Takane

Takane Kōgaku (高嶺光学, Takane Optical) was the maker of several folding roll-film cameras.

Models

Daido Six

Daidō Seiki (大同精工), the predecessor of Takane, brought out the Daido Six in December 1953. This was a rangefinderless folder whose body was based on that of the Mihama Six (which Takane was making for Mihama). It had two finders, for 6×6 and 6×4.5; and two windows for film numbers. Like all its successors, the Daido came with a 75mm f3.5 lens; this one was from a maker in Ikebukuro (Tokyo), and was named Daido; it had front-cell focussing. The NKS shutter provided for speeds of 1–¹/₂₀₀ and B.

Daido Semi

Daidō brought out the Daido Semi at the same time as the Daido Six. This was a simplified and cheaper version, for 6×4.5 only.

Sisley 55

The Sisley 55 (シスレー, shisurē), released around May 1954, was the first product of the newly renamed Takane Kōgaku. It added a non-coupled rangefinder to the Daido Six. The lens was branded "Deep-C".

Source / further reading

Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Gunma-ken Takasaki-shi no kameramēkā" (群馬県高崎市のカメラメーカー, A camera-maker in Takasaki, Gunma). Chapter 7 of Zunō kamera tanjō: Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari (ズノーカメラ誕生：戦後国産カメラ10物語, The birth of the Zunow camera: Ten stories of postwar Japanese camera makers). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1999. ISBN 4-257-12023-1 In Japanese only. First published in issue 27 (December 1993) of Kamera rebyū: Kurashikku kamera senka (カメラレビュー・クラシックカメラ専科), this history of Takane is based on Hagiya's interviews with four people who had been key figures in the company.