Semi Renky

From Camera-wiki.org
Revision as of 22:49, 5 May 2007 by Rebollo fr (talk | contribs) (more)
Jump to: navigation, search
Japanese Semi (4.5×6)
Prewar and wartime models (edit)
folding
Semi Ace | Semi Adler | Adler III | Adler A | Adler B | Adler C | Semi Ako | Ami | Bakyna | Semi Chrome | Semi Clover | Collex | Semi Condor | Semi Dymos | Semi Elega | Semi First | Auto Semi First | Baby Semi First | Gaica | Semi Gelto | Semi Germa | Hansa Semi Rollette | Heil | Hokoku | Hope | Kadera | Kankyu | Kelly | Kiko Semi | Semi Kinka | Semi Konter | Semi Kreis | Semi Kulax | Semi Lead | Semi Leotax | Semi Lester | Loyal | Semi Lucky | Semi Lyra | Semi Makinet | Semi Metax | Semi Minolta (I) and II | Auto Semi Minolta | Semi Miss | Mizuho | Semi Mulber | Semi National | New Gold | Okaco | Oko Semi | Semi Olympus | Semi Olympus II | Semi Osamo | Semi Pearl | Primo | Semi Prince | Semi Proud | Semi Prux | Roavic | Semi Rody | Rondex | Semi Rosen | Semi Rotte | Seica | Seves | Semi Shiks | Sintax | Semi Sixteenth | Semi Solon | Semi Sport | Star Semi | Semi-Tex | Tsubasa Kiko Three | Tsubasa Nettar | Tsubasa Super Semi | Ugein | Vester-Lette | Victor | Waltax | Wester | Zeitax
collapsible
Semi Kinsi | Lord | Lyrax | Nippon | New Olympic | Semi Olympic | Semi Renky | Auto Victor | Well Super
stereo
Sun Stereo
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 Rengō Kōki and distributed by Fuku Bōeki between 1939 and about 1943.

The Semi Renky

Description

The Semi Renky (セミレンキー) has a body made of some sort of plastic, called mikaton (ミカトン).[1] 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.

Advertisements and other documents

The Semi Renky was advertised in the November 1939 issue of Asahi Camera,[2] costing ¥45 with a Renko 75/4.5 lens. The Template:Kakaku1940 short compiled in late 1940 lists the Semi Renky for ¥43.[3]

The Semi Renky was still advertised together with the New Semi Renky in the March 1941 issue of Shashin Bunka,[4] 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).

Variations

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.[5]

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.[6]

The New Semi Renky

Description

The New Semi Renky (ニューセミレンキー) has a new metal body, very similar in shape to the previous model. The top and bottom plates are chrome plated and the rest is leather covered. The top plate has the same features as the previous model; the name New Semi Renky is engraved behind the accessory shoe and a RENGO KOKI logo is inscribed at the left of the viewfinder together with the serial number. A red arrow is engraved near the advance knob to indicate the film advance direction.

The back is removed together with the bottom plate for film loading, and there is a tripod screw surrounded by a locking key in the middle of the bottom. There are two red windows near the bottom of the back, protected by an internal common cover actuated by a vertically sliding lever.

The lens name is surely Tenobder Anastigmat on all the models. The Tenobder 75/4.5 lens has three elements and was made by Suzuki; it was certainly also the case of the f/3.5 lens.[7] (They were probably identical to the Well lenses mounted on the Well.)

Advertisements

The late 1940 official price list cited above mentions the "New Semi Renky I" (¥62), "New Semi Renky II" (¥74), "New Semi Renky III" (¥85) and "New Semi Renky U" (¥98), with no further detail.[8] In the March 1941 advertisement mentioned above for the Semi Renky, the New Semi Renky was offered in the same four versions:

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

The 25–150 shutter is certainly the same as mounted on the Semi Renky. The 5–200 shutter (shown in the advertising picture) seems to be everset, the 1–200 is surely not.

In an advertisement published in the August 1941 issue of Gakusei no Kagaku, the first version was offered alone for the same price, with no mention of a model number, and the lens name was given as Tenobder Anastigmat.

The New Semi Renky was still listed in early 1943 in the "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"). Two versions are mentioned by the document, both with a Tenobder 75/4.5 lens. One has a "Semi Renky" shutter (25–150, T, B) and the other has a YSK shutter (5–200, T, B) made by Rengō. They correspond to the New Semi Renky I and II.

Variations

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;[9]
  • 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;[10]
  • 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;[11]
  • 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.;[12]
  • same as above but with no marking on the shutter plate, presumably on a Model U.[13].

Notes

  1. Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 343, item 321.
  2. Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 104.
  3. Template:Kakaku1940 short, compiled on October 25, 1940, published in January 1941, type 3, section 1.
  4. Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 104.
  5. Renko lens: example pictured in Sugiyama, item 4064. Tenobder lens: example observed in an online auction.
  6. Example pictured in this page at Japan Family Camera.
  7. "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), lens item Lc18.
  8. Template:Kakaku1940 short, compiled on October 25, 1940, published in January 1941, type 3, section 3A, 4A, 5A, 7A.
  9. On the Semi Renky I pictured in McKeown, p. 819.
  10. On the New Semi Renky pictured in the August 1941 advertisement cited above.
  11. On the New Semi Renky II or III pictured in the March 1941 advertisement cited above.
  12. On a New Semi Renky I seen for sale at a dealer.
  13. On what is presumably a New Semi Renky U, seen in a Yahoo Japan auction.

Bibliography

Links

In Japanese:

In Chinese: