Teleca

The Teleca is binoculars and 16-mm subminiature camera combined, made by the Tōkō Shashin K.K. (東興写真株式会社) in about 1950. It was also produced under the name Cyclops. The product was taken over by Ricoh, re-designed and sold as the Teleca 240. Two other binocular cameras are the Nicnon and the Telflex.

Ricoh Teleca 240 image by Adrian Gee (Image rights)

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. Item 612.
• 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.73.
• 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. Item 5146.

Links

In English:

• Toko Cylops & Teleca at submin.com
• Past auctions by Westlicht Photographica Auction (now Leitz Photographica Auction):
  • Cyclops, lot no.669 of auction no.7 (May 21, 2005)
  • Teleca, with 3.5 cm f/4.5 Telesigmar lens; lot no.619 of auction no.13 (June 7, 2008)