Steky

The Steky is a series of 16mm cameras introduced in Japan after WW2. At that time film and processing costs were expensive so 16mm cameras were very popular. Most of these 16mm cameras were of low quality and not much more than toys. The Steky came with interchangeable lenses, variable shutter and aperture speeds in a very robust camera. Some sub-mini enthusiasts still use these cameras by carefully loading their cassettes with perforated 16mm film. Once a common sight at camera shows the Steky is getting harder to find.

Steky III, yellow filter stored on side image by John Kratz (Image rights)

Steky ad, Feb 1949, U.S. Camera image by camerawiki (Image rights)

Bibliography

• "Direction for use of the Steky". Reproduction of the Steky's English user manual. In Camera Collectors' News no.11 (May 1978). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. P.25.
• Sugiyama, Kōichi (杉山浩一); Naoi, Hiroaki (直井浩明); Bullock, John R. The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras. 国産カメラ図鑑 (Kokusan kamera zukan). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1985. ISBN 4-257-03187-5. Items 5138–42.

Links

In English:

• Steky and Steky manuals at Submin.com
• Steky family, Steky III and Steky repairs at the Sub Club
• Steky at Mediajoy's Guide to Classic Cameras, click the "Next" link at the bottom of each page to have an illustrated sequence of operations.
• Steky family at the Subminiature site of Gary Sivertsen
• Steky picture at pbase.com
• Steky II at Benbojo's Classic Cameras
• Steky IIIA in The Other Martin Taylor's cameras
• Steky IIIA in Nigel Richards' website
• Past sales at Westlicht Photographica Auction:
  • Steky II, III and IIIB with boxes, cases and telephoto lens; lot no.668 of auction no.2/3 (May 24, 2003)
  • Steky (nickel), lot no.507 of auction no.5 (May 29, 2004)
  • Steky (nickel) with case, box and film cassette; lot no.663 of auction no.7 (May 21, 2005)
  • Steky IIIB with both standard Stekinar 25 mm f/3.5 and Steky-Tele 40 mm 5.6 lenses; lot no.664 in auction no.7
  • Steky (chrome) among other Japanese subminiature cameras; lot no.505 of auction no.17 (May 29, 2010)
  • Hanken, lot no.614 of auction no.13 (June 7, 2008)

In English and Japanese:

• Hanken among subminiature cameras in Nekosan's website

In German:

• Ricoh page with a Steky in Klaus-Eckhard Riess' camera site

In French:

• Steky III at www.collection-appareils.fr
• Steky III at Flickr

In Swedish:

• Steky III, lot no.424 of auction no.31 (2 November 2008) by LP Foto

In Japanese:

• Pages of the Ricoh official website:
  • Steky
  • Steky II
  • Steky IIIB
  • Hanken
• Steky family at the Hisamaro Annex3 site

In Chinese:

• Steky and accessories at www.ccc2000.net