Congo Camera

From Camera-wiki.org
Jump to: navigation, search
This article needs photographs. You can help Camera-wiki.org by adding some. See adding images for help.


Japanese no-need-darkroom cameras (edit)
box Baby Camera | Camerette | Chitose | Congo Camera | Hit-Go | It | Kamerette | Katei | Maruso Camera | Mikasa-Go | Nymco | Speed-Go | Super Camera | Tougo
folding Baby Camera | Best Camera | Hero-Go | Highking Camera | Katei | Lead-Go | Maruso Camera | Meiko | Midori | Nice-Go | Special Camera | Yuuhi-Go
viewfinder Meikai | Meisupi | Meisupi
SLR Auto Reflex | Baby Reflex | Chitose | Speed-Go Reflex
TLR Light-Go | B Light-Go | Maruso Camera | Meikai | Meisupi
unknown Alps | Lion | Tōkō
Plate cameras: monocular, box, folding bed, strut-folding and SLR ->
3×4 and 4×4, 4×5 and 4×6.5, 4.5×6, 6×6, 6×9 ->

The Congo Camera is a Japanese camera using the no-need-darkroom process, only known from an entry in Sugiyama.[1]

The camera is similar to other box-shaped no-need-darkroom cameras, patterned after the Tougo models of the 1930s. For some reason, Sugiyama says that it dates from the postwar period, around 1950.[1]

The Congo Camera reportedly takes "3×5cm" film stock,[2] most probably the same 3.5×5.5cm format as the regular Tougodo models. It has a single brilliant finder, a simple lens and a simple shutter giving B exposures only.

The camera is identified by the name CONGO CAMERA inscribed on a plate attached at the bottom of the front panel. Its most interesting feature is the round TS logo placed opposite the viewfinder, which clearly apes the MTS logo used by Molta (predecessor of Minolta) in the 1930s.

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Sugiyama, item 4120.
  2. "3×5cm": Sugiyama, item 4120.

Bibliography

  • 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. Item 4120.

The Congo Camera is not listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi.