Kowa Kallo 35 / Graflex Century 35
Kowa Kallo 35 / Graflex Century 35
Kowa of Japan made cameras for a relatively short period, from 1954 to the introduction of the last model in 1972. Kowa failed to establish a foothold in the industry, and their cameras then and today do not enjoy high esteem, which is reflected in their resale value. There are some exceptions, as the models made in a short run, such as the Kowa SW black, The Kowa UW 190, and the medium format Kowa Six variants.
Kowa began selling cameras under Kallo name variants and changed to Kowa name variants in about 1959. Different names peppered the model line, but most cameras were sold under these two brands.
The first Kowa model was the Kalloflex, also sold under Kallovex, and was later renamed as Kalloflex Automat I. The Kalloflex Automat KII ended the TLR period and a compact rangefinder, the Kallo 35, was introduced in 1955. The Kallo 35 had several identical versions other than different lens and shutter combinations. See the table below. Having fixed lenses, Kowa offered rangefinders with wide-angle and mild telescopic lenses, but I am not sure what the target market was.
Regarding naming, Kowa did it right, naming each shutter/lens combination individually, unlike other makers who kept churning out different cameras under the same name. Further, some online sources specify that Kallo is translated as beautiful. I checked with the masters at Google Translate to no avail.
Two (?) Kowa 35 models were sold by Graflex, amongst a host of other brands Graflex adopted. See below for details on the Graflex Century 35.
Kowa Kallo 35 / Graflex Century 35
Looking at the camera, it reminds me of the Ricoh 500 I did a few weeks ago. They have similar appearance, features and build quality and are similarly underappreciated. Both were made in 1958, assumingly offering cutting-edge technology of the time.
- The compact body sits well in hand, with all settings clear and self-explanatory and where you expect to find them.
- On top, there are the rewind knob, a cold shoe, the trigger and the winder lever., The frame counter is set within the winder’s base and turns anticlockwise with a slight finger press. Set it to 0 after clicking the first three frames.
- The clear viewer, a tad smaller than the Ricoh, shows a good focusing patch.
- The front lens barrel carries all the settings:
- Closest to the body is the focusing dial, with two finger rests and marked meters on the Kowa and a single finger rest, marked feet on the Graflex.
- Next is a square hatch showing the f value. To change it, use the green fin at the side, which is hardly visible.
- The next dial is the shutter speed selector, which is easy to purchase.
- The shutter speed and aperture setting can be locked together, so a change in the speed will compensate with the matching f value to retain the same EV. To set, hold one of the controls and change the other.
- The Kowas offered a 3.5/45 lens, with the Graflex a faster 2.3/43.
- The synch M/X/V selector is marked red on the SW side of the lens assembly.
Using the camera is simple; one can safely skip the manual. I have two units; both are immaculate, buzzing and humming like an eager bee. For the collector, it is a good example of the Japanese 1950s camera, and for the shooter, it is a no-nonsense, able camera. At the price these models go for, I would recommend it for both options.
| Camdex list number | 10304 | 9267 |
| Brand | Kowa | Graflex |
| Model | Kallo 35 | Century 35 |
| Manual | Butkus | |
| Value | Kallo 35 | Century 35 |
| Format | 35mm | |
| Introduced | 1955 | 1957 |
| AKA | Kallo 35 E, Imperial 356, Graflex Century 35 | Kallo 35 |
| Country | Japan | |
| Qty made | ||
| Initial price | 50 | 40 |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Type | Rangefinder | |
| Body material | Metal | |
| Mode | Manual | |
| Weight | 590 gr, Body with lens | |
| Class average weight | 630 gr, Body with lens | |
| ASA range | Memo only | |
| Kit lens | 3.5/45 | 2.8/48 |
| Lens make | Prominar | |
| Filter size | 30mm | |
| Lens mount | Fixed lens | |
| Mount size | N/A | |
| Aperture | ||
| Shutter | Leaf | |
| Shutter make | Seikosha MX | |
| Trigger | On top | |
| Winder | Lever | |
| Shutter cocking | Winder | |
| Light meter | None | |
| Lock | No | |
| Speeds | B, 1-500 | |
| Mirror | N/A | |
| Viewer | Coupled rangefinder | |
| DOF preview | No | |
| Exposure lock | No | |
| Exposure compensation | No | |
| Shoe | Cold | |
| External sync | X/F/M | |
| Timer | No | |
| Battery, original | N/A | |
| Sync speed | 50 | |
| Battery, replacement | N/A | |
| Battery voltage | N/A | |
| Integral flash | None | |
| Other | ||
| More | ||
Kowa Kallo models list
Table notes:
- All cameras used Prominar lenses
- All speeds are B, 1-500
- All TLRs are #120 format, and all rangefinders are #135 format.
- The early Kalloflex / Kalovex had masks to get different image formats on #120 film.
- I have no information about the cine Kallo 8.
| Model | Lens | Shutter | Year | AKA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kallo 140 | 1.4/50 | Seikosha SLV | 1959 |  |
|
| Kallo 180 | 1.8/45 | Copal SLV | 1959 |  |
|
| Kallo 181 | 1.8/45 | Copal SVK | 1959 |  |
|
| Kallo 281 | 2.8/48 | Copal SVL | 1959 | Graflex 35 NE |  |
| Kallo 35 | 3.5/45 | Seikosha MX | 1955 | Kallo 35 E, Imperial 356 |  |
| Kallo 35 E | 2.8/48 | Seikosha MX | 1958 | Kallo 35 |  |
| Kallo 35 F2 | 2.0/50 | Seikosha MX | 1958 | Graflex Century 35 |  |
| Kallo T 100 | 4.0/100 | Seikosha MX | 1959 | Tele lens |  |
| Kallo T 85 | 3.5/85 | Seikosha MXL | 1959 | Tele lens |  |
| Kallo W | 2.8/35 | Seikosha MX | 1959 | Wide angle |  |
| Kallo WF | 2.8/35 | Seikosha MXL | 1967 | Wide angle |  |
| Kalloflex Automat I | 3.5/75 | Seikosha Rapid | 1954 |  |
|
| Kalloflex Automat II | 3.5/75 | Seikosha Rapid | 1956 |  |
|
| Kallovex | 3.5/75 | Copal MXV | 1958 | Kalloflex |  |
| Kalloflex | 3.5/75 | Copal MXV | 1954 | Kallovex |  |
| Kallo 8 |  |
