sugiyama, item 5132.
  4. An article in Shashin Kōgyō March 1955 states that the Doryu company started to develop pistol-shaped cameras in 1949, with official support of the concerned authorities (see Doryu 1 and Doryu 2-16).

Bibliography

  • 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. Item 5132.

The Seiki 16 pistol camera is not listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi.

Links

In English: