Semi Renky
The Semi Renky is a Japanese 4.5×6 camera that was made by Rengo Koki between 1939 and 1941[1]. The lens and shutter assembly is mounted on a telescopic tube, and the overall aspect is similar to some Olympic models.
The Semi Renky
The original model of the Semi Renky has a body made of some sort of plastic. A tubular optical finder is mounted on the center of the top plate, with an accessory shoe on the right and the advance knob on the left. There are two red windows at the bottom of the back to control 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 (this plate looks similar to the one marked The Olympic Camera Works on the Olympic cameras).
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 is advertised in the November 1939 issue of Asahi Camera[2], costing ¥45. The lens is called Renko[3], but the lens name that has been observed on an actual example is Tenobder. The Semi Renky is also advertised in the March 1941 issue of Shashin Bunka, together with the New Semi Renky. The price has been lowered to ¥43, the lens is still called Renko and the advertisement mentions that the shutter is made by RKS (maybe for Rengō Kōki Seisakusho).
Two different shutter plate markings have been observed:
- Semi Renky engraved on a small crescent-shaped plate screwed at the top, decorative lines and nothing else;[4]
- Semi Renky directly engraved at the top, decorative lines, R.K.S. at the bottom, round logo probably reading RKS at the right.[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
- ↑ Dates: Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 343.
- ↑ Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 104.
- ↑ Inferred from the katakana レンコー.
- ↑ On an example presented in this page at Japan Family Camera.
- ↑ In the advertisements and on an example observed in an eBay auction.
- ↑ On the Semi Renky I pictured in McKeown, p. 819.
- ↑ On the New Semi Renky pictured in the August 1941 advertisement cited above.
- ↑ On the New Semi Renky II or III pictured in the March 1941 advertisement cited above.
- ↑ On a New Semi Renky I seen for sale at a dealer.
- ↑ On what is presumably a New Semi Renky U, seen in a Yahoo Japan auction.
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 321–2.
- 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. 819.
Links
In Japanese:
- Semi Renky (original model) at Japan Family Camera, with another page that gives the name of the maker in Japanese
- Advertisement for the New Semi Renky published in the August 1941 issue of Gakusei no Kagaku, reproduced in the 120 film camera page of the Gochamaze website
