Semi Lyra
The Semi Lyra is a Japanese 4.5×6 folder, that was made by Fuji Kōgaku. It is a copy of the Ikonta, with a folding optical finder. There are two red windows in the back, protected by a horizontally sliding cover. The camera is simply embossed LYRA in the front leather, and the Fuji Kōgaku logo is embossed in the back leather.
The original model, released in 1936, has no body release, and exists in four variants[1]:
- Pionar f:6.3 lens and Picco shutter (¥35 in 1937);
- Terionar f:4.5 lens and Noblo shutter (¥43);
- Terionar f:3.5 lens and Noblo shutter (¥58);
- Goldar[2] f:3.5 lens and Noblo shutter (¥70).
The Picco shutter has T, B, 25, 50, 100 speeds and also equips the Baby Lyra. The Noblo shutter has T, B, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 speeds. The aperture scale is at the bottom of the shutter plate. The latter is written NOBLO or Picco in handwritten style at the top, and on the right there is a logo with Fk in a circle (surely for Fuji Kōgaku), meant to look like the FD logo of the Compur shutter.
The original model is still mentioned in 1938 advertisements[3] as a cheaper alternative to the newer model, with f:4.5 lens (¥52) or f:3.5 lens (¥62). At least one example has been observed with the newer Fujikō B shutter.
The New Semi Lyra (新型セミライラ)[4] is the same model with a body release. Two new shutters are introduced, the Fujikō B (T, B, 5–250) and the Fujikō A (T, B, 1–300). The shutter plates are black, marked FUJIKō at the top and FUJIKŌGAKU at the bottom. The aperture scale is now above the shutter housing.
Various lens/shutter combinations are reported[5]:
- Pionar f:6.3 lens and Picco shutter;
- Terionar f:4.5 lens and Picco shutter;
- Terionar f:4.5 lens and Fujikō B shutter (¥60 in 1937 and 1938);
- Terionar f:3.5 lens and Fujikō B shutter (¥70 in 1937 and 1938);
- Goldar f:4.5 lens and Fujikō B shutter;
- Terionar f:4.5 lens and Fujikō A shutter (¥70 in 1938);
- Terionar f:3.5 lens and Fujikō A shutter (¥80 in 1938).
The Semi Lyra F (セミライラＦ型) is equipped with a new Fujikō F 1–200 shutter. The shutter plate is now yellowish with black markings, but the markings are the same as on the previous shutters. Two variants are offered[6]:
- Terionar f:4.5 lens (¥88 in 1941, ¥101 in 1942);
- Terionar f:3.5 lens (¥98 in 1941, ¥112 in 1942).
Notes
- ↑ Advertisement for the Semi Lyra, Baby Lyra and Lyra Six, originally published in the September 1937 issue of Asahi Camera, reproduced in Shōwa 10–40nen kōkoku ni miru kokusan kamera no rekishi in two parts, items 291–2 and 295.
- ↑ Inferred from the katakana ゴールダー.
- ↑ Advertisement for the Lyra range, published in the September 1938 issue of Asahi Camera.
- ↑ This model is called "Semi Lyra II" by Kokusan kamera no rekishi, but the advertisement reproduced is only written 新型セミライラ.
- ↑ The 1937 prices come from an advertisement for the Semi Lyra, originally published in the December 1937 issue of Ars Camera, reproduced in Shōwa 10–40nen kōkoku ni miru kokusan kamera no rekishi, item 293. — The 1938 prices come from an advertisement for the Lyra range, published in the September 1938 issue of Asahi Camera. — The variants with no price indicated are simply mentioned in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 342.
- ↑ The 1941 prices come from an advertisement for the Lyra range, originally published in the May 1941 issue of Shashin Bunka, reproduced in Shōwa 10–40nen kōkoku ni miru kokusan kamera no rekishi, item 294. — The 1942 prices come from an advertisement for the Lyra range, originally published in the July 29, 1942 issue of Asahi Graph, reproduced in a page of prewar and wartime advertisements for Japanese cameras at the Gochamaze website.
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. Items 292–4.
