View source for T.Y.O.W.

The acronym '''T.Y.O.W.''' corresponds to a Japanese lens maker based in Tokyo, Yamazaki Kōgaku Shashin Renzu Kenkyūsho (山崎光学写真レンズ研究所). <ref>It probably stands for '''T'''aiyo '''Y'''amasaki '''O'''ptical '''W'''orks.</ref> It made Taiyo-Anastigmat barrel lenses for large format cameras. These are usually marked ''T.Y.O.W. TOKYO TAIYO–Anastigmat''.<ref>Some lenses with higher serial numbers are marked "TOKYO TAIYO-ANASTIGMAT" with   'MADE IN JAPAN" on aperture ring (Source: [http://www.flickr.com/photos/10652115@N07/30571120151 FLICKR]).</ref> The brand name certainly comes from the word ''taiyō'' (太陽), which means "sun" in Japanese.<ref>See this [[Taiyō| disambiguation page]] for other uses of the name Taiyō.</ref>

The Taiyo lenses were already existing in 1941.<REF> An advertisement by [[Kuwata]] in {{ACA}} April 1941 mentions the Taiyo as one of the lenses onto which one could attach the Bimagon wide-angle attachment. </REF> They were made by a relative of Mr. Yamasaki, founder of [[Yamasaki|Yamasaki Kōgaku Kenkyūsho]] and maker of the [[Congo]] lenses.<REF> [http://zunow.blog51.fc2.com/blog-entry-694.html Taiyo-Anastigmat] at [http://zunow.blog51.fc2.com/ Leica Virgin]. </REF> <REF> [http://camerafan.jp/cc.php?i=152 Camera fan web site] reported Yamazaki Kōgaku Shashin Renzu Kenkyūsho still working as a lens re-polishing factory in 2013.</REF>  

{{Flickr_image
|image_source= https://www.flickr.com/photos/80200604@N08/34938119922/in/pool-camerawiki/
|image= http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4281/34938119922_430123a129_c.jpg
|image_align= center
|image_text= Taiyo advertisement from Syasin Bunka (写真文化) May 1941.
|image_by= Inugami Mamoru
|image_rights= Public domain Japan old
}}

List of known Taiyo-Anastigmat lenses (with varying inscriptions on the lens bezel [see footnotes]):
* 135mm f/4.5<ref>(seen in an online auction, Yahoo Japan, September 2015)</ref> 
* 18cm f/4.5<REF> '''T.Y.O.W. TOKYO Nº sn#  TAIYO-Anastigmat  1:4.5 F=18cm'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
sn#2566 (seen in an online auction, eBay, November 2016); 
</REF>
* 21cm f/4.5<REF>The lens exists with a number of different inscriptions on the lens bezel:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
'''T.Y.O.W. TOKYO TAIYO-Anastigmat 1:4.5 F=21cm sn#'''
<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
sn#1382 (seen in an online auction, Yahoo Japan, July 2016); 
sn#3161 Photographica Collection Dirk HR Spennemann; 
sn#3177 online sale at sy916.net (2011); 
<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
sn#3863<!--Commented out link, page no longer present/available, please remove if not returned by 03/2025  ([http://www.thaidphoto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204018 thaidphoto forum])-->; 
sn#6973 Online auction, Yahoo Japan, November 2016; 
sn#7202 ([http://photoschool.narod.ru/taiyo-anastigmat.html Russian site]).   <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
'''T.Y.O.W. TOKYO Nº sn#  TAIYO-Anastigmat  1:4.5 F=21cm'''
 <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
sn#7162  (seen in an online auction, Yahoo Japan March 2015)
sn#23524 (seen in an online auction, Yahoo Japan November 2016)<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
sn#29726  (seen in an online auction, Yahoo Japan April 2015)
<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
'''T.Y.O.W. TOKYO TAIYO-Anastigmat 1:4.5 F=21 cm MADE IN JAPAN Nº sn#''' 
 <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
sn#1247  (seen in an online auction, Yahoo Japan, June 2015)
sn#69138  (Source:  FLICKR (August 2012), image since removed.
<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
'''TAIYO-Anastigmat 1:4.5 F=21 cm MADE IN JAPAN Nº sn#'''
 <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
sn#1195  (seen in an online auction, Yahoo Japan, August 2016)
sn#11946  (seen in an online auction, Yahoo Japan, April 2015)
</REF>
* 21cm f/6.3<REF> The lens exists with a number of different inscriptions on the lens bezel:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
''' T.Y.O.W. TOKYO TAIYO-Anastigmat'''
 [https://www.flickr.com/photos/heritagefutures/30571046171  sn#1353 Photographica Collection Dirk HR Spennemann]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
sn#5522 observed in an online auction (eBay August 2012), mounted on an [[Asanuma]] field camera; <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
'''T.Y.O.W. TOKYO Nº sn# TAIYO-Anastigmat 1:6.3 F=21 cm'''
<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
sn# 7783 (seen in an online auction, Yahoo Japan, November 2016)
</REF>
* 21cm f/6.8 (reported only)<REF> Lens reported in [https://web.archive.org/web/20171023121122/http://www.mformat.com/forumcollnr.asp?mf=1&mr=13&mt=15382&mp=8 this thread] at mformat.com (archived). </REF>
* 25cm f/4.5<REF> Example observed in an online auction. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20181013001707/http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~clenssic/lenssam-dai2.html Pleasure Classic lenses] (in Japanese) (archived). </REF>
* 30cm f/6.3<REF> The lens exists with a number of different inscriptions on the lens bezel:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
'''T.Y.O.W. TOKYO TAIYO-Anastigmat 1:6.3 F=30 cm MADE IN JAPAN Nº sn#'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
sn#3481    (seen in an online auction, Yahoo Japan, November 2015)<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
'''TAIYO-Anastigmat 1:6.3 F=30 cm MADE IN JAPAN Nº sn#'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
sn#10925  (seen in an online auction, Yahoo Japan, June 2015)
</REF>




{|class=plainlinks align=center
||
 {{Flickr_image
 |image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/heritagefutures/30571120151/in/pool-camerawiki
 |image= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5627/30571120151_ed59499344_m.jpg
 |image_align= center
 |image_text=  Lens view
 |image_by=
 |image_rights=
 }}
 ||
 {{Flickr_image
 |image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/heritagefutures/30025547153/in/pool-camerawiki
 |image= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5816/30025547153_1f1b4ee9c4_m.jpg
 |image_align= center
 |image_text= View from the side
 |image_by= 
 |image_rights= 
 }}
 ||
 {{Flickr_image
 |image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/heritagefutures/30622981716/in/pool-camerawiki
 |image= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5806/30622981716_809a57e1f7_m.jpg
 |image_align= top
 |image_text= The diaphragm
 |image_by= 
 |image_rights= 
 }}
 |-
 |colspan=3 align="center"|
{{Flickr_image_caption
 |image_text= T.Y.O.W. Taiyo Anastigmat 21cm f/4.5 (sn#3161)
 |image_by= Dirk HR Spennemann
 |image_rights= with permission
}} 
|}


== Notes ==
<references />

== Bibliography ==
* {{ACA}}. Advertisement by [[Kuwata|Kuwata Shōkai]] in April 1941, p.512.

== Links ==
In Japanese:
* [http://zunow.blog51.fc2.com/blog-entry-694.html Taiyo-Anastigmat] at [http://zunow.blog51.fc2.com/ Leica Virgin]
* [http://tinyslope.com/texts/oban.html Large-format Japanese camera] reportedly having a Taiyo-Anastigmat 21cm f/4.5, at [http://tinyslope.com/ tinyslope.com]
In Russian:
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20220813130840/http://www.mformat.com/forumcollnr.asp?mf=1&mr=13&mt=15382&mp=8 Thread mentioning a Taiyo-Anastigmat 210/6.8] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20220815073006/http://mformat.com/ mformat.com] (archived)

[[Category: Japanese lens makers]]