Tsubasa Nettar
The Tsubasa Nettar (ツバサネッター) is a Japanese 4.5×6 folder made by the company Optochrom in 1940. It has a horizontal folding body with struts similar to the Ikonta A by Zeiss Ikon. The name "Nettar" itself is of course an allusion to the Nettar also made by Zeiss Ikon.
The Tsubasa Nettar has an advance knob on the bottom right of the body. There is a folding optical finder on the center of the top plate, a body release on the right and the folding bed opening button on the left.
It is advertised in 1940[1] together with the Tsubasa Super Semi. The shutter has 1–300 speeds and is probably called Kulax[2] There is a choice of two lenses both called Erinar, with f:4.5 or f:3.5 aperture, but no price is indicated. The advertisement shows a TSUBASA NETTAR logo, that is probably engraved in the folding struts.
The Tsubasa Nettar was short lived, Kokusan kamera no rekishi only mentions two advertisements. No other source mentions this camera and no example has been observed yet. Maybe it was never sold, and maybe the use of the Nettar name caused some protest. The Tsubasa Kiko III is an upgraded version of this camera.
Notes
- ↑ Advertisement for the Tsubasa Nettar and Tsubasa Super Semi, published in the October 1940 issue of Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, item 151.
- ↑ The "Kulax" spelling inferred from the name kurakkusu (クラツクス) in katakana. Kigawa, successor to Optochrom, later made a camera called Semi Kulax.
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 151.
Timeline
Kigawa timeline ( ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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. |