Difference between revisions of "Starflex (wartime)"

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== Wartime Starflex ==
 
== Wartime Starflex ==
 
=== Description ===
 
=== Description ===
The '''wartime Starflex''' is a 6×6 TLR, much inspired by the [[Rolleicord]]. The focusing is done by moving the front plate back and forth. The film advance is probably semi-automatic. The focusing and advance knobs are on the photographer's right, and there is a round window at the top of the right-hand side plate, certainly for an exposure counter. The focusing knob is surrounded by a depth-of-field plate. The nameplate has stepped sides and is inscribed ''STARFLEX'' and something else in smaller letters.
+
The '''wartime Starflex''' is a 6×6 TLR, much inspired by the [[Rolleicord]]. The focusing is done by moving the front plate back and forth. The film advance is probably semi-automatic. The focusing and advance knobs are on the photographer's right, and there is a round window at the top of the right-hand side plate, certainly for an exposure counter. The focusing knob is surrounded by a depth-of-field plate. It seems that the release lever is under the shutter casing. The nameplate has stepped sides and is inscribed ''STARFLEX'' and something else in smaller letters.
  
 
=== Advertisements and other documents ===
 
=== Advertisements and other documents ===

Revision as of 19:45, 31 March 2007

Japanese TLR
120 film (prewar and wartime)
6×6cm Elmoflex | First Reflex | Kiko Flex | Lyra Flex | Minoltaflex | Minoltaflex Automat | Minoltaflex military prototype | Nōman Flex | Ostenflex | Prince Flex | Ricohflex (original) | Ricohflex B | Rollekonter | Roll-o-Frex | Rorter Ref | Rorterflex | Sakura-flex | Simpuflex | Starflex | Taroflex | Valflex | Yokusanflex
120 film (postwar)
6×7cm Koni-Omegaflex M
6×6cm
A–L
(edit)
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(edit)
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127 film
4×4cm Cordlef | Olympus Eye 44 | Haco-44 | Halma 44 | Kino-44 | Laqon-44 | Minolta Miniflex | Primo Jr | Prinz 44 | Ricohmatic 44 | Ricoh Super 44 | Sawyer's Mark IV | Tower 44 | Tower 44B | Toyoca-44 | Walz Automat 44 | Yashica-44, 44A, 44LM
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No-need-darkroom
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Subminiature
20mm film Mycroflex
17.5mm film Gemflex | Sun
Japanese medium format SLR and pseudo TLR ->
Other Japanese 6×6, 4.5×6, 3×4 and 4×4, 4×5 and 4×6.5 ->

Two different Japanese 6×6 TLR cameras were called Starflex. The wartime Starflex was advertised by Ueda Shashinki-ten from 1940 to 1943.[1] The postwar Starflex is only known from a couple of surviving examples, it was probably made by Tougodo. These two cameras are probably unrelated, and very little information is available about them.

Wartime Starflex

Description

The wartime Starflex is a 6×6 TLR, much inspired by the Rolleicord. The focusing is done by moving the front plate back and forth. The film advance is probably semi-automatic. The focusing and advance knobs are on the photographer's right, and there is a round window at the top of the right-hand side plate, certainly for an exposure counter. The focusing knob is surrounded by a depth-of-field plate. It seems that the release lever is under the shutter casing. The nameplate has stepped sides and is inscribed STARFLEX and something else in smaller letters.

Advertisements and other documents

The camera was listed for ¥252 in the Template:Kakaku1940 short, compiled on October 25, 1940 and published in January 1941.[2] It was offered in advertisements by Ueda Shashinki-ten dated December 1940, January 1941, with an f/3.5 lens and a Star-Rapid shutter from 1s. The camera was not pictured and the price was given as ¥230 in December 1940 only. The camera was pictured in an advertisement dated November 1941 (only the latter has a picture), where the lens was mentioned as a Star Anastigmat f/3.5 and the shutter as a Star-Rapid giving B, 1–500 speeds.[3] The price was ¥230 again, and rose to ¥269 in a later advertisement.[4]

The "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943, still mentioned the camera with a Star 75/3.5 three-element lens, made by Takahashi and a Patent Mars shutter giving T, B, 1–250 speeds, made by Mars.[5] The name of the camera manufacturer itself is unfortunately missing from the document, it was perhaps Takahashi which also made the Star Semi.

No surviving example has been observed so far.

Postwar Starflex

The postwar Starflex looks similar to other TLR cameras made by Tougodo, like the Toyocaflex. It has an unnamed shutter (B, 1–300), a Tri-Lausar Anastigmat 8cm f/3.5 taking lens and a Tri-Lausar Viewer 8cm f/3.5 viewing lens. The name STARFLEX is written on the nameplate in capital letters.

Bibliography

None of these cameras is listed in Sugiyama.

Links

In English:

In Japanese:

  • Dates: advertisements and articles listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 337.
  • Template:Kakaku1940 short, type 7, section 1.
  • Advertisements published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, pp. 72, 76 and 77.
  • Advertisement dated between 1942 and 1945, reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura.
  • "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), item 121, lens item Lb26, shutter item 18-U-12.