Selon
The Selon is a Japanese leaf shutter, made by Miyoshi[1] from late 1939.[2]. It is not known if it was an original Miyoshi product or if it was made by Proud before this company was absorbed by Miyoshi.
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| Selon (5–250, B, T) on a Doris. From Asahi Camera May 1940. (Image rights) |
Selon (probably 5–300, B, T) on an Alma Four. From Asahi Camera April and May 1940. (Image rights) |
The early Selon shutters have 5–250, B, T speeds. In Spring 1940, the shutter was sometimes advertised as the "Selon II" (セロンシヤツターⅡ).[3] The top speed was switched to 1/300 at some point.[4] At a later time, the B and T settings were moved to the other end of the speed scale, which became T, B, 5–300, as on the example pictured below.
  
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| Selon shutter, T, B, 5–300 speeds, originally mounted on a Semi Rody II. Pictures courtesy of eBayer nathancoin. (Image rights) |
Cameras equipped
This list is incomplete. The fact that a camera appears in this list does not mean that all the variants were equipped.
- Doris (3×4) (5–250, advertised)
- Semi Proud II Ikonta copy (5–300, advertised)
- Semi Rody II horizontal (5–300, observed)
- Alma Four (5–300, advertised)
Notes
- ↑ Attribution to Miyoshi: "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), shutter item 18-U-10.
- ↑ See advertisement in Asahi Camera December 1939, page A56.
- ↑ Advertisements in Asahi Camera April and May 1940, see Doris (3×4).
- ↑ 1/250 top speed is last mentioned in an advertisement for the Doris (3×4) in Asahi Camera August 1940, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.80. 1/300 top speed is first mentioned in an advertisement for the Alma Four in Asahi Camera November 1940, visible in this page of Xylocopal's photolog, though the advertisements in Asahi Camera April 1940, p.A13, and May 1940, p.A13, show a picture of an Alma Four which seems to have 1/300 setting.
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.
- "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" (国産写真機ノ現状調査, Inquiry into Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of April 1943. Reproduced in Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no shōkai to tsukaikata (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の紹介と使い方, Let's try spring cameras: Presentation and use of 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4-87956-072-3. Pp.180–7. Shutter item 18-U-10.
