Tanaka
See also the wartime Tanaka, maker of the Mulix, and Tanaka Shōkai, an unrelated distributor.
Tanaka Kōgaku (田中光学) was a Japanese camera and lens maker. It announced a Leica copy called Tanack 35 in late 1952, improved in 1954 as the Tanack IIIS and in 1955 as the Tanack IV-S. The latter model met some success and was produced until 1958. At the same time, Tanaka made a series of Tanar lenses in Leica mount, to go on the Tanack cameras.
In 1957, Tanaka released an ambitious rangefinder camera called Tanack SD, inspired by the Nikon S2 but taking Leica mount lenses. The camera was produced until 1959 but met very limited success.
In early 1959, the company made an attempt to give a successor to the Tanack IV-S, releasing the Tanack V3 with a specific bayonet mount. Tanaka finally produced the Tanack VP, an evolution of the V3 turning back to the Leica screw mount, but it lacked the resource to develop it further, and disappeared in 1959 or 1960.
Contents
Camera list
Lens list
- Tanar lenses in Leica screw mount
- tele lenses for 16mm and 8mm movie cameras (announced in mid 1953)[1]
Other
- accessory finders for the Tanar lenses
- Universal zoom finder for 35mm cameras (announced in mid 1953)[2]
Notes
- ↑ Advertisement in Ars Camera May 1953, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.145.
- ↑ Advertisement in Ars Camera May 1953, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.145.
Bibliography
- 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.
- McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). Pp.913–4.
