Japan – Camera Collector Pages

October 8, 2020

Yashica Rapide

Preamble The days are both early autumn and mid-Corona. Being of the at-risk population I stay mostly at home. As the weather changes it is the time to switch from summer shorts to track pants which are my winter at-home staple. However, my girth has shrunk from extra-large to a mere large, so all pants sort of don’t stay put....

Japan/Viewfinder/Yashica Comments: 0

September 13, 2020

Nikon EM

To build a new tech product it takes several factors. First, to define a need or use, thereafter technical capabilities, then cost constraints and design limitation. Need or use are defined by how the maker sees the market today and in the future. Technical capabilities are both external – what current technology is available and internal – what the...

Japan/Nikon/SLR Comments: 0

September 3, 2020

Taron Chic

At the heels of the WZFO Alfa comes another odd, vertical camera, the Taron Chic. At the heels is not entirely correct as it refers to the order it is being presented on this site, where the Taron Chic was introduced a year earlier than the WZFO Alfa. The difference is that the Chic is a nicely balanced looking camera,...

35mm half frame/Japan/Taron/Viewfinder Comments: 0

June 19, 2020

Yashica 35

Online research is much like panning for gold. There is information like sand, but only a few and far between nuggets of any value. Moreover, most of the useful information is copied over and over, just to create a critical mass for the search engine to bite. About five years ago I looked for information about Linhof. Texts I found...

Japan/Rangefinder/Yashica Comments: 0

November 28, 2019

Topcon R

Topcon R Some two years ago I had my evening stroll at the avenue of online classifieds Kijiji for the enlighted, where I stumbled upon an ad for several old cameras. There was only a phone number to contact, so I texted a request for more information. The day after there was no response so I took it as sold....

Japan/SLR/Topcon Comments: 0

November 27, 2019

Ricoh Singlex TLS

Ricoh Singlex TLS Ricoh Singlex TLS current value Ricoh Singlex TLS user Manual List number 4770 Brand Ricoh Format 35mm Model Singlex TLS Introduced 1967 AKA SEARS TLS; Focal 1000 TLX, Cavalier Country Japan Type SLR Body material Metal Mode Manual Weight 760 gr, Body only Class average weight 580 gr, Body only ASA range 10-800 Kit lens 1.4/55 Lens...

Japan/Ricoh/SLR Comments: 0

November 20, 2019

Ricoh 35 Flex

Ricoh 35 Flex Another honourable entrant to the same-name-not-same-camera list is the Ricoh 35 Flex. Born in 1963, the first SLR from Ricoh, it was equipped with an uncoupled selenium meter. A year later it saw a change to a CdS meter, under the same name. Rest features and appearance unchanged. The CdS bulbous meter housing was carried over to...

Japan/Ricoh/SLR Comments: 2

October 8, 2019

Mamiya Sekor 500 DTL

$20 is all it takes to get a fully-fledged 35mm film SLR in operational condition, as classic as the Bullitt Mustang. At about the same year Mr Cool raced the said Mustang down San Francisco streets Mamiya came out with a revolutionary camera. Evident by the blue sticker on its front, it was able to take spot or average light...

Japan/Mamiya/SLR Comments: 0

October 1, 2019

Mamiya ZM Quartz

Mamiya ZM Quartz Camera makers are often associated with a certain style. As from the top, Leitz is associated with rangefinders. Rolley with TLRs; Olympus, Canon and Pentax with SLRs; Agfa with viewfinders; Graflex with press cameras and so forth. All these makers produced other camera styles as well but none made the complete styles range. Mamiya was an exception....

Japan/Mamiya/SLR Comments: 0

September 25, 2019

Konica Autoreflex Half Frame

Konica Autoreflex Half Frame The year is 1966. The world camera makers rush to design and introduce compact SLR cameras. Saying ‘world’ and ‘compact SLR’ would seem all-inclusive, which is not. The Brits, Italian, French and American have all but abandoned the high-end camera lines. The only real players yet were Germany, both East and West, USSR and Japan. USSR...

35mm half frame/Japan/Konica/SLR Comments: 0

Category: Japan