Difference between revisions of "Tsubasa Arawashi"

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{{Japanese Baby and Four}}
 
{{Japanese Baby and Four}}
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The '''Tsubasa Arawashi'''<REF> ''Arawashi'' means "wild eagle" or "ace pilot"; it can be written as 荒鷲 but it appears in ''katakana'' (アラワシ) in advertisements seen so far. </REF> (ベビー・オーソ) is a 3&times;4 camera made by the Japanese company [[Kigawa|Optochrom]] in 1939&ndash;40.
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The '''Tsubasa Arawashi''' (ツバサ・アラワシ) is a 3&times;4 camera made by the Japanese company [[Kigawa|Optochrom]] in 1939&ndash;40.<REF> Dates: advertisements listed in {{Kokusan}}, p.&nbsp;338. </REF>
  
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The body is surely metallic. There is a tubular optical finder centered on the top plate, and the advance knob is at the bottom right of the camera.
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== Name ==
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The Japanese word ''tsubasa'', usually written 翼, means "wing" or "pair of wings", and the word ''arawashi'', usually written 荒鷲, means "wild eagle" or "ace pilot". They appear in ''katakana'' (ツバサ and アラワシ) in advertisements seen so far. (An advertisement dated 1940<REF> Advertisement published in the April 1940 issue of ''Asahi Camera'', reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.&nbsp;79. </REF> shows a stylized bird of prey with outstretched wings.)
  
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The Tsubasa Arawashi is advertised in 1939 in two variants:
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== Description ==
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* f:6.3 lens and Tsubasa B, 25&ndash;100 shutter ({{yen|20|1939}});
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The Tsubasa Arawashi has a crudely shaped metal body. The tubular optical finder is in the middle of the top plate. A large black knurled ring supports the lens and shutter assembly. The film advance is certainly controlled by red windows.
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* f:4.5 lens and Tsubasa T, B, 25&ndash;150 shutter ({{yen|30|1939}}).
 
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The lens name is New Gold in an advertisement dated June<REF> {{Showa10ad|Tsubasa Arawashi|148|June 1939|Asahi Camera}} </REF> and Lucomar in another dated September<REF> {{Showa10ad|Tsubasa Arawashi and [[Tsubasa Super Semi]]|148 and item 149|September 1939|Asahi Camera}} </REF>.
 
  
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The camera is still advertised in 1940<REF> {{Showa10ad|[[Tsubasa Super Semi|Tsubasa II Super Semi]] and Tsubasa Arawashi|150|April 1940|Asahi Camera}} </REF>, in both f:6.3 and f:4.5 variants. They are offered at the same price as before but the shutter speeds are not precised.
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All the models have an everset shutter. The shutter plate is marked ''TSUBASA SHUTTER'' at the top with a ''NE'' logo between both words, and ''NEW GOLD'' at the bottom.
  
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The Tsubasa Arawashi also appears in a later Japanese catalogue<REF> Observed at a Yahoo Japan auction </REF>, together with the [[Tsubasa Chrome]], [[Olympic|Olympic Four]] and [[Olympic|Vest Olympic]]. The only variant offered has B, 25, 50, 100 speeds and a Lucomar f:6.3 lens, and the price is &yen;25 &mdash; case &yen;6.70 extra.
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== Evolution ==
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=== Early model, bottom advance ===
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The '''early model''' has the advance knob at the bottom right and the back hinged to the left. There are film flanges on both ends of the top plate.
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In an advertisement dated June 1939<REF> Published in ''Asahi Camera'', reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.&nbsp;79. </REF>, this model was offered in two versions:
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* New Gold f/6.3 lens and Tsubasa B, 25&ndash;100 shutter ({{yen|20|1939}});
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* New Gold f/4.5 lens and Tsubasa T, B, 25&ndash;150 shutter ({{yen|30|1939}}).
 +
 
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In an advertisement dated September 1939<REF> Published in ''Asahi Camera'', reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.&nbsp;79. </REF>, the features were the same but the lens name was changed to Lucomar.
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=== Late model, top advance ===
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The '''late model''' has the advance knob at the top left and the back hinged to the right. The body is upside down compared to the previous model. The back latch is modified and consists of a long sliding bar.<REF> This model is pictured in Sugiyama, item 4101. </REF>
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This model was advertised in April 1940<REF> Advertisement published in ''Asahi Camera'', reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.&nbsp;79. </REF>, in both f/6.3 and f/4.5 versions. The prices were the same and the shutter speeds were not given.
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It seems that an '''intermediate model''' exists with the top advance knob, the back hinged to the right and the old type of back latch. It has been observed in an undated catalogue, where it is presented together with the [[Tsubasa Chrome]], [[Olympic|Olympic Four]] and [[Vest Alex and Vest Olympic|Vest Olympic]].<REF> Catalogue observed at a Yahoo Japan auction. </REF> An example has also been observed in this configuration, but it has a folding frame finder for 4&times;6.5cm and 3&times;4cm format which is obviously not original, and which was perhaps attached to the bottom of the camera.
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==
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== Bibliography ==
 
== Bibliography ==
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* {{Showa10}} Item 148&ndash;50.
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* {{Showa10}} Item 148. (See also the advertisement for item 150.)
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* {{Zukan}} Item 4101.
  
 
== Timeline ==
 
== Timeline ==

Revision as of 21:41, 22 January 2007

Japanese Baby (3×4) and Four (4×4) (edit)
folding
3×4 Baby Balnet | Doris | Baby Doris | Baby Germa | Kinsi | Baby Leotax | Loren | Baby Lyra | Baby Pearl | Baby Pilot | Baby Rosen | Baby Suzuka | Walz
4×4 Adler Four | Rosen Four
rigid or collapsible
3×4 Baika | Baby Chrome | Comet | Cyclon | Gelto | Baby Germa | Gokoku | Hamond | Baby Hawk | Kinka Lucky | Lausar | Light | Baby Light | Molby | Mulber | Olympic | Baby Ōso | Peacock | Picny | Ricohl | Rorox | Shinko Baby | Slick | Baby Sport | Tsubasa Arawashi | Baby Uirus | Zessan
3.5×4 Kenko 35
4×4 Alma Four | Andes Four | Anny 44 | Arsen | Balnet Four | Bonny Four | Freude | Kalimar 44 | Auto Keef | Kraft | Letix | Mykey-4 | Olympic Four | Roico | Royal Senior | Seica | Terra Junior | Vero Four | Welmy 44 | Yashica Future 127
unknown
Baby First | Baby Lyra Flex
Japanese SLR, TLR, pseudo TLR and stereo models ->
Japanese 4×5 and 4×6.5, 4.5×6, 6×6 and 6×9 ->

The Tsubasa Arawashi (ツバサ・アラワシ) is a 3×4 camera made by the Japanese company Optochrom in 1939–40.[1]

Name

The Japanese word tsubasa, usually written 翼, means "wing" or "pair of wings", and the word arawashi, usually written 荒鷲, means "wild eagle" or "ace pilot". They appear in katakana (ツバサ and アラワシ) in advertisements seen so far. (An advertisement dated 1940[2] shows a stylized bird of prey with outstretched wings.)

Description

The Tsubasa Arawashi has a crudely shaped metal body. The tubular optical finder is in the middle of the top plate. A large black knurled ring supports the lens and shutter assembly. The film advance is certainly controlled by red windows.

All the models have an everset shutter. The shutter plate is marked TSUBASA SHUTTER at the top with a NE logo between both words, and NEW GOLD at the bottom.

Evolution

Early model, bottom advance

The early model has the advance knob at the bottom right and the back hinged to the left. There are film flanges on both ends of the top plate.

In an advertisement dated June 1939[3], this model was offered in two versions:

  • New Gold f/6.3 lens and Tsubasa B, 25–100 shutter (¥20);
  • New Gold f/4.5 lens and Tsubasa T, B, 25–150 shutter (¥30).

In an advertisement dated September 1939[4], the features were the same but the lens name was changed to Lucomar.

Late model, top advance

The late model has the advance knob at the top left and the back hinged to the right. The body is upside down compared to the previous model. The back latch is modified and consists of a long sliding bar.[5]

This model was advertised in April 1940[6], in both f/6.3 and f/4.5 versions. The prices were the same and the shutter speeds were not given.

It seems that an intermediate model exists with the top advance knob, the back hinged to the right and the old type of back latch. It has been observed in an undated catalogue, where it is presented together with the Tsubasa Chrome, Olympic Four and Vest Olympic.[7] An example has also been observed in this configuration, but it has a folding frame finder for 4×6.5cm and 3×4cm format which is obviously not original, and which was perhaps attached to the bottom of the camera.

Notes

  1. ↑ Dates: advertisements listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 338.
  2. ↑ Advertisement published in the April 1940 issue of Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 79.
  3. ↑ Published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 79.
  4. ↑ Published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 79.
  5. ↑ This model is pictured in Sugiyama, item 4101.
  6. ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 79.
  7. ↑ Catalogue observed at a Yahoo Japan auction.

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 148. (See also the advertisement for item 150.)
  • 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 4101.

Timeline

Kigawa timeline (edit)
Type 1930s 1940s 1950s
6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3
                                                                                                                                                                                   
3×4 rigid Baby Chrome
Baby Oso Tsubasa Oso
Tsubasa Arawashi ...
4×6.5 telescopic Tsubasa Chrome ...
folding Tsubasa Spring ...
4.5×6 strut folding Semi Chrome B
horizontal folding Tsubasa Super Semi ... _
Tsubasa II Super Semi
Tsubasa Nettar Tsubasa Kiko Three
vertical folding Semi Chrome A Semi Sixteenth
(dates unclear) 		Semi Kulax Kiko Semi ... _ Tsubasa Semi
6×6 horizontal folding Gotex ... ... Poppy Six
(dates unknown) 		... Carl Six
TLR Kiko Flex Tsubasaflex Graceflex
16mm subminiature ... Poppy
(dates unknown) 		...
Manufacturer: ... Kigawa Seimitsu ... Kigawa Kōgaku Carl Kōgaku
Shin Nippon
Distributor: Optochrom-sha ... Nichiei Shōkai Kikō Shōji ...
Cameras whose actual existence is dubious are in a lighter shade.
Cameras in yellow are variants sold and maybe assembled by other companies.
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