Talk:Mihama Six

The mystery lens

I wrote: one with an MKS shutter (B, 10–200) and Mihama lens, the other with an NKS shutter (B, 1–200) and a different lens (one not branded Mihama). Strange wording indeed!

There's no illustration of this lens, which is referred to as セリター. In Hepburn that would be "Seritā"; in actual printed roman letters it could be Serita, Cerita, Selita, Celita, Seriter, Ceriter ... etc etc. Perhaps McKeown explains. -- Hoary 02:31, 23 May 2006 (EDT)

There is a Seriter lens on some Tosei Frank Six models, maybe it is related. You can see one for sale here at ritzcam. The Seriter lens seems to have been mounted on other cameras too. In McKeown the lens names given for the Mihama Six are "Mihama" and "Kepler". --Rebollo fr 03:27, 23 May 2006 (EDT)

Thanks. The name セリター isn't reminiscent of any name I've heard of. I can't think of any reason why either it or Seriter should be an imitation of some other name, and I therefore infer that セリター and Seriter are the same. I'm thus adding this nugget of information. You're a lot more expert than I am in this era; if you have doubts, revert! (Incidentally, I sent you [Mihama-irrelevant] mail a few hours ago.) -- Hoary 04:42, 23 May 2006 (EDT)

Something else I had been going to write, but forgot. "Tōkō" is merely my romanization of トーコー. It could be Toko, Tohcoh, Tokor ... anything. Ideas? -- Hoary 04:47, 23 May 2006 (EDT)

The Toko lens was made by Tokyo Kogaku, トーコー surely stands for 東光. As for the writing, I have seen Toko with no macrons on the lens rim of the Minion folding camera and Minion 35. --Rebollo fr 05:59, 23 May 2006 (EDT)

I notice that you changed the "different lens" to "Seriter" in one sentence, but not in the other for the Mihama Six II. I don't know if this is intentional.

I am also wondering about the "Lauser" and "Tri-Lauser" lens, isn't it "Lausar" and "Tri-Lausar"?

The two last details come from McKeown: it lists a "MSK" shutter (not "MKS"), this could be an acronym for Mihama Seikō. It also lists a Mihama Six Model-X, it is pictured with no top housing, only a tubular finder on the top plate, and MSK engraved in the folding struts.

There is indeed a MKS shutter on a Mizuho Six shown [1], but in that case MKS could be the acronym of Mizuho Kōki Seisakusho. --Rebollo fr 06:21, 23 May 2006 (EDT)

Thanks for the answers and fixes. I think that I read "MKS" correctly, but don't know for sure and don't have the book with me right now: I'll check later. I know nothing of any Model X; I suggest that you don't add it quite yet, because I hope to add a very little detail about the models I have listed and after I've done that it might be easier for you to slot in the Model X. (NB a very little detail, which is all that I have.) And ミヅホ -- yes, that's yet another company that put out a number of sixes (your template might eventually become enormous). -- Hoary 06:32, 23 May 2006 (EDT)

No problem, anyway the only source for the "Model-X" name is McKeown's text, I cannot read a model name in the picture. --Rebollo fr 06:39, 23 May 2006 (EDT)

Yes, I read "MKS" correctly. However, the book says, without comment, that Sugiyama shows a camera with the NKS (and I've typed that correctly too) shutter and Mihama lens. If "MKS" were their typo for "NKS", I don't see why they'd mention it twice or point out that it's what's shown in Sugiyama's book. Or perhaps they meant "MKS" when describing what's shown in Sugiyama's book. I really don't know, and am about to rephrase more vaguely. -- Hoary 22:26, 23 May 2006 (EDT)

"Trimming finder"

The big book of ads shows an ad for the S2 in which it's described as 距離形連動(トリミングファインダ式) kyorikeirendō (torimingu-faindā-shiki), "coupled rangefinder (trimming finder type)". The editors confirm without comment that the finder is of the "trimming" type. I've never heard of this. What might it mean -- that one can "trim" the 6x6 finder for 6x4.5, perhaps? -- Hoary 22:26, 23 May 2006 (EDT)

In this page I find a sentence with the word "トリミングファインダー", it is ambiguously written but it seems that it is a synonym of ブライトフレーム. Of course it is only a hint. --Rebollo fr 07:59, 24 May 2006 (EDT)

Nicely googled. I don't see any ambiguity there: I'll add this info. -- Hoary 08:20, 24 May 2006 (EDT)

Red windows yet "semi automat"

Moreover, the ad for the S2 claims that it's "semi-automat". Yet it has red windows. I thought that in the context of folders "semi automation" meant start-mark, auto-stop film winding (whether or not connected in any way to shutter operation). But surely it can't mean this, as long as the camera has red windows. Any idea? -- Hoary 22:53, 23 May 2006 (EDT)

There is often one red window left: when you load the film you must advance the film until the number 1 (or sometimes an arrow) appears in that red window. It is to align the first frame with the auto-stop mechanism. The exposure counter only works after that first step. A more advance system only needs to align one of the paperback markings with some arrow inside, and it gets rid of the red window. The mechanism of the Rolleiflex is yet more sophisticated: it detects the thickness difference between the paperback alone and the paperback with the film, and then it automatically starts the exposure counter. --Rebollo fr 07:59, 24 May 2006 (EDT)

You make the Rolleiflex sound just as advanced as the Iskra! Hmm, that's an interesting explanation, but I can't square it with the fact that the S2 manages to handle both 6x6 and 6x4.5. (Of course it's possible that I got that confused. Before speculating further, I'll look again at what's written in the book, which I don't have at hand right now.) -- Hoary 08:19, 24 May 2006 (EDT)

I didn't know for the Iskra. It sounds advanced indeed. But we should bear in mind that the Rolleiflex introduced the automatic system in 1937! As for the exposure counter working in dual format, it is a complicated mechanism too, but it is not unheard of, for example the Mamiya Six V had this feature (see this page at the Mamiya official site). --Rebollo fr 13:31, 24 May 2006 (EDT)

Well then, the Iskra was only twenty years or so behind the Rolleiflex. Also, the design of the Iskra has its fragile aspects, which is why you'll see a large number of Iskras equipped with homemade red windows. -- Hoary 23:34, 24 May 2006 (EDT)