Difference between revisions of "Semi Renky"

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* [http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~RD2H-ARI/OTH_SEMIRENKY.htm Semi Renky] at [http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~RD2H-ARI/ Japan Family Camera] (pictures only)
 
* [http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~RD2H-ARI/OTH_SEMIRENKY.htm Semi Renky] at [http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~RD2H-ARI/ Japan Family Camera] (pictures only)
 
* [http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/camera/syasinki11.jpg Advertisement for the New Semi Renky] published in the August 1941 issue of ''[[Gakusei no Kagaku]],'' reproduced in the [http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/camera/syasinki-b.htm 120 film camera page] of the [http://kyoto.cool.ne.jp/syasinsyuu/index.htm Gochamaze website]
 
* [http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/camera/syasinki11.jpg Advertisement for the New Semi Renky] published in the August 1941 issue of ''[[Gakusei no Kagaku]],'' reproduced in the [http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/camera/syasinki-b.htm 120 film camera page] of the [http://kyoto.cool.ne.jp/syasinsyuu/index.htm Gochamaze website]
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In Chinese:
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* [http://www.chinesecamera.net/viewthread.php?action=printable&tid=14610 New Semi Renky] in a post at [http://www.chinesecamera.net/ www.chinesecamera.net]
  
 
[[Category: Japanese 4.5x6 viewfinder]]
 
[[Category: Japanese 4.5x6 viewfinder]]

Revision as of 22:06, 5 May 2007

Japanese Semi (4.5×6)
Prewar and wartime models (edit)
folding
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collapsible
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unknown
Semi Elka | Semi Keef | Napoleon
Postwar models ->
Japanese SLR, TLR, pseudo TLR and stereo ->
Japanese 3×4, 4×4, 4×5, 4×6.5, 6×6 and 6×9 ->

The Semi Renky and New Semi Renky are Japanese 4.5×6 cameras made by Rengo Koki between 1939 and 1941[1].

The Semi Renky

The Semi Renky has a body made of some sort of plastic. There is a metal telescopic tube supporting the lens and shutter assembly, and the overall aspect is similar to the Semi Olympic model. A tubular optical finder is mounted in the middle of the top plate, with an accessory shoe on the right and the advance knob on the left. There are two uncovered red windows at the bottom of the back to control the film advance. The back opens to the right, together with the back halves of the top and bottom plates.

At the base of the telescopic tube there is a massive metal ring engraved RengoKoki on the top and Tokyo at the bottom. On the body's front left, there is a metal plate marked SEMI RENKY in capital letters (it looks similar to the plate marked The Olympic Camera Works on the Olympic models).

The shutter is everset and has T, B, 150, 100, 50, 25 speeds. The lens is a 75/4.5 and the aperture scale is at the bottom of the shutter plate.

The Semi Renky was advertised in the November 1939 issue of Asahi Camera,[2] and cost ¥45 with a Renko 75/4.5 lens. The Semi Renky was advertised together with the New Semi Renky in the March 1941 issue of Shashin Bunka,[3] at the lower price of ¥43. The advertisement still gives Renko as the lens name and it says that the shutter was made by RKS (maybe for Rengō Kōki Seisakusho).

In the advertising pictures and in two actual examples observed, the shutter plate has the name Semi Renky directly inscribed at the top, an R.K.S. marking at the bottom, a round logo probably reading RKS on the right on decorative strips on both sides. One of these examples has the Renko Anastigmat 75mm f/4.5 lens and the other has a Tenobder Anastigmat 75mm f/4.5.[4]

A third example of the Semi Renky has been observed with a different shutter plate: the name Semi Renky is inscribed on a small crescent-shaped plate screwed at the top and there are decorative strips on both sides but no other marking.[5]

The New Semi Renky

The New Semi Renky has a new metal body, very similar in shape to the previous model. The top and bottom plates are chromed and the rest is leather covered. The top plate has the same features as the previous model, with a New Semi Renky engraving behind the accessory shoe and maybe a RENGO logo with the serial number at the left of the viewfinder. There is also a red arrow engraved near the advance knob to indicate the film advance direction.

In the March 1941 advertisement mentioned above for the Semi Renky, four variants of the New Semi Renky are listed:

  • New Semi Renky I: f:4.5 lens, T, B, 25–150 shutter (¥58);
  • New Semi Renky II: f:4.5 lens, T, B, 5–200 shutter (¥68);
  • New Semi Renky III: f:3.5 lens, T, B, 5–200 shutter (¥85);
  • New Semi Renky U: f:3.5 lens, T, B, 1–200 shutter (¥95).

The lens name is probably Tenobder Anastigmat, a name observed on an f:4.5 example. The two cheaper shutters seem to be everset, but surely not the most expensive one. A round logo beginning with "R" (maybe RKS) has been observed on a T, B, 25–150 shutter.

An advertisement published in the August 1941 issue of Gakusei no Kagaku only lists the first variant, simply calling it New Semi Renky, and mentions the Tenobder Anastigmat lens.

Different marking styles have been observed on the base of the telescopic tube and on the shutter plate:

  • RengoKoki on top of the metal ring (like the previous model), bottom not observed but maybe marked Tokyo; New Renky engraved on a small crescent-shaped plate screwed on the shutter plate;[6]
  • New Renky on top of the metal ring, bottom not observed; New Renky engraved on a small crescent-shaped plate screwed on the shutter plate;[7]
  • New Renky on top of the metal ring, bottom not observed; Semi Renky engraved on a small crescent-shaped plate screwed on the shutter plate;[8]
  • New Semi Renky on top of the metal ring, another marking beginnning with Rengo Koki on the bottom; Semi Renky directly engraved at the top of the shutter plate, a round logo on the right, presumably RKS, bottom not observed but presumably engraved R.K.S.;[9]
  • same as above but with no marking on the shutter plate, presumably on a Model U.[10].

Notes

  1. Dates: Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 343.
  2. Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 104.
  3. Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 104.
  4. Renko lens: example pictured in Sugiyama, item 4064. Tenobder lens: example observed in an online auction.
  5. Example pictured in this page at Japan Family Camera.
  6. On the Semi Renky I pictured in McKeown, p. 819.
  7. On the New Semi Renky pictured in the August 1941 advertisement cited above.
  8. On the New Semi Renky II or III pictured in the March 1941 advertisement cited above.
  9. On a New Semi Renky I seen for sale at a dealer.
  10. On what is presumably a New Semi Renky U, seen in a Yahoo Japan auction.

Bibliography

Links

In Japanese:

In Chinese: