Difference between revisions of "Super Flex Baby"

From Camera-wiki.org
Jump to: navigation, search
(more pictures)
(lens mount, original model)
Line 18: Line 18:
 
|| ''Super Flex Baby II no.3620, Super Anastigmat 70mm f/4.5 lens no.22439. Pictures by Rebollo_fr.  {{with permission}}''
 
|| ''Super Flex Baby II no.3620, Super Anastigmat 70mm f/4.5 lens no.22439. Pictures by Rebollo_fr.  {{with permission}}''
 
|}
 
|}
The shutter is placed behind the lens, has two blades and is of the everset Vario type; it was manufactured by the Umemoto company itself.<REF> [http://umemoto.ecnet.jp/corp2/corp2.htm Umemoto company history]. </REF> The speeds are set by a wheel attached to the front plate, placed at the top right as seen from the front. This wheel has B, 25, 50, 100 settings on all the models. The shutter release is situated on the right hand side of the body, as seen by the photographer. The release lever closes the shutter blades and raises the mirror during most of its course, and trips the shutter when it comes to the bottom; the mirror is lowered back and the shutter blades are opened again when it comes back to its initial position. On all the models except for one early advertisement, the lens is called Super Anastigmat; it is focused by turning the front element.
+
The shutter is placed behind the lens, has two blades and is of the everset Vario type; it was manufactured by the Umemoto company itself.<REF> [http://umemoto.ecnet.jp/corp2/corp2.htm Umemoto company history]. </REF> The speeds are set by a wheel attached to the front plate, placed at the top right as seen from the front. This wheel has B, 25, 50, 100 settings on all the models. The shutter release is situated on the right hand side of the body, as seen by the photographer. When it is pressed down, the shutter blades are closed immediately, the mirror is raised and the main spring is charged during most of the course, and the shutter is finally tripped. When it comes back to its initial position, the mirror is lowered back and the shutter blades are finally opened again.
  
 
{| class="plainlinks" align="center" style="text-align: center;"
 
{| class="plainlinks" align="center" style="text-align: center;"
Line 25: Line 25:
 
|| ''Shutter mechanism of the Super Flex Baby II. Pictures by Rebollo_fr.  {{with permission}}''
 
|| ''Shutter mechanism of the Super Flex Baby II. Pictures by Rebollo_fr.  {{with permission}}''
 
|}
 
|}
 +
 +
On all the models except for one early advertisement, the lens is called Super Anastigmat; it is focused by turning the front element. The distance scale is engraved on the fixed part of the barrel and the set distance is indicated by a dot on the moving part, the reverse of the usual arrangement. The diaphragm ring is placed behind the distance scale. The lens is fixed on the early cameras, and it is interchangeable by way of a screw mount on the later ones.<REF> {{Sugiyama}}, items 2001–4, says "interchangeable" for all the models, but this seems to be a mistake. </REF> The fixed lenses are attached by three screws at the back of the front plate, not visible from the outside. They are distinguished from the interchangeable lenses by the donut ring on the front plate, surrounding the base of the lens barrel: it is thinner on the fixed-lens cameras and thicker on the others.
 +
 
== Evolution ==
 
== Evolution ==
The Super Flex Baby appeared in mid 1938: it was mentioned as coming soon in advertisements dated April and May 1938, and it was featured in the new products column of the August 1938 issue of ''[[Asahi Camera]]''.<REF> Advertisements published in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' April 1938, p.A70, and May 1938, p.A68. The August 1938 article is listed in {{Kokusan}}, p.337. </REF>
+
The Super Flex Baby appeared in mid 1938: it was mentioned as coming soon in advertisements in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' dated April and May 1938, and it was featured in the new products column of the same magazine in August 1938.<REF> Advertisements in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' April 1938, p.A70, and May 1938, p.A68. The August 1938 article is listed in {{Kokusan}}, p.337. </REF>
 +
 
 +
=== Original model ===
 +
The '''original model''' has a black and chrome speed wheel, and the shutter release is a simple pivoting lever. The engraving on the viewing hood is black filled. The lens is fixed and the lens barrel has a black and chrome finish too. Two surviving examples havebeen observed so far.
  
=== Original model and model II ===
+
The April and May 1938 advertisements in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' showed no picture and did not indicate the focal length or the origin of the lens.<REF> Advertisements in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' April 1938, p.A70, and May 1938, p.A68. </REF> The price was announced as "less than ¥50" in April and set to {{yen|49|1938}} in May. The June 1938 advertisement in the same magazine offered the camera at an unchanged price with a U.L.L. Anastigmat 75/4.5 lens by [[Miyoshi]].<REF> Advertisement in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'', p.A70, reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.75. </REF> It was the only advertisement to mention this lens name;<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.337. </REF> the company had to change the lens supplier for some reason and the camera was sold with a Super Anastigmat 7.0cm f/4.5, certainly made by [[Nishida]].<REF> Made by Nishida: {{Inquiry1943_short}}, lens items K9 and K10. In this document dated 1943, the camera called "Super Ref" probably corresponds to the Super Flex Baby. </REF> This lens was mentioned in the advertisement in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' dated February 1939, where the camera was priced at {{yen|58|1939}}.<REF> Advertisement reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.74. </REF>
The '''original model''' has a black and chrome speed wheel and lens barrel. The engraving on the viewing hood is black filled. The shutter release is a simple pivoting lever.<REF> An example of this model is pictured in [http://sts.kahaku.go.jp/sts/detail.php?id=1033&key=103310371069&APage=7 this page of the JCII collection] and another in {{Sugiyama}}, item 2001. </REF> The shutter speeds are B, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100.
 
  
The April and May 1938 advertisements showed no picture and did not indicate the focal length or the origin of the lens.<REF> Advertisements published in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' April 1938, p.A70, and May 1938, p.A68. </REF> The price was announced as "less than &yen;50" in April and set to {{yen|49|1938}} in May. The June 1938 advertisement offered the camera for the same price with a U.L.L. Anastigmat 75/4.5 lens by [[Miyoshi]].<REF> Advertisement published in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'', p.A70, reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.75. </REF> It was the only advertisement to mention this lens name<REF> {{Kokusan}}, p.337. </REF> and the camera was later sold with a Super Anastigmat 7.0cm f/4.5, as listed in an advertisement dated February 1939 where the camera was priced at {{yen|58|1939}}.<REF> Advertisement published in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'', reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.74. </REF> The Super Anastigmat lenses of the camera were certainly made by [[Nishida]].<REF> {{Inquiry1943_short}}, lens items K9 and K10. In this document dated 1943, the camera called "Super Ref" probably corresponds to the Super Flex Baby. </REF>
+
Two surviving examples of the original model have been observed so far. They seem to have four-digit lens numbers. One is kept by the JCII museum and the other is pictured in {{Sugiyama}}.<REF> Example owned by the JCII museum and pictured in [http://sts.kahaku.go.jp/sts/detail.php?id=1033&key=103310371069&APage=7 this page of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology], and example pictured in {{Sugiyama}}, item 2001. </REF>
  
 +
=== Model II ===
 
In mid 1939, the camera was modified with an all-chrome speed wheel and lens barrel.<REF> Date: the advertisements listed in {{Kokusan}}, p.337, indicate that the transition occurred in July 1939. Examples are pictured in {{Sugiyama}}, item 2002, and in Lewis, p.55. The camera pictured in Lewis perhaps has black body edges and a partly black release lever, and its ''SUPER FLEX BABY'' nameplate is perhaps missing. </REF> It was offered for {{yen|65|1939}} in an advertisement dated June 1939 where it is simply called "Super Flex".<REF> Advertisement published in ''[[Asahi Camera]],'' reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.75. </REF> It seems that this model was called '''Super Flex Baby II''' (スーパー・フレックス・ベビーⅡ型) only in retrospect after the release of the model III.
 
In mid 1939, the camera was modified with an all-chrome speed wheel and lens barrel.<REF> Date: the advertisements listed in {{Kokusan}}, p.337, indicate that the transition occurred in July 1939. Examples are pictured in {{Sugiyama}}, item 2002, and in Lewis, p.55. The camera pictured in Lewis perhaps has black body edges and a partly black release lever, and its ''SUPER FLEX BABY'' nameplate is perhaps missing. </REF> It was offered for {{yen|65|1939}} in an advertisement dated June 1939 where it is simply called "Super Flex".<REF> Advertisement published in ''[[Asahi Camera]],'' reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.75. </REF> It seems that this model was called '''Super Flex Baby II''' (スーパー・フレックス・ベビーⅡ型) only in retrospect after the release of the model III.
  
Line 78: Line 84:
 
== Bibliography ==
 
== Bibliography ==
 
* Advertisements in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' for Kikōdō: April 1938, p.A70; May 1938, p.A68; June 1938, p.A70 (the April and May advertisements mention the Super Flex Baby as coming soon).
 
* Advertisements in ''[[Asahi Camera]]'' for Kikōdō: April 1938, p.A70; May 1938, p.A68; June 1938, p.A70 (the April and May advertisements mention the Super Flex Baby as coming soon).
* {{Showa10}} Items 126&ndash;8.
+
* {{Showa10}} Items 126–8.
 
* Christies auction catalogue: "Fine and Rare Cameras", 5 November 1992, lot 334.
 
* Christies auction catalogue: "Fine and Rare Cameras", 5 November 1992, lot 334.
* {{Inquiry1943}} Items 125&ndash;6.
+
* {{Inquiry1943}} Items 125–6.
 
* {{Kakaku1940}} Type 1, sections 7 and 8B.
 
* {{Kakaku1940}} Type 1, sections 7 and 8B.
 
* {{Lewis}} P.55.
 
* {{Lewis}} P.55.
* {{Zukan}} Items 2001&ndash;4.
+
* {{Zukan}} Items 2001–4.
* Watanabe Katsumi (渡辺勝美). "Baby Super Flex" (ベビースーパーフレックス). In {{CCN}} no.40 (October 1980). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. Pp.8&ndash;9.
+
* Watanabe Katsumi (渡辺勝美). "Baby Super Flex" (ベビースーパーフレックス). In {{CCN}} no.40 (October 1980). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. Pp.8–9.
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==

Revision as of 23:18, 9 January 2008

Japanese medium-format SLR (edit)
6×9 Optika | Rittreck
6×8 Fuji GX680 | Fuji GX680 II | Fujifilm GX680 III | Fujifilm GX680 III S
6×7 Bronica GS-1 | Mamiya RB67 | Mamiya RZ67 | Pentax 67
6×6 Amano 66 | Reflex Beauty | Bronica C | Bronica D | Bronica EC | Bronica S | Bronica S2 | Bronica SQ | Bronica Z | Carlflex | Escaflex | Flex Six | Fujita 66 | Graflex Norita | Hasemiflex | Kalimar Reflex | Kalimar Six Sixty | Konishiroku prototype | Kowa Six | Kowa Super 66 | Minolta SR66 | Norita 66 | Orchid | Rittreck 6×6 | Rolly Flex | Seito Ref | Shinkoflex | Soligor 66 | Tanyflex | Warner 66 | Zuman Flex
4.5×6 Bronica ETR | Contax 645 AF | Fujifilm GX645AF | Konica SF | Mamiya M645 | Mamiya M645 Super / Pro | Mamiya 645AF | Pentax 645 | Pentax 645N | Pentax 645NII
4×4 Atomflex | Komaflex-S | Super Flex Baby
Japanese TLR and pseudo TLR ->
Other Japanese 6×6, 4.5×6, 3×4 and 4×4 ->

The Super Flex Baby (スーパー・フレックス・ベビー) is a Japanese 4×4 SLR made from 1938 to 1942 or later.[1] It was sold and advertised by the retailer Kikōdō, but manufactured by Umemoto Seisakusho.[2]

The Super Flex Baby was the first Japanese rollfilm SLR and the first Japanese SLR with a leaf shutter. (The first Japanese SLR was the Sakura Reflex Plano by Konishi, later Konica, for plates.)

Description

The Super Flex Baby is inspired by the Karma Flex 4×4 SLR, with a near cubic shape modified by the film spool compartments on both sides. The body is made of die-cast alloy and the casting process itself was subcontracted to the company Tanaka Daikasuto (田中ダイカスト, meaning Tanaka Diecast).[3]

Most of the top plate is occupied by the viewfinder. The viewing hood contains a sports finder that is marked SUPER FLEX BABY inside a coat of arms. The advance knob is at the left end of the body and there are strap lugs on both sides. The back is hinged to the left and contains three red windows, protected by a common cover sliding vertically under a metal plate, inscribed 1 3 5 7 on both sides and 2 4 6 8 in the middle. The two red windows on the sides were used for the odd numbers and the central red window was used for the even numbers. The succession of numbers was thus as follows: 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, etc. This complicated system was required by the 4×4cm format, for which there was no indication on the rollfilm paper backing at the time.

The shutter is placed behind the lens, has two blades and is of the everset Vario type; it was manufactured by the Umemoto company itself.[4] The speeds are set by a wheel attached to the front plate, placed at the top right as seen from the front. This wheel has B, 25, 50, 100 settings on all the models. The shutter release is situated on the right hand side of the body, as seen by the photographer. When it is pressed down, the shutter blades are closed immediately, the mirror is raised and the main spring is charged during most of the course, and the shutter is finally tripped. When it comes back to its initial position, the mirror is lowered back and the shutter blades are finally opened again.

On all the models except for one early advertisement, the lens is called Super Anastigmat; it is focused by turning the front element. The distance scale is engraved on the fixed part of the barrel and the set distance is indicated by a dot on the moving part, the reverse of the usual arrangement. The diaphragm ring is placed behind the distance scale. The lens is fixed on the early cameras, and it is interchangeable by way of a screw mount on the later ones.[5] The fixed lenses are attached by three screws at the back of the front plate, not visible from the outside. They are distinguished from the interchangeable lenses by the donut ring on the front plate, surrounding the base of the lens barrel: it is thinner on the fixed-lens cameras and thicker on the others.

Evolution

The Super Flex Baby appeared in mid 1938: it was mentioned as coming soon in advertisements in Asahi Camera dated April and May 1938, and it was featured in the new products column of the same magazine in August 1938.[6]

Original model

The original model has a black and chrome speed wheel, and the shutter release is a simple pivoting lever. The engraving on the viewing hood is black filled. The lens is fixed and the lens barrel has a black and chrome finish too. Two surviving examples havebeen observed so far.

The April and May 1938 advertisements in Asahi Camera showed no picture and did not indicate the focal length or the origin of the lens.[7] The price was announced as "less than ¥50" in April and set to ¥49 in May. The June 1938 advertisement in the same magazine offered the camera at an unchanged price with a U.L.L. Anastigmat 75/4.5 lens by Miyoshi.[8] It was the only advertisement to mention this lens name;[9] the company had to change the lens supplier for some reason and the camera was sold with a Super Anastigmat 7.0cm f/4.5, certainly made by Nishida.[10] This lens was mentioned in the advertisement in Asahi Camera dated February 1939, where the camera was priced at ¥58.[11]

Two surviving examples of the original model have been observed so far. They seem to have four-digit lens numbers. One is kept by the JCII museum and the other is pictured in Sugiyama.[12]

Model II

In mid 1939, the camera was modified with an all-chrome speed wheel and lens barrel.[13] It was offered for ¥65 in an advertisement dated June 1939 where it is simply called "Super Flex".[14] It seems that this model was called Super Flex Baby II (スーパー・フレックス・ベビーⅡ型) only in retrospect after the release of the model III.

Some examples of the newer body are found today with the older black and chrome lens; this does not necessarily indicate that the lens is mismatched, and newer bodies perhaps came out of the factory with older lenses until the stock ran out.

The black filling of the SUPER FLEX BABY engraving on the viewing hood was abandoned during the production of the model II, and the nameplate became all chrome.[15]

Super Flex Baby III and IIIA

The Super Flex Baby III (スーパー・フレックス・ベビーⅢ型) was released at the beginning of 1940.[16] This model has a new type of release lever, consisting of a folded metal plate, vertically sliding on the right hand side of the camera. A button at the bottom of the release mechanism is used as a release lock allowing for time exposures.[17]

An advertisement dated April 1940[18] still offered the model II for ¥65 along with the new model III costing ¥78. It explicitly states that the difference was the ability to take time exposures. The advertising picture is the same as in June 1939, and thus shows a model II; the difference is however invisible because the photo is taken from the left side.

The Super Flex Baby IIIA (スーパー・フレックス・ベビーⅢA型) was a more expensive alternative with a Super Anastigmat 65mm f/3.2 lens. It seems that the body is unchanged, so a III can be turned into a IIIA and vice versa by swapping the lens.[19] Both models were mentioned in the list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941, under the names "Baby Super Flex III" (¥77) and "Baby Super Flex IIIA (¥88). The first advertisements mentioning the IIIA did not appear until the beginning of 1941.[20]

An advertisement dated March 1941 offered the model III for ¥77 and the model IIIA for ¥88.[21] In an advertisement dated March 1942, the prices were respectively ¥90 and ¥102, and calling the f/4.5 model "model II" was probably a mistake.[22] This March 1942 advertisement is the last one listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi[23] and camera production was soon interrupted by the war.

The government inquiry listing all Japanese cameras as of April 1943 mentions a "Super Ref" (スーパーレフ) that certainly corresponds to the Super Flex Baby.[24] Two versions are listed: the "Super Ref II" (スーパーレフⅡ型) with a Super 65/3.2 lens and the "Super Ref" with a Super 65/3.5 lens. The source says that both lenses have three elements and were made by Nishida. It is probable that the 65/3.5 lens option is a mistake for the 70/4.5, and that the names Super Ref and Super Ref II were never officially used by Umemoto or Kikōdō and resulted from a misinterpretation by the inquiry authors.

About the name

The name "Super Flex Baby" has been used throughout this article because this is the name inscribed on the camera itself. The original documentation is not consistent: in the advertisements, the camera was often called "Baby Super Flex" or simply "Super Flex", more rarely "Super Flex Baby". (In at least one advertisement, the case was mentioned as "for the Baby Super Ref" (ベビースーパーレフ用) while the camera was called "Super Flex Baby" in the header; in another early advertisement, probably as the result of a simple misprint, it was even called the ベビースーパーレックス, i.e. "Baby Super Rex".[25]) The official documents cited above either have "Baby Super Flex" or "Super Ref".

The brand name "Super" — perhaps designed to remind people of the Zeiss Super Six and Voigtländer Super Bessa, both highly reputed and lavishly advertised in Japan at the time — was also used by the distributor Kikōdō for the Super plate folders and the Super Makinet Six.

Production estimate

The body serial number is engraved on the fixed part of the back latch, and is only visible when the back is open. The number sequence started at 1001, literally no.001 with an additional "1" grafted at the beginning.[26] Only two serial numbers are confirmed: no.3793 on a Super Flex Baby II and no.6854 on a model IIIA, certainly indicating that more than 6,000 examples were made. A plausible estimate of the production rate is 150 cameras per month.

Case

At least two types of ever-ready case are known, which are pictured below. The case was certainly modified to fit the new release lever of the model III.

Notes

  1. Dates: the advertisements listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.337, run from 1938 to 1942. The camera is also mentioned in the April 1943 government inquiry.
  2. The attribution to Umemoto has not been found in any original document but is confirmed by the Umemoto company history that is compiled by Umemoto Akio, grandson of Umemoto Kinzaburō, the founder of the company.
  3. Private communication to User:Rebollo_fr by Umemoto Akio, grandson of Umemoto Kinzaburō, the founder of the Umemoto company.
  4. Umemoto company history.
  5. Sugiyama, items 2001–4, says "interchangeable" for all the models, but this seems to be a mistake.
  6. Advertisements in Asahi Camera April 1938, p.A70, and May 1938, p.A68. The August 1938 article is listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.337.
  7. Advertisements in Asahi Camera April 1938, p.A70, and May 1938, p.A68.
  8. Advertisement in Asahi Camera, p.A70, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.75.
  9. Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.337.
  10. Made by Nishida: "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), lens items K9 and K10. In this document dated 1943, the camera called "Super Ref" probably corresponds to the Super Flex Baby.
  11. Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.74.
  12. Example owned by the JCII museum and pictured in this page of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology, and example pictured in Sugiyama, item 2001.
  13. Date: the advertisements listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.337, indicate that the transition occurred in July 1939. Examples are pictured in Sugiyama, item 2002, and in Lewis, p.55. The camera pictured in Lewis perhaps has black body edges and a partly black release lever, and its SUPER FLEX BABY nameplate is perhaps missing.
  14. Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.75.
  15. The example pictured in Sugiyama, item 2002, still has the black filling, which is absent on the example sold as lot no.591 of Westlicht Photographica Auction no.12 (17 November 2007).
  16. Date: advertisements mentioned in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.337.
  17. An example is pictured in Sugiyama, item 2003, and another in Watanabe, p.8 of Camera Collectors' News no.40. The time exposure feature is confirmed in the Umemoto history page.
  18. Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.75.
  19. An example is pictured in Sugiyama, item 2004, and another in the Umemoto history page.
  20. Date: advertisements listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.337.
  21. Advertisement published in Shashin Bunka, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.75. The focal length is said to be 65mm for both models but this is surely a mistake.
  22. Advertisement published in Hōdō Shashin, reproduced in the Gochamaze website. Another advertisement reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura gives the same prices.
  23. Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.337
  24. "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), items 125–6.
  25. "Ref" is an abbreviation often used for "Reflex" in Japan at the time. The katakana equivalent of "Baby Super Rex" appears in the Kikōdō advertisement in Asahi Camera, May 1938, p.A68.
  26. Private communication to User:Rebollo_fr by Umemoto Akio, quoting his grandfather Umemoto Kinzaburō.

Bibliography

  • Advertisements in Asahi Camera for Kikōdō: April 1938, p.A70; May 1938, p.A68; June 1938, p.A70 (the April and May advertisements mention the Super Flex Baby as coming soon).
  • 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 126–8.
  • Christies auction catalogue: "Fine and Rare Cameras", 5 November 1992, lot 334.
  • "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" (国産写真機ノ現状調査, Inquiry into Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of April 1943. Reproduced in Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no shōkai to tsukaikata (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の紹介と使い方, Let's try spring cameras: Presentation and use of 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4-87956-072-3. Pp.180–7. Items 125–6.
  • Template:Kakaku1940 Type 1, sections 7 and 8B.
  • Lewis, Gordon, ed. The History of the Japanese Camera. Rochester, N.Y.: George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film, 1991. ISBN 0-935398-17-1 (paper), 0-935398-16-3 (hard). P.55.
  • 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 2001–4.
  • Watanabe Katsumi (渡辺勝美). "Baby Super Flex" (ベビースーパーフレックス). In Camera Collectors' News no.40 (October 1980). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. Pp.8–9.

Links

In English:

In Japanese:


Umemoto cameras
6×6 strut folders 4×4 SLR 4.5×6 folder
Super Makinet Six | Neure Six Super Flex Baby Semi Makinet | Rocky Semi