Daehan
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| KOBICA 35 BC-1 image by KazumaK (Image rights) |
Daehan Optical or Korea Optical — in Korean 대한광학, 大韓光學 — was a Korean manufacturer of a number of 35mm film cameras. Cameras were sold under the name KOBICA and VERIX.
Contents
History
Daehan Optical was the first company in Korea to manufacture mass-produced cameras.
The company was founded on September 8, 1966.[1] In establishing this company, Sang-gil Kim (김상길, 金相吉), who was involved in the establishment of Aires in Japan,[2] was invited as the president. The company also introduced technology from Mamiya in Japan.
In 1969, the company released its first camera, the VERIX A-I,[3] which was based on the Mamiya 35mm leaf shutter camera.
They manufactured cameras based on Mamiya's leaf shutter cameras, but withdrew once in 1973 to only manufacture binoculars[4].
In 1976, they released the KOBICA 35 BC-1, which is considered the first original camera made in Korea.[5]
The main products of Daehan Optical were cameras and binoculars. The brand name KOBICA is said to be a combination of Korea, Binoculars and Camera.[5]
The company then launched the KOBICA BC-7, a leaf shutter camera with manual exposure, followed by the KOBICA AE-F, a camera with a built-in flash like the Konica C35EF.
However, in 1983, the company ran into financial difficulties and went bankrupt.[6] From the latter half of the 1970s, Samsung and other companies in Korea began joint ventures with Japanese camera manufacturers to manufacture cameras, accelerating competition in sales.
After the company went bankrupt and was controlled by a bank. The company received a takeover bid from Anam Precision (아남정밀, 亞南精密)[6] and was eventually acquired by Anam Industries (아남산업, 亞南産業, Parent company of Anam Precision) in 1987.[7]
Products
35mm rangefinder, fixed lens
- VERIX A-I (1969, Selenium meter)
- VERIX A-II (Rank Aldis Ranger 35)(CdS meter)
- KOBICA 35 BC / KOBICA 35 BC-1 (1976)[8][9]
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| Rank Aldis Ranger 35 image by OZBOX (Image rights) |
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| KOBICA 35 BC-1 image by KazumaK (Image rights) |
35mm viewfinder, fixed lens
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| Advertisement from the Chosun Ilbo September 11, 1979[10] image by KazumaK (Image rights) |
- KOBICA 35 BC-7
- KOBICA 35 BC-7A[11]
- KOBICA 35 BC-10
- KOBICA AE-F (1981, Built-in electric flash)[12][13]
35mm manual focus SLR, fixed lens
- VERIX HQ 528 TL (based on the Mamiya 528TL)[14]
35mm manual focus SLR, interchangeable lens
- KOBICA PX-1 (Possibly not released)
Notes
- ↑ (취약경공업제품 수출증대방안조사) 카메라 輸出戰略 (Camera Export Strategy; Investigation on Measures to Increase Export of Vulnerable Light Industrial Products) 1981, p.115. from National Library of Korea.
- ↑ 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.22, September 1992. No ISBN number. Airesu no subete (アイレスのすべて, special issue on Aires). p.9
- ↑ 大韓光學(대한광학) 코비카-三星(삼성) 미놀타 불붙은 카메라販賣戰(판매전)(Daehan Optical KOBICA and Samsung minolta ignite camera sales war) Kyunghyang Shinmun August 25, 1981, p.5 from Naver News Library.
- ↑ Weekly Camera Times (週刊カメラタイムズ) August 7, 1973, p.41. "Overseas Report: Camera Situation in Korea (4)" (海外レポート 韓国のカメラ事情 (4)).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 대한민국역사박물관 | KOBICA 35BC 카메라 (National Museum of Korean Contemporary History)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 아남(亞南),대한(大韓)광학 인수 (Anam to acquire Daehang Optical) The Chosun Ilbo September 18, 1986, p.2
- ↑ 大韓光學까지 인수 카메라 전문업체인 亞南精密이 大韓光學을 인수하려다가 오히려 亞南産業에 인수되어 업계에 화제(Even Daehan Optical was acquired; A camera specialist, Anam Precision, tried to acquire Daehan Optical, but was acquired by Anam Industry, causing a stir in the industry) Maeil Business Newspaper 14, May, 1987, p.5
- ↑ 코비카 35 BC KOREA VIDEO MUSEUM, Daegu Metropolitan City (in Korean)
- ↑ 코비카 35 BC-1 KOREA VIDEO MUSEUM, Daegu Metropolitan City (in Korean)
- ↑ 조선 뉴스 라이브러리 100 - 조선닷컴 The Chosun Ilbo September 11, 1979, p.7
- ↑ 코비카 35 BC7 A KOREA VIDEO MUSEUM, Daegu Metropolitan City (in Korean)
- ↑ 實用카메라 開發 市販 大韓光學, 자동노출・플래시內藏(Development and sales of practical cameras, Daehan Optical, automatic exposure, built-in flash) Maeil Business Newspaper 15, January, 1981, p.7
- ↑ 大韓光學 小型카메라 개발 市販 電子셔터·플래시 內藏(Daehan Optical Science development and marketing of compact cameras; Built-in electronic shutter and flash) Maeil Business Newspaper 11, May, 1981, p.7
- ↑ 베릭스 HQ 528 TL KOREA VIDEO MUSEUM, Daegu Metropolitan City (in Korean)
Links
In Korean:
- 대한민국역사박물관 | KOBICA 35BC 카메라 (National Museum of Korean Contemporary History)
- Happyblog: 대한광학 VERIX 35-AII (Images of VERIX 35 A-II)
- 수동카메라라라라 (Images of KOBICA BC-7)
- (66) 한국 최초의 카메라 코비카 (Images of KOBICA 35 BC-10 and KOBICA AE-F etc.)
In Japanese:
- 韓国カメラ史年表（暫定） 韓国製フィルムカメラの歴史 – 御部スクラ バーチャルYoutuber (Chronology of Korean Camera History)
