Hit camera list

The Hit Is a type of camera, rather than a single model, a generic name derived from the first such model made by Tougodo. Common to to this type is the media, a 17.5 paper-backed film producing 14mm x 14mm images. The 17.5mm was initially meant to be slit from 35mm Bolta film, widely available in Japan. As the Hit style gained followers, ready-made film was offered as well. As with all Japanese cheapies at that time, it was offered in the US as well, dirt cheap: sold in on flat laminated boards, not even boxed. The sample I have is marked for US$2,99, about US$40 at today’s value, still inexpensive for picture-taking instruments.

The Hit type cameras came in many styles. From basic as the first model, with one speed and a fixed aperture, it has evolved into models offering more speeds and aperture settings and different viewers. In earlier models, the name is marked on a round sticker surrounding the lens, in later it is stamped on the top fascia. Many models are dead identical but marked with different names.

The Hit cameras were not taken seriously and were sold at a fraction of a real camera price. Many were used as incentive products and neat ornaments on Christmas trees. Although the primary export market was the US, some were scattered all over the globe.

Perusing the model names is a real joy. Some names make sense, such as ‘Honey’ or ‘Kitty’. Some reflect the Japanese grasp of English words, such as ‘Lenz’ or ‘Betsons’. Some, I assume, are anglicized Japanese names, such as ‘Quingdao’ or ‘Tsubame’, and some are over the top, such as ‘Come to Old Mexico’, which could be a promo item.

My list carries 215 items; Other sources cite 400 or so. For the collector, most are easy to get, with some 200 listed at any given time on eBay. Most go for under US$20, whereas a few rare models fetch much more. Historical selling prices are in the table below, linked to camdex.ca.

A note about the manufacturer’s name in the table below. As with other camera brands of the early to mid past century, makers’ names were anglicized in different ways. Further, makers and distributors are all happily mixed up, and brands were taken over by others, so different sources cite it differently. Also, where I have no maker’s name, I marked it as just “Hit”.

More

Tougodo page
collection-appareils.fr
camera-wiki.org
submin.com

image link	brand	model link	year	format	aka
	Akita	Mycro	1939	17.5mm
	Akita	Mycro IIIA	1949	17.5mm
	Akita	New Mycro	1944	17.5mm
	Crystar	Crystar		17.5mm
Camera shy	Fuji Kogaku	Comex	1950	17.5mm	Nikkobaby
	Ginrei Kogi	Vesta	1949	17.5mm
Camera shy	Glico	Hit	1927	17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Aharjo		17.5mm
	Hit	Ahi		17.5mm
	Hit	Arco Flex		17.5mm
	Hit	Astra		17.5mm
	Hit	Astropic		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Atoms		17.5mm
	Hit	Atomy		17.5mm
	Hit	Barco		17.5mm
	Hit	Beauty Taiyodo		17.5mm	Epoch
	Hit	Betsons		17.5mm
	Hit	Blue Star		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Boat		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Budget		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	C.M.A.		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Champ		17.5mm
	Hit	Charco Imp Inc.		17.5mm
	Hit	Charmy		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Colon		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Come to Old Mexico		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Continental		17.5mm
	Hit	Crown		17.5mm
	Hit	Charmy Coloured		17.5mm
	Hit	Crown Gold		17.5mm
	Hit	Charcoflex Hit		17.5mm
	Hit	Dale		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	DEF		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Dick Tracy		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Dream		17.5mm
	Hit	Electronic		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	ENN-ESS		17.5mm
	Hit	Elite		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Fireplace		17.5mm
	Hit	Francya		17.5mm
	Hit	Fuji Gold		17.5mm
	Hit	Gamma MIOJ		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Gamma		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Genneiflex		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit			17.5mm
	Hit	Globe		17.5mm
	Hit	GNCO		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Haden		17.5mm
	Hit	Hadson		17.5mm
	Hit	Hamco		17.5mm
	Hit	Hartex		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Harukawawa		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Hit 16		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Hit 16 II		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Honey		17.5mm
	Hit	Jay Dee		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Jet		17.5mm
	Hit	Kent		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	King		17.5mm
	Hit	Kitty		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Laurie		17.5mm	Dick Tracy
	Hit	Lenz		17.5mm
	Hit	Lloyd		17.5mm
	Hit	Lucky		17.5mm
	Hit	Lloyd's		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Madison I		17.5mm
	Hit	Madison		17.5mm
	Hit	Marvel		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Masot		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Meteor		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Mickey Mouse		17.5mm
	Hit	Mighty midget		17.5mm
	Hit	Minix		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Minori		17.5mm
	Hit	Miracle		17.5mm
	Hit	Misuzu		17.5mm
	Hit	Mity		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	MNO		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Morita		17.5mm
	Hit	Mycro-Fine		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Myte		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Myths		17.5mm
	Hit	Mini Camera		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	New Hit		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Nikkababy		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Novelty		17.5mm
	Hit	Ogica		17.5mm
	Hit	Old Mexico		17.5mm
	Hit	Pacific		17.5mm
	Hit	Pamex		17.5mm
	Hit	Pen		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Petty		17.5mm
	Hit	PFCA		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Pretty		17.5mm
	Hit	Prince		17.5mm
	Hit	QP		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Raica		17.5mm
	Hit	Real		17.5mm
	Hit	Rocket		17.5mm
	Hit	Rolane		17.5mm
	Hit	Ruby		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Shayo		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Shimura		17.5mm
	Hit	Star		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Star-Lite Green		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Star-Lite blue		17.5mm
	Hit	Stellar		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	STU		17.5mm
	Hit	Swallow		17.5mm
	Hit	Star-Lite		17.5mm
	Hit	Traveler		17.5mm
	Hit	Takka		17.5mm
	Hit	Tee Mee		17.5mm	Teemee
Camera shy	Hit	Teeco		17.5mm
	Hit	Telstar		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	The bag		17.5mm
	Hit	Tiny		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Tokyo Star		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Toyokocaky		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	TSC		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Tsubame		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Waiting		17.5mm
Camera shy	HNS	Vista		17.5mm
	Kassi	Kassin	1953	17.5mm
	KSK	Corona	1949	17.5mm
	Lone Riders	Comet		17.5mm
	Miyagi Sanken	Prince 16 S	1960	17.5mm	Japan
Camera shy	MRS	Sun		17.5mm
	MRS	Sun 16		17.5mm
	Okada	Kolt	1950	17.5mm
Camera shy	Quingdao	Quingdao QP	1950	17.5mm
	Rocket Camera	New Rocket	1946	17.5mm
	Rocket Camera	New Rocket Gold	1946	17.5mm
	Sanwa	Mycro Original		17.5mm
	Sanwa	Mycro Fine Colour 16		17.5mm
	Sanwa	Mycro I		17.5mm
	Sanwa	Mycro II		17.5mm
	Sanwa	Mycro IIIa		17.5mm
	Sanwa	Mycro III		17.5mm
	Sing	Sing 388	1962	17.5mm
	SNK	Sun B		17.5mm
Camera shy	Southern	Mykro-Fine		17.5mm
	Sugaya	Hope II		17.5mm
	Sugaya	Hope		17.5mm
	Sugaya	Myracle	1950	17.5mm
	Sugaya	Myracle II	1950	17.5mm
	Sugaya	Rubix 16	1950	17.5mm
	Sugaya	Rubix 16 Model II		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Showa		17.5mm
	Hit	Sil-Bear		17.5mm
	Hit	Siraton		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	SNK		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Southern		17.5mm
Camera shy	Hit	Souvenir of Old Mexico		17.5mm
	Hit	Spesco		17.5mm
	Hit	Sputnik		17.5mm
Camera shy	Sugaya	Rubix 16 Model III		17.5mm
	Sugaya	Rubix Deluxe		17.5mm
	Sugaya	Rubix Hope		17.5mm
	Sugaya	Rubina 16		17.5mm
Camera shy	Tougodo	Alome	1950	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Amerex	1950	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Arrow	1960	17.5mm
Camera shy	Tougodo	Baby Lux	1951	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Baby Max	1951	17.5mm	Barlux
	Tougodo	Barlux	1951	17.5mm	Baby Max
	Tougodo	Beica	1950	17.5mm
Camera shy	Tougodo	Beauty		17.5mm
	Tougodo	C.M.C Black	1952	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Click	1950	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Colly	1970	17.5mm
	Tougodo	C.M.C Blue	1952	17.5mm
	Tougodo	C.M.C Brown	1952	17.5mm
	Tougodo	C.M.C Gray	1952	17.5mm
	Tougodo	C.M.C Red	1952	17.5mm
	Tougodo	C.M.C Gold	1952	17.5mm
	Tougodo	C.M.C Green	1952	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Diplomat	1960	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Emson	1970	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Global	1970	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Happy	1960	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Hit Gold	1950	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Hit White Ring	1960	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Homer	1960	17.5mm	Toyoca Ace
	Tougodo	Hit Black Ring	1970	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Hit Green	1937	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Hobix	1955	17.5mm
	Tougodo	I.G.B.	1950	17.5mm
Camera shy	Tougodo	Kute	1955	17.5mm	Toyoca 16, Saga 16
	Tougodo	Mighty Gift Box	1950	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Midget	1945	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Minetta	1950	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Mini Camera	1953	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Mighty	1950	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Mycro IIIb	1953	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Mycro	1939	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Mycro IIIa	1953	17.5mm
	Tougodo	New Rocket	1951	17.5mm
	Tougodo	P.A.C.	1955	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Regent	1951	17.5mm
Camera shy	Tougodo	Saga 16	1954	17.5mm	Kute, Toyoca 16
	Tougodo	Satellite	1960	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Shalco	1960	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Speedex	1955	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Sterling		17.5mm
	Tougodo	Teemee	1945	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Toyoca	1953	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Traveler	1950	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Tone	1937	17.5mm	Toyo Kobi ?
Camera shy	Tougodo	U.P.	1940	17.5mm
	Tougodo	Walklenz	1954	17.5mm
	TSC	Tacker		17.5mm