Tougodo camera family list

The Tougodo company was established in Japan in 1930 as a maker of Yen cameras. During the war, production shifted to military devices. After the war, the company continued in the camera trade, producing an impressive array of Hit as well as TLR models, some styled after the Rollei brand and others with side-by-side lenses. Furthermore, towards the end of the company’s life, they added a line of cheap 35mm viewfinders.

The company changed names several times, with the Tougo motif present. In the post-war years, Tougodo split into two closely named companies, both producing cameras; one promptly went out of business, and the other continued until the 1960s.

The cameras made by Tougodo were the early Yen models, cheap, miniature box cameras with the revolutionary daylight-loading feature. Little information is found about these models. Thereafter, they switched to the Hit-style sub-miniature models, together with other manufacturers that made them in the 1930s. Seems that Tougodo was the most prolific as their name became associated with the Hit style.

The Hit camera format, 17.5mm film, is derived from splitting a 35 mm film. Other Japanese sub-mini formats that were less successful were 20mm and 18mm, and later the 16mm format became the standard for Ricoh, Konica, Minolta, and Mamiya. The camera’s target market was the half-million-strong contingent of GI forces stationed there in the post-war years. It is noted that, while it was not a ‘serious’ camera and despite the lack of suitable labs outside Japan, the cameras were sold as novelty items, with total sales in the hundreds of thousands. The interest wore off with the introduction of the capable 16mm miniature cameras, so the Hit models all but died in the early 1970s.

The vast number of Hit models means that different manufacturers shared lines and parts, so it cannot be determined which is original and which is not. I do not know if Tougodo was the largest of the lot, but the name stuck.

Tougodo, and the other ere camera makers were going overboard with model naming. Some probably had a Japanese-language meaning, but most names were meant to appeal to GIs, and the results sound kind of strange, at least from today’s perspective. Note that many of the models differ only in name; otherwise, they are identical to their sisters.

After the company’s demise, Tougodo’s name was acquired by a Chinese company that offered point-and-shoot models, some of which are listed below. The Tougodo brand still exists in Japan as a media distribution company.

More about Hit cameras

Tougodo cameras table

Note that the information below is sourced from several sources, so duplications, omissions, and errors are probably present. Corrects would be welcomed.

Model	Type	Format	Year	AKA
Alome	Hit	17.5mm	1950
Amerex	Hit	17.5mm	1950
Arrow	Hit	17.5mm	1960
Barlux	Miniature	17.5mm	1960
Baby Lux	Hit	17.5mm	1951
Baby Max	Hit	17.5mm	1951	Barlux
Barlux	Hit	17.5mm	1951	Baby Max
Beica	Hit	17.5mm	1950
Boldaflex	TLR	Bolta	1948
Buena 35 S	Rangefinder	35mm	1957	Toyoca 35
Beauty	Hit	17.5mm
C.M.C Black	Hit	17.5mm	1952
Click	Hit	17.5mm	1950
Colly	Hit	17.5mm	1970
Crownflex	TLR	120	1953	Lionflex
C.M.C Blue	Hit	17.5mm	1952
C.M.C Brown	Hit	17.5mm	1952
C.M.C Gray	Hit	17.5mm	1952
C.M.C Red	Hit	17.5mm	1952
C.M.C Gold	Hit	17.5mm	1952
C.M.C Green	Hit	17.5mm	1952
Daflex	TLR	Bolta	1948	Toyocaflex
Diplomat	Hit	17.5mm	1960
Emson	Hit	17.5mm	1970
Global	Hit	17.5mm	1970
Haco Junior
Haco 35	TLR	35mm	1955	Toyoca 35
Haco 44	TLR	127	1963	Toyoca-44
Happy	Hit	17.5mm	1960
Hilkaflex	TLR	120	1950
Hit Gold	Hit	17.5mm	1950
Hit White Ring	Hit	17.5mm	1960
Hit-Go	Yen		1937
Hobby 35 J	Viewfinder	35mm	1961
Hobiflex	TLR	120	1951
Hobiflex III	TLR	120	1953
Hobiflex IV	TLR	120	1953
Hobix	TLR	17.5mm	1951
Hobix A	Miniature	Bolta	1955
Hobix B	Miniature	Bolta	1953
Hobix D I	TLR	Bolta	1952
Hobix D II	TLR	Bolta	1952
Hobix Junior	Miniature	Bolta	1955
Hobix S II	Viewfinder	828	1954
Hobix S III	TLR	828	1954
Homer	Hit	17.5mm	1960	Toyoca Ace
Hulda 35 TLR	TLR	35mm	1952	Toyoca 35
Hit Black Ring	Hit	17.5mm	1970
Huldaflex TLR	TLR	35mm	1950	Toyoca 35
Hobby 16	Viewfinder	17.5mm		Toyoca Ace
Hobix S I	Viewfinder	828	1955
Hero Go	Folder		1934
Hobiflex V	TLR	120	1954
Hobiflex III TCW	TLR	120	1952
Haco 66	Medium format SLR	120
Hit Green	Hit	17.5mm	1937
Hobix	Hit	17.5mm	1955
I.G.B.	Hit	17.5mm	1950
Kino 44	TLR	127	1958	Toyoca 44
Kino 44 Deluxe	TLR	127	1959
Kute	Hit	17.5mm	1955	Toyoca 16, Saga 16
Kinoflex	TLR	120	1961
Lionflex	TLR	120	1953
Laqon 44	TLR	127	1959	Toyoca 44
Light Go	Yen
Light Go B	Yen
Lead Go	Folder		1934
Mighty Gift Box	Hit	17.5mm	1950
Meisupii Special	Viewfinder	35mm half	1962
Meisupii Half EL	Viewfinder	35mm half	1960
Meikai 35	Compact	35mm
Meikai 4 Shooter	Compact	35mm	1993
Meikai 4353 SSN	Compact	35mm	1990
Meikai EL 18	Compact	35mm	1965
Meikai EL 204	Compact	35mm	1963
Meikai EL 304	Compact	35mm	1964
Meikai EL X	Compact	35mm	1965
Meikai HC 35	Compact	35mm	1961
Meikai No 1	TLR	35mm	1939
Meikai ST	Compact	35mm	1965	Meikai EL
Meikai No 2	TLR	35mm	1940
Meikai EL S	Compact	35mm	1963
Meikaiflex Bolta	TLR	Bolta	1948
Meiko A	Folder		1935
Meiko B	Folder	127	1936
Meiko C	Folder		1935
Meiko I	Folder
Meikai Special	Viewfinder	35mm	1939
Meisupii III	TLR	Bolta	1937
Meiritto	Viewfinder		1940
Meiritto No 3	TLR		1952
Meiritto Special	Viewfinder		1940
Meisupii	TLR		1937
Meisupii A	Viewfinder		1930
Meisupii Meisuecho	Viewfinder	Bolta	1959
Meisupii I	Viewfinder	Bolta	1937
Meisupii II	TLR	Bolta	1937
Meisupii IV	Viewfinder	Bolta	1937
Meisupii Rollfilm	Viewfinder	35mm half	1953
Meisupii Echo	Viewfinder	Bolta	1957
Meisupii IA	Viewfinder	Bolta	1950
Meisupii IB	Viewfinder	Bolta	1938
Meisupii Bolta IID	Viewfinder	Bolta	1955
Meisupii Bolta J	Viewfinder	Bolta	1954	Meisupii 35
Meisupii S3	Viewfinder	Bolta	1953
Meisupii Seven	Viewfinder	Bolta	1957
Meisupii Sun	Viewfinder	Bolta	1958
Meisupii Half	Viewfinder	35mm half	1959	Mei Half
Mekai-Ref	TLR		1939
Meseflex Bolta		Bolta
Metraflex	TLR	120	1955
Midget	Hit	17.5mm	1945
Mikasa-go	Yen	35mm	1934
Minetta	Hit	17.5mm	1950
Mini Camera	Hit	17.5mm	1953
Moonflex	TLR	120	1957
Museflex Bolta Model IIa	TLR	Bolta	1950
Museflex Bolta Model J	TLR	Bolta	1944
Museflex Bolta Model M	TLR	Bolta	1949
Museflex Bolta Model M II	TLR	Bolta	1944
Mighty	Hit	17.5mm	1950
Meikai SL	Compact	35mm	1974
Metascoflex	TLR	120	1955
Metascoflex II	TLR	120
Mirroflex	TLR	120	1957
Mycro IIIb	Hit	17.5mm	1953
Meica 35	Viewfinder	35mm	1963
Meisupii Ia	Viewfinder	Bolta	1950
Meiko F	Folder		1935
Mycro	Hit	17.5mm	1939
Meikai C35C	Viewfinder	35mm
Mycro IIIa	Hit	17.5mm	1953
Meispee C	TLR		1938
Metarflex	TLR	120	1955
Meisupii Five Delux	Viewfinder	Bolta	1957
Meiko IV	Folder
Meisupii Compass	Viewfinder	Bolta
Nice Go	Folder		1934
New Rocket	Hit	17.5mm	1951
Prince Ruby	Miniature	17.5mm	1954	Hobby 16, Toyoca Ace
Pocket Go	Yen
P.A.C.	Hit	17.5mm	1955
Prince 16	Miniature	17.5mm
Queenflex	TLR	120	1953
Regent	Hit	17.5mm	1951
Skymatic	TLR
Skyflex	TLR	120	1955
Saga 16	Hit	17.5mm	1954	Kute, Toyoca 16
Speed Go Reflex	Yen		1934
Satellite	Hit	17.5mm	1960
Semi Hobix	Viewfinder	120	1953
Semi Hobix SH II	Viewfinder	120	1955
Shalco	Hit	17.5mm	1960
Shinkoh Rabbit I	Folder	120	1952
Shinkoh Rabbit II	Folder	120	1952
Skyflex II	TLR	120	1955
Speedex	Hit	17.5mm	1955
Stereo Hit	Stereo	127	1955
Stereo Leader	Stereo		1955	Windsor Stereo
Sterling	Hit	17.5mm
Strato 35	Viewfinder	35mm	1957	Toyoca 35 S
Sweet 16 A	Submini	17.5mm	1955
Sweet
Sweet 16	Submini	17.5mm	1955
Shinkoh Rabbit 52	Folder	120	1952
Toyocaflex II	TLR	120	1956
Teemee	Hit	17.5mm	1945
Toyoca 35 S Dual format	Viewfinder	35mm / Bolta	1957
Tougo No 2	Folder	127	1932	Tougorette
Tougo No 1	Yen		1932
Tougo B	Yen		1935
Tougo C	Yen		1937
Tougo No 2	Yen		1933
Tougo No 3	Yen		1934
Tougo A	Yen		1931
Tougodo 16	Submini	17.5mm
Toyoca	Hit	17.5mm	1953
Toyoca 16	Submini	17.5mm	1956	Kute, Saga 16
Toyoca 35 TLR	TLR	35mm	1955
Toyoca 35 S	Viewfinder	35mm	1957	Strato
Toyoca 44	TLR	127	1965
Toyoca Ace	Miniature	17.5mm	1965	Hobby 16, Homer 16, Prince Ruby.
Toyoca B 35	Klapp	35mm	1985	Chest 35
Toyoca Six	Klapp	120	1957
Toyocaflex 35	TLR	35mm	1955	Toyoca 35
Toyocaflex I TLR	TLR	120	1954	Daflex, Starflex, Skyflex, Deitzflex, Europaflex, Hilkaflex,Deitzflex,
Toyocaflex IB TLR	TLR	120	1955	Accuraaflex, Metraflex 1B,Hacoflex, Hilkaflex, Kinoflex, Lionflex, , Metraflex, Metascoflex, Miloflex, Mirroflex, Novelties, Prince Junior, Proskar, Rippaflex, Skyflex, Starflex , Trioflex, Zenoflex
Toyocaflex TL1	TLR	120	1954
Traveler	Hit	17.5mm	1950
Trio Flex	TLR	35mm	1956
Tone	Hit	17.5mm	1937	Toyo Kobi ?
Toyoca 35 SA	Viewfinder	35mm	1957
Toyoca 35	Rangefinder	35mm	1957	Buena
U.P.	Hit	17.5mm	1940
Walklenz	Hit	17.5mm	1954
Yuuhi Go	Folder	120	1933
Zenoflex VI	TLR