Wester 6×6 folders

Fodor Six. image by Jan Weijers. (Image rights)

The Japanese company Nishida made a number of folders called Wester (ウエスター) in the 1940s and 1950s. See also the 4.5×6 wartime Wester and the 4.5×6 postwar Semi Wester.

The Wester Chrome Six was a simple viewfinder model. The Wester Chrome Six R was a variant with an uncoupled rangefinder, some had a Zuiko F.C. 75/3.5 lens.

The Super Wester had helical focusing and a coupled rangefinder. The Wester S2 and Wester Autorol (ウエスターオートロール) added automatic film advance, dispensing with the red windows.

The Wester Atlasix was another simple viewfinder model. The lens was a Welcon 7.5cm f/4.5 with a shutter speed to 1/300.

The Fodor Six was a name variant of the Wester Atlasix, rebadged for the Dutch distributor Fodor, with the same Welcon 7.5cm f/4.5 lens.

Wester Autorol image by Tsubasa Kato (Image rights)

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 387–93 and 1124.
• 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). Pp.83 and 86 (brief mentions only).
• McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). P.738.
• 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. Items 1439–44.

Links

In English:

• Wester S2 in English and the original Japanese version, at Takahara Minoru's website
• Wester Atlasix in Greg Christies' pbase gallery

In Japanese:

• Wester Chrome Six at Puppy's Island, with an ad and some sample pictures
• Wester Chrome Six repair notes at Takasaki Motohiro's camera site
• Wester Chrome Six in a post by Arcticchar at his Fishing Diary blog
• Wester S2 at Vasolza's home page
• Super Wester at doraDD's clacamera blog
• Wester Autorol at Aya's camera site
• Wester Autorol recorded by Minosan, at Minosan's blog
• Wester Autorol, brief mention with one picture, at Glossostigma's website
• Wester Autorol in the first page of the Yamada Camera Museum
• Wester 6×6 folder at Itō Sadanobu's camera collection