Difference between revisions of "Yamasaki"
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== History == | == History == | ||
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| − | [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/1347412888/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1314/1347412888_2dfc514cee_m_d.jpg] | + | || [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/1347412888/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1314/1347412888_2dfc514cee_m_d.jpg] |
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| − | <br>''Picture courtesy of eBayer Oddog2. {{with permission}}'' | + | || ''Yamasaki Congo 21cm f/4.5 lens''<br>''Picture courtesy of eBayer Oddog2. {{with permission}}'' |
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K. Yamasaki (山崎光七),<REF> The first name perhaps reads Kōichi. See Baird, p.59. </REF> founder of the company, was a former employee of [[Asanuma|Asanuma Shōkai]].<REF> [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page]; Inoue, p.130; Baird, p.59. </REF> He opened a camera shop called Shūzandō Yamasaki Shōten (秀山堂山崎商店) in 1924 and worked in the shop's basement after business hours to develop a camera lens.<REF> Name of the shop: Inoue, p.130. 1924 date: [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page] and Baird, p.59. Working after office hours in the basement: Inoue, p.130; Baird, p.59. </REF> The result of this hard work was the Congo 210/4.5 lens released in 1931.<REF> [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page]; Inoue, p.130. Baird, p.59, says 1932. </REF> Yamasaki has used the name "Congo" (コンゴー, Kongō) for its lenses since that date. The Japanese word ''kongō'' (金剛) conveys the idea of indestructibility and is found as a compound in the word "diamond" (金剛石, ''kongōseki''); however it is said that the lenses were actually named after the Japanese battleship ''Kongō'' (金剛, usually spelled "Kongo" in English contexts), built in Britain as a battle cruiser in 1911 and sunk in 1944,<ref> Niimi, p.102; Inoue, p.130. </ref> itself named after the 1112m-high Mt Kongō (金剛山, Kongō-san) on the Ōsaka/Nara border.<REF> See [http://military.sakura.ne.jp/navy/b_kongo2.htm this page about the battleship]. </REF> | K. Yamasaki (山崎光七),<REF> The first name perhaps reads Kōichi. See Baird, p.59. </REF> founder of the company, was a former employee of [[Asanuma|Asanuma Shōkai]].<REF> [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page]; Inoue, p.130; Baird, p.59. </REF> He opened a camera shop called Shūzandō Yamasaki Shōten (秀山堂山崎商店) in 1924 and worked in the shop's basement after business hours to develop a camera lens.<REF> Name of the shop: Inoue, p.130. 1924 date: [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page] and Baird, p.59. Working after office hours in the basement: Inoue, p.130; Baird, p.59. </REF> The result of this hard work was the Congo 210/4.5 lens released in 1931.<REF> [http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/history.htm Yamasaki history page]; Inoue, p.130. Baird, p.59, says 1932. </REF> Yamasaki has used the name "Congo" (コンゴー, Kongō) for its lenses since that date. The Japanese word ''kongō'' (金剛) conveys the idea of indestructibility and is found as a compound in the word "diamond" (金剛石, ''kongōseki''); however it is said that the lenses were actually named after the Japanese battleship ''Kongō'' (金剛, usually spelled "Kongo" in English contexts), built in Britain as a battle cruiser in 1911 and sunk in 1944,<ref> Niimi, p.102; Inoue, p.130. </ref> itself named after the 1112m-high Mt Kongō (金剛山, Kongō-san) on the Ōsaka/Nara border.<REF> See [http://military.sakura.ne.jp/navy/b_kongo2.htm this page about the battleship]. </REF> | ||
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A catalogue by [[Asanuma|Asanuma Shōkai]] dated October 1941 gives the following list of Congo lenses:<REF> Catalogue by [[Asanuma|Asanuma Shōkai]], dated October 1941, p.16. </REF> | A catalogue by [[Asanuma|Asanuma Shōkai]] dated October 1941 gives the following list of Congo lenses:<REF> Catalogue by [[Asanuma|Asanuma Shōkai]], dated October 1941, p.16. </REF> | ||
| − | * 150/4.5, tefuda format (¥71.90) | + | * 150/4.5, {{tefuda}} format (¥71.90) |
| − | * 180/4.5, kabine format (¥84) | + | * 180/4.5, {{kabine}} format (¥84) |
| − | * 210/4.5, kabine format (¥101.10) | + | * 210/4.5, {{kabine}} format (¥101.10) |
| − | * 210/6.3, kabine format (¥41.65) | + | * 210/6.3, {{kabine}} format (¥41.65) |
This source says that the f/4.5 lenses have four elements and the f/6.3 lens is a triplet.<REF> Catalogue by [[Asanuma|Asanuma Shōkai]], dated October 1941, p.7. </REF> | This source says that the f/4.5 lenses have four elements and the f/6.3 lens is a triplet.<REF> Catalogue by [[Asanuma|Asanuma Shōkai]], dated October 1941, p.7. </REF> | ||
Revision as of 15:31, 5 February 2008
Yamasaki Kōgaku Kenkyūsho (山崎光学研究所, meaning Yamasaki Optical Laboratory) is a Japanese lens maker.
See also the company Yamasaki Seiki Seisakusho which made the Bonny cameras in the first half of the 1940s and is probably unrelated.
Contents
History
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| Yamasaki Congo 21cm f/4.5 lens Picture courtesy of eBayer Oddog2. (Image rights) |
K. Yamasaki (山崎光七),[1] founder of the company, was a former employee of Asanuma Shōkai.[2] He opened a camera shop called Shūzandō Yamasaki Shōten (秀山堂山崎商店) in 1924 and worked in the shop's basement after business hours to develop a camera lens.[3] The result of this hard work was the Congo 210/4.5 lens released in 1931.[4] Yamasaki has used the name "Congo" (コンゴー, Kongō) for its lenses since that date. The Japanese word kongō (金剛) conveys the idea of indestructibility and is found as a compound in the word "diamond" (金剛石, kongōseki); however it is said that the lenses were actually named after the Japanese battleship Kongō (金剛, usually spelled "Kongo" in English contexts), built in Britain as a battle cruiser in 1911 and sunk in 1944,[5] itself named after the 1112m-high Mt Kongō (金剛山, Kongō-san) on the Ōsaka/Nara border.[6]
The company was incorporated as K.K. Yamasaki Kōgaku Kenkyūsho (㈱山崎光学研究所, Yamasaki Optical Co., Ltd.) in 1955.[7] It is based in Hino-shi, suburban Tokyo (山崎光学研究所) since 1972.[8] It has concentrated on lenses for large-format cameras.
Yamasaki seems to buck stereotypes about Japanese companies. It caters for a niche market, advertises little, and sells directly via mail and its website; the FAQ in its website answers just three questions, of which the first is of why the prices are so low.[9]
Cameras fitted with Congo lenses
Congo lenses
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| Yamasaki Congo 21cm f/4.5 lens Picture courtesy of eBayer Oddog2. (Image rights) |
A prewar advertisement for the Congo lenses lists the following:[10]
- 150/4.5 (¥42)
- 180/4.5 (¥50)
- 210/4.5 (¥58)
- 300/4.5 (¥135)
- 210/6.3 (¥28)
- 300/6.3 (¥75)
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| Congo lenses in an Asanuma catalogue (October 1941). Click on the image for a translation. (Image rights) |
A catalogue by Asanuma Shōkai dated October 1941 gives the following list of Congo lenses:[11]
- 150/4.5, tefuda format (¥71.90)
- 180/4.5, kabine format (¥84)
- 210/4.5, kabine format (¥101.10)
- 210/6.3, kabine format (¥41.65)
This source says that the f/4.5 lenses have four elements and the f/6.3 lens is a triplet.[12]
An advertisement by Yamasaki dated 1960 still mentions Asanuma as authorized dealer and shows the following product lines:[13]
- large format camera lenses, from 135mm to 300mm, 12 models
- small format camera lenses, from 35mm to 150mm, 13 models
- enlarging lenses, from 50mm to 135mm, 7 models
- projection lenses for 8mm movies: 18/1.2, 19/1.6, 25/1.4
The current lens range (as of 2005) consists of:[14]
- Commercial Congo 90/3.5 (6×9cm)
- Commercial Congo 105/4.5 (6×9cm)
- Commercial Congo 135/4.7 (3×4")
- Commercial Congo 135/4.7 (4×5")
- Commercial Congo 150/4.5 (4×5")
- Commercial Congo 150/6.3 (4×5")
- Commercial Congo 180/6.8 (5×7")
- Commercial Congo 210/6.3 (5×7")
- Commercial Congo 240/6.3 (5×7")
- Commercial Congo 250/6.3 (6×8")
- Commercial Congo 300/6.3 (8×10")
- Commercial Congo 360/6.8 (10×12")
- Tele-Congo 300/8 (4×5")
- Tele-Congo 400/8 (4×5")
- Tele-Congo 500/9.5 (4×5")
- Wide Angle Congo 90/6.3 (4×5")
- Wide Angle Congo 120/6.3 (5×7")
- Soft Focus Congo 150/4 (4×5")
- Soft Focus Congo 200/4 (Cabinet size)
- Alto-W 180/5.6 (5×7")
- Alto-W 210/5.6 (6×8")
Notes
- ↑ The first name perhaps reads Kōichi. See Baird, p.59.
- ↑ Yamasaki history page; Inoue, p.130; Baird, p.59.
- ↑ Name of the shop: Inoue, p.130. 1924 date: Yamasaki history page and Baird, p.59. Working after office hours in the basement: Inoue, p.130; Baird, p.59.
- ↑ Yamasaki history page; Inoue, p.130. Baird, p.59, says 1932.
- ↑ Niimi, p.102; Inoue, p.130.
- ↑ See this page about the battleship.
- ↑ Yamasaki history page.
- ↑ Yamasaki history page.
- ↑ Yamasaki Optical FAQ.
- ↑ Advertisement by Asanuma Shōkai for the Congo lenses, reproduced in Inoue, p.130.
- ↑ Catalogue by Asanuma Shōkai, dated October 1941, p.16.
- ↑ Catalogue by Asanuma Shōkai, dated October 1941, p.7.
- ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera Annual '60.
- ↑ Congo lens specifications in the Yamasaki official website.
Sources / Further reading
- Asahi Camera Annual '60 (アサヒカメラ年鑑'60). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbun-sha. No ISBN number. Advertisement by Yamasaki Kōgaku Kenkyūjo.
- Asanuma Shōkai. Shashinki to zairyō (Cameras and supplies). Catalogue dated October 1941. P.16. Document partly reproduced in this Flickr album by Rebollo_fr.
- Baird, John R. The Japanese Camera. Yakima, WA: Historical Camera Publications, 1990. ISBN 1-879561-02-6. Pp.58–61.
- Inoue, Mitsuo (井上光朗). "Shashin renzu no yoake. Renzu-ya Funsenki" (写真レンズの夜明け・レンズ屋奮戦記, Dawn of the photographic lens — Fierce war tales between lens shops). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp.128–32.
- Niimi Kahee (新見嘉兵衛). Kamera-mei no gogen sanpo (カメラ名の語源散歩, Strolls in the etymology of camera names). 2nd ed. Tokyo: Shashin Kōgyō Shuppansha, 2002. ISBN 4-87956-060-X.
Links
In English:
In Japanese:
