Sekonic

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Sekonic is a Japanese manufacturer of light meters, still active today (2010).

History

The company's roots seemingly trace back to June 1941.[1] It was established as a stock company (kabushiki-gaisha) in June 1951 as Seikō Denki Kōgyō K.K. (成光電機工業㈱)[2] or Seiko Electric Industries Co., Ltd.,[3] based in Toshima, Tokyo.[2] Its first exposure meter was the Sekonic P-I.[3]

In 1959 the company opened a new factory in Nerima, Tokyo, and created the sub-company K.K. Hachiyō Kōgaku Kōgyō (㈱八陽光学工業), with a factory in Ikeda, prefecture of Nagano, for the manufacture of exposure meters.[2] The main company Seikō Denki Kōgyō was renamed K.K. Sekonic (㈱セコニック) in August 1960.[2] It opened another factory in Ikeda in 1965.[2]

As well as light meters sold under its own brand, the company also made various OEM meters, sold under different names such as Prinz and Hanimex, whilst others were built into various Japanese cameras. Sekonic also made 8mm movie cameras and projectors in the 1960s, some of which were also sold under other names like Hanimex, others under their own Sekonic and Elmatic brands.

In 1984, the Sekonic L-518 Digipro X-1 meter was used on board the NASA Space Shuttle.[3]

Exposure meters

  • Sekonic P-I (c.1951)
  • Sekonic P-II Perfect (sold at ¥3,400 in 1955)[4][5]
  • Sekonic Baby II (sold at ¥1,980 in 1955)[4]
  • Sekonic Leader (sold at ¥2,600 in 1955)[4]
  • Sekonic L-II Universal (sold at ¥4,300 in 1955)[4][5]
  • Sekonic L-III Professional (sold at ¥6,800 in 1955)[4][5]
  • Sekonic L-V New Professional (sold at ¥7,900 in 1955)[4][5]
  • Sekonic L-VI (sold at ¥2,600 in 1955)[5]
  • Sekonic L-88 Micro-Lightmeter (1961–63)
  • Sekonic L-96 Super-Microlite (1961–64)
  • Sekonic L-98 Micro-Leader (1964–78)
  • Sekonic L-136 Microclip-on (1962–70)
  • Sekonic L-164B Marinemeter II (1969–2002)
  • Sekonic L-188 Auto-Leader (1979–2005)
  • Sekonic L-206 Viewmeter (1966–76)
  • Sekonic L-208 Twinmate (2000–)
  • Sekonic L-216 Autorange (1966–78)
  • Sekonic L-218 Apex (1967–79)
  • Sekonic L-228 Zoom-Meter (1968–85)
  • Sekonic L-248 Multi-Lumi (1971–92)
  • Sekonic L-256 Flashmeter (1972–85)
  • Sekonic L-308 and L-308S Flashmate (1992–)
  • Sekonic L-318 Digi-Lite (1986–2002)
  • Sekonic L-328 Digi-Lite F (1988–2002)
  • Sekonic L-358 Flash Master (2001–)
  • Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III
  • Sekonic L-408 Multimaster (1995–2002)
  • Sekonic L-418 Autometer (1977–80)
  • Sekonic L-428 System-Meter (1974–85)
  • Sekonic L-438 View-Spotmeter (1979–88)
  • Sekonic L-448 Studio-Auto II (1981–85)
  • Sekonic L-458 Digi-Flash (1984–89)
  • Sekonic L-488 Digi-Spot (1985–91)
  • Sekonic L-508 Zoom-Master (1997–2003)
  • Sekonic L-508 Cine Zoom-Master (1998–2003)
  • Sekonic L-518 Digipro X-1 (1983–89)
  • Sekonic L-558 and L-558R Dualmaster (2003–)
  • Sekonic L-558 Cine Dualmaster (2003–)
  • Sekonic L-608 Superzoom-Master (2001–2004)
  • Sekonic L-608 Cine Superzoom-Master (2001–2004)
  • Sekonic L-718 Digi-Master (1990–2001)
  • Sekonic L-758 Cine Digital Master
  • Sekonic L-758DR Digital Master (2006–)
  • Sekonic L-778 Dual-Spot F (1992–2002)

Notes

  1. Company outline in the Japanese official website.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Chronology in the Japanese website.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 History in the English official website.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Column in Photo Art no.80, June 1955, p.103.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Advertisement in Photo Art no.80, June 1955, p.105.

Bibliography

  • Photo Art rinji zōkan: Kamera akusesarī zensho (フォトアート臨時増刊・カメラアクセサリー全書, Photo Art special issue: All the camera accessories). June 1955, no.80 of the magazine.
    • "Denki roshutsukei" (電気露出計, Electric exposure meters). Pp.102–3.
    • Advertisement by Sanae Shōkai on p.105.

Links

In English:

In Japanese: