Tomioka
Tomioka was founded in 1924 in Tokyo, Shinagawa (品川) by Tomioka Masashige (冨岡正重) as Tomioka Kōgaku Kenkyūsho (冨岡光学研究所, meaning Tomioka Optical Laboratory).[1] The first lenses were released around 1932.[2] They were the Lausar (ローザー) four-element Tessar-type lenses, available in 50mm, 75mm and 105mm focal lengths.[3]
The company name was changed to Tomioka Kōgaku Kikai Seizōsho (冨岡光学機械製造所) in 1933.[4] It was in Tokyo, Nihonbashi for some time and it was located in Tokyo, Ōmori in 1943.[5]
After the war, the company was incorporated as K.K. Tomioka Kōgaku Kikai Seizōsho (㈱冨岡光学機械製造所), based in Tokyo, Ōme (青梅).[6] The company supplied lenses to a number of Japanese camera makers like Yashica and Royal Camera Company. In addition to the Lausar, other types and brand names include Tominon, Tominor, Tri-Lausar, Tomi-Kogaku, Auto-Tominon, Tomi-Yashinon, Yashimar, Yashikor, Yashinon, Heliotar and Lumaxar. (Yashinon lenses have a reputation of good quality.) Tomioka was bought by Yashica in 1968 and changed its name to Tomioka Kōgaku K.K. (冨岡光学㈱, Tomioka Optical Co., Ltd.) in 1969.[7] The Tomioka plant made Carl Zeiss licensed optics for use on some Japanese cameras, like the Contax. Tomioka became part of the Kyocera group in 1983 after the merge of Kyocera and Yashica and became Kyocera Optec Co., Ltd. (京セラオプテック㈱) in 1991.[8] The company currently (2007) still exists.
Sources
- Baird, John R. The Japanese Camera. Yakima, WA: Historical Camera Publications, 1990. ISBN 1-879561-02-6. Pp. 58–61.
- Camera Magazine 1996-2: pp. 24–27. Article in Dutch.
- Inoue, Mitsuo (井上光朗). "Shashin renzu no yoake. Renzu-ya Funsenki" (写真レンズの夜明け・レンズ屋奮戦記, Dawn of the photographic lens – Fierce war tales between lens shops). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp 128–132.
- "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" (国産写真機ノ現状調査, Inquiry into Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of April 1943. Reproduced in Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no shōkai to tsukaikata (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の紹介と使い方, Let's try spring cameras: Presentation and use of 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4-87956-072-3. Pp.180–7.
Links
In English:
- Company outline (and Japanese version) at the Kyocera Optec official website (former Tomioka)
- Tomioka lenses in Barry Toogood's tlr-cameras.com
- Post at photo.net with unverified information about the fate of the Tomioka plant
