Tsubasa Chrome

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Template:127 Japan The Tsubasa Chrome (ツバサ・クローム) was a dual format camera, taking both 4×6.5cm and 3×4cm format pictures on 127 film, made by the Japanese company Optochrom. Its lens and shutter assembly was mounted on a telescopic tube. There was a tubular optical finder, with delimitations for both formats. The leatherette was embossed TSUBASA on the left of the body. No focusing device is visible; maybe it was fixfocus.

It has been observed with a Lucomar Anastigmat 75/6.3 lens and a T-B-150-100-50-25 shutter marked WING ANCHOR at the top, MADE IN JAPAN at the bottom with a logo at the right (NE in a circle). Two variants have been observed:

  • no shutter release visible, maybe the shutter is everset or only a soft release can be used (see at Mediajoy Cla_came)
  • body release (at least there is a button on the body, pictured in McKeown)

It appeared in a 1938 ad (in the September 1938 issue of Asahi Camera, visible here) as the Tsubasa Chrome New (ツバサ・クローム新型, means "New Model"). There is a body release in the picture, which might be the significance of the "new model". It was offered with a Tsubasa shutter, speeds maybe T-B-25-50-100-150 (barely readable). The lens name was maybe Lucomar (barely readable in the ad, but name observed on the cameras). The price was 25 yen with a f/6.3 (probably) lens, and 34 yen with a f/4.5 lens. The case was sold for 5 yen. On the ad's picture, the shutter plate could be the same as described above. Another Japanese catalogue, probably from 1942, listed the Tsubasa Chrome for 40 yen, with a Lucomar f/6.3 lens and a Tsubasa T-B-25-100-150 shutter (1/50 speed omitted maybe by mistake). The case was in supplement for 6.70 yen.

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