Semi Lester
The Semi Lester is a Japanese 4.5×6 folding camera. It is a Baldax copy, with the front leather embossed Lester in handwritten style. When held vertically by the photographer, the advance knob is at the top right and the folding optical finder is at the center left. There is no body release. Film advance is controlled by two red windows in the back, protected by a common sliding cover.
The Semi Lester was advertised in 1937 by the maker Motodori Shashin Kikai Kōgyō-sho (本鳥寫眞機械工業所)[1]. Five variants were offered in April 1937[2], all with a variant of the Rulex shutter made by Neumann & Heilemann:
- Lester Anastigmat f:4.5 lens and Rulex D shutter (¥48);
- Lester Anastigmat f:4.5 lens and Rulex B shutter (¥55);
- Lester Anastigmat f:4.5 lens and Rulex A shutter (¥60);
- Lester Anastigmat f:3.5 lens and Rulex B shutter (¥70);
- Lester Anastigmat f:3.5 lens and Rulex A shutter (¥75).
Kokusan kamera no rekishi also mentions a variant with a Radionar f:3.5 lens and Rulex A shutter (in the May issue of Asahi Camera), and another with a Lester f:2.9 lens (in the June issue of the same magazine).
Notes
- ↑ It is attributed by McKeown to Motojima Camera Works, certainly because somebody made a mistake reading 本鳥.
- ↑ Advertisement for the Semi Lester, published in the April 1937 issue of Camera Club, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, item 318. — {Gochamaze|Semi Lester|11|April 21, 1937|Asahi Graph}}
Printed 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. Item 318.
- 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. 701.
