Tsubasa Spring
Template:127 Japan The Tsubasa Spring is a vertically folding camera taking 4×6.5 and 3×4 pictures on 127 film. It was made by the Japanese company Optochrom.
It is advertised in 1938 first as the Tsubasa Spring A[1], then as the Tsubasa Spring (ツバサスプリング)[2] or Tsubasa Spring Camera (ツバサ・スプリング・カメラ)[3]. In 1939 it is advertised first under the latter name[4] then as the Tsubasa A Chrome (ツバサＡ型クローム)[5].
These various names all designate the same camera. The viewfinder is enclosed in a small top housing with an accessory shoe, and two vertical lines delineate the 3×4 exposure frame. The shutter is a Tsubasa with T, B, 25–100 speeds and a body release, and the lens is a Lucomar f:4.5. In the advertisements observed, the price varies between ¥34 and ¥38 — case for ¥6 extra. It is always offered with a Tsubasa accessory rangefinder, at a price between ¥14 and ¥16, that is even pictured mounted on the camera in the June 1938 advertisement cited above.
It appeared in a 1938 ad (appeared in 9/1938 issue of Asahi Camera, visible at this page). It was offered with a Tsubasa shutter. Speeds were maybe T-B-25-50-100 (barely readable). On the picture, the shutter plate was marked NEW GOLD at the bottom, and probably TSUBASA at the top.
On the ad's picture, we can see an optical viewfinder enclosed in a top housing. According to the viewfinder's aspect, much similar to the Tsubasa Chrome, the camera was probably dual format, for both 4x6.5cm and 3x4cm pictures.
No focusing control is visible, maybe it was fixfocus.
The lens was f/4.5, maybe named Lucomar (barely readable, but this name has been observed on other Optochrome cameras). The price was 34 yen. The case was sold for 6 yen. Another unidentifiable accessory was sold 15 yen.
Printed 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 144–6.
