Walcon Semi

The Walcon Semi

The Walcon (ワルコン) or Walcon Semi (ワルコン・セミ) is a 4.5×6 folding camera that was sold by Walz in 1954 and 1955.

This camera is based on the contemporary Zenobia C, with a different lens and shutter. The top housing is slightly modified, with contours a bit smoother. The advance knob is different too. There is a film reminder dial on the right end of the top housing, replacing the rotating depth-of-field indicator of the Zenobia C. A WALCON logo is embossed in the back leather and engraved above the viewfinder. The serial number is engraved behind the top housing, it seems that the two first digits indicate the year of production.

The Walcon Semi has a Kominar 75/3.5 front-cell focusing lens made by Nittō Kōgaku and a Copal B, 1–300 synchronized shutter with self-timer and PC socket. The aperture is set by an index above the shutter housing and the depth-of-field scale is on the shutter plate.

An advertisement dated August 1954 calls the camera "Walcon" while advertisements dated November 1954 and March 1955 call it "Walcon Semi". These advertisements are illustrated with stylish drawings of young women and in the two first ones, the Walcon is presented as a smart camera for ladies. The camera was priced ¥11,000, case included.

The Walcon 6

The Walcon 6 is a 6×6 horizontal folding camera with an uncoupled rangefinder, made in 1955. It is said that it is dual format and can take 4.5×6 exposures.

Description

The Walcon 6 has a top housing covering all the top plate, with the viewfinder in the middle. Above the viewfinder there is an accessory shoe and a Walcon 6 engraving. The rangefinder has a separate eyepiece on the left and small rectangular windows on both sides. The distance setting knob is vertically oriented and protrudes from the top housing, on the right of the viewfinder, thus falling under the right index. The shutter release and folding bed release are symmetrically placed at both ends of the finder housing. The knob at the right end is certainly a film reminder, the depth-of-field scale being on the shutter plate.

The lens and shutter are the same as on the Walcon Semi: a front-cell focusing Kominar 7.5cm f:3.5 and a Copal with B, 1&ndash300 speeds, self-timer and F synchronization via a PC socket.

The back is hinged to the right and has a single red window near the top, protected by a horizontally sliding cover. The position of this red window indicates that it is used for 4.5×6 exposures.

Advertisements and versions

The advertisement dated March 1955 cited above for the Walcon Semi offers the camera for ¥13,000. It mentions auto-stop film advance and double exposure prevention but does not say anything about 4.5×6 exposures.

Two versions of the Walcon 6 have been observed. One of them<Example observed in this page at Kan's Room. </REF> has an exposure counter dial around the base of the advance knob and a small hole showing a white or red dot whether the film is wound or not. It is said that the auto-stop advance mechanism only works for 6×6 exposures and that it incorporates double exposure prevention, thus unlocking film advance each time the shutter button is pressed. There is also a sliding button on the rear, next to the rangefinder eyepiece. It is perhaps used to disengage the mechanism either for setting the first exposure or for taking 4.5×6 exposures.

The other one has a lower advance knob. (It seems that it is the version pictured in the March 1955 advertisement.) There is no exposure counter, no film advance indicator and no sliding button on the rear. The position of the red window again indicates that it cannot be used for 6×6 exposures. It is supposed that there is a simple auto-stop advance device, unlocked each time the shutter button is pressed. However the way to set the first exposure and to disengage the device for 4.5×6 exposures is unknown.

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. Items 1057–9.
• Lewis, Gordon, ed. The History of the Japanese Camera. Rochester, N.Y.: George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film, 1991. ISBN 0-935398-17-1 (paper), 0-935398-16-3 (hard). P. 86 (brief mention only).

Links

In Japanese:

• Walcon 6 repair notes at Kan's Room, with sample pictures
• Template:Shashinbako
• Advertisement for the {{{1}}}, published in 1954, reproduced in a page of Japanese postwar advertisements at the Shashin-Bako website
• Advertisement for the Walcon and Wagoflex, originally published in the Aug 1954 issue of Asahi Camera, reproduced in a page of Japanese ads mostly dating from the same year

Timeline

<-Okada

Daiichi and Zenobia timeline ()

Type

1950s

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

4.5×6 folder

viewfinder

Zenobia P

Zenobia M

Zenobia C

rebadged versions:

Union Semi

Walcon Semi

Zenobia H

uncoupled rangefinder

Zenobia R

coupled rangefinder

Super Zenobia SR-I

Super Zenobia SR

6×6 TLR

knob advance

Zenobiaflex

Zenobiaflex II

Zenobiaflex F-II

crank advance

Zenobiaflex Automat

35mm rangefinder

f/2.8

Zenobia 35

Zenobia 35 F2.8

f/2

Zenobia 35 F2

Leica copy

Ichicon-35

Company:

Daiichi Kōgaku

...

Zenobia Kōgaku

Cameras whose actual existence is dubious are in a lighter shade.

Cameras in yellow are variants sold and maybe assembled by other companies.