Lidex

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The Lidex is a leaf shutter made by Molta (predecessor of Minolta). It is everset, has two shutter blades and was patterned after the Vario.[1] It seems to exist only in #0 size. It was succeeded by the Crown shutters made by the same company.

Versions

The Lidex (1–200), surely called "Lidex A",[2] gives T, B, 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 speeds. This version was Its shutter plate is all black, with the Lidex name at the bottom and an MTS logo on the right. The early examples have the words Patents(J.N.)–Pending at the top, replaced at some time by Patents–Nippon.[3] The version mounted on the original Minolta has a shutter lock added under the release lever.[4]

The Lidex (5–200), surely called "Lidex B",[2] gives T, B, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 speeds. Its shutter plate is the same, and is known with Patents(J.N.)–Pending or Patents–Nippon at the top.[5]

The Lidex C gives T, B, 25, 50, 100, 150 speeds, and has the name Lidex >C< instead of Lidex at the bottom. It is only known with the Patents–Nippon marking.[6]

Camera list

List of cameras equipped (not all the versions have a Lidex shutter):

  • Arcadia (1–200 and 5–200 observed)
  • Eaton (1–200 observed)
  • Happy (5–200 observed)
  • Minolta (1–200 advertised)
  • Tokiwa (Lidex A, B, C advertised, 5–200 and 25–150 observed)
  • Weha (5–200 observed on an isolated example)

Other

A shutter called Lidex C (リデックスC) was advertised on the Weha Six in 1938. This might be a typo for Lex (レックス), a shutter name effectively found on some Weha Six.[7]

Notes

  1. Two blades: Tanimura, p.97 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.12. Patterned after the Vario: Shunkan o torae-tsuzukeru shattā-ten, p.21.
  2. 2.0 2.1 The leaflet Tokiwa Camera, presenting the Tokiwa plate folders, mentions the Lidex A, B and C.
  3. Patents(J.N.)–Pending: the marking is most clearly legible on the shutter pictured in Yazawa, p.16 of Camera Collectors' News no.82, see also the Arcadia pictured in Sugiyama, item 1184. Patents–Nippon: shutter pictured in Shunkan o torae-tsuzukeru shattā-ten, p.21.
  4. Leaflet Minoruta kamera izu.
  5. Patents(J.N.)–Pending: Tokiwa pictured in Sugiyama, item 1251, Happy pictured in this page at takemovies. Patents–Nippon: Weha pictured in this page at Asacame.
  6. Shutter pictured in this article.
  7. Advertisement published in the 8 June 1938 issue of Asahi Graph, formerly reproduced in the Gochamaze website (archived).

Bibliography

  • Kamera no mekanizumu sono I: "Hai! Chīzu" Shunkan o torae-tsuzukeru shattā-ten (カメラのメカニズム・そのⅠ・「ハイ!チーズ」瞬間をとらえ続けるシャッター展, Camera mechanism, part 1 "Cheese!" Exhibition of instant taking shutters). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 2002. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number) P.21.
  • Asanuma Shōkai. Minoruta kamera izu (ミノルタ・カメラ出づ, The Minolta camera is released). Leaflet for the original Minolta, published c.1933 (date not indicated). Document owned by A. Apra and reproduced in this Flickr set by Rebollo_fr.
  • Mizuno Shōten. Tokiwa Camera. Leaflet published c.1935–6 (date not indicated). Document reproduced in this Flickr set by Rebollo_fr.
  • 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.
  • Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Neumann & Heilemann: kieta ashiato, Minoruta setsuritsu to sono ato no karera wo otte" (Neumann & Heilemann 消えた足跡・ミノルタ設立とその後の彼等を追って, On the traces of Neumann & Heilemann at the founding of Minolta and afterwards.) 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.12, October 1988. No ISBN number. Minoruta kamera no subete (ミノルタカメラのすべて, special issue on Minolta). Pp.96–9.
  • Yazawa Seiichirō (矢沢征一郎). "Shashin renzu hattatsu-shi dai-12-kai: Kokusan renzu no rekishi (zenpen)" (写真レンズ発達史第12回・国産レンズの歴史[前編], History of the development of photographic lenses no.12: History of the Japanese lenses [first part]). In Camera Collectors' News no.56 (February 1982). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. Pp.11–6. (Shows a picture of a Lidex shutter.)

Links

In Japanese: