Toyoca 35S / Strato 35

Tougodo was a prolific camera maker that began as early as 1930 and lasted till the mid-1970s. On the face of it, they made about 200 camera models, but this figure should be heavily discounted, as most models were duplicates. A list of the Tougodo models is on the dedicated page. In comparison, the camera giants, such as Canon, Nikon, and Olympus, had much fewer models during that period.

The early models were the Hit cameras, cheap, that could barely be described as practical. During the war, production was shifted to military inputs, and thereafter trained back to the camera trade, as if nothing had happened and the market outlook had not changed. In hindsight, here was the mistake that promptly wrote Tougodo off the history pages. Instead of offering step-up models, they churned out more of the same with just a meagre upgrade, and that in quick succession. This could not build buyers’ loyalty or trust, as a new model was out at the heels of the earlier one, rendering the first obsolete almost out of the box. All the same, the fate of the post-war Japanese camera makers was sealed after a couple of decades, with only a handful surviving. Common to the survivors is that they always aimed higher rather than going the easy route, to satisfy the immediate market. Should Tougodo have gone that path, they could have survived until the 1990s, when digital killed film.

This page demonstrates that approach, while showing only cameras bearing Tougodo’s favourite brand, Toyoca. Click the  sign by Toyoca’s name, and count 23 similar cameras under different hats. Same with the Toyocaflex IB, which has 18 identical siblings.

The camera on my desk is an example of this notion. The Toyoca 35-S is almost identical to the Strato/35, except for the trigger and the skin colour. The Strato looks as if it borrowed the trigger from one of the ugliest cameras, the WZFO Alfa, and the Toyoca has a round knob, which almost begs to be pushed in rather than down.

Many camera makers practiced identical models under multiple names, but none that I can think of had made a career out of it.

Toyoca 35-S, Starto / 35 cameras

The cameras are clearly typical Japanese models that catered to low- to mid-market users, nonetheless were above the run-of-the-mill Tougodo models. As late models, it seems that Tougodo gave up on creative camera variants, such as side-by-side TLRs, as well as the 17.5mm film format, although they still offered Hit models for a few years, as a novelty. This pair is as advanced as Tougodo would go, followed by the last attempt at a mainstream 35mm camera being the Meikai line of the early 1960s. Sisters to the pair were the similarly looking Toyoca 35-S Dual Format, which accepted Bolta film, and are identified by the red lens on the back door, and the Toyoca 35-SA, a stripped-down camera that shared the same body but a basic lens and shutter assembly. All four models were offered in 1957.

The pair is identical save for the name, skin colour and the trigger button. It takes little to get familiar with them, save for a lever and a pinhead button at the top right back. The lever releases the rewind clutch; pull up the left side. The button serves an odd purpose: it stops the winder after each frame, so it takes a press to resume winding. It is a simple way to control the frame sequence, yet uncommon. What it means is the trigger and the winder are not connected, so by default you may take double exposures.

The lens assembly is where the action is. Closest to the body is the aperture setting fin; next is the shutter speed dial, and the focusing dial is at the front end.

The shutter cocking is via a lever by the speed dial, and the prominent trigger is at the front. An ivory teardrop on the Strato and a round knurled button on the Toyoca.

Both cameras share a common fault: they cannot stand without support and fall on their nose. It means a bad body-lens match; guess Tougodo was quick to market and came up with an incomplete product.

A side note: the lens on both cameras on my bench is Tri-Lausar, while the manual states a Buena lens.

For the collector, I am biased. Tougodo cameras were unusual, so I took a liking to them. I own some Tougodo TLRs, viewfinders and Hit models, and will probably get some of the side-by-side once reasonably offered. Tougodo cameras are sold at a wide price spectrum, so one could begin with cheap modestly priced models and graduate later.

For the shooter, this is a no-frills camera; no battery needed; however, it is limited in what it offers.

Toyoca models list

	Image link	Model	Type	Year	Format	AKA	Notes
		Toyoca 35 S Dual format	Viewfinder	1957	35mm / Bolta		Same as the 35S, but with a Bolta film option. Identified by a red lens on the back, displaying the frame number on the Bolta paper back.
		Toyoca 35 S	Viewfinder	1957	35mm	Strato
		Toyoca 35 SA	Viewfinder	1957	35mm		A scaled-down 35S. Disc shutter, two speeds, B / I, simple lens.
		Toyocaflex I TLR	TLR	1954	120	Daflex, Starflex, Skyflex, Deitzflex, Europaflex, Hilkaflex.	First of the Rolleicord inspired line.
		Toyocaflex TL1	TLR	1954	120
		Toyoca 35 TLR	TLR	1955	35mm	Toyocaflex 35	A side-by-side TLR. A rare model, fetches high prices when offered for sale.
		Toyocaflex 35	TLR	1955	35mm	Toyoca 35	A side-by-side TLR. A rare model, fetches high prices when offered for sale.
		Toyocaflex IB TLR	TLR	1955	120	Accuraaflex, Metraflex 1B, Hacoflex, Hilkaflex, Kinoflex, Lionflex, , Metraflex, Metascoflex, Miloflex, Mirroflex, Novelties, Prince Junior, Proskar, Rippaflex, Skyflex, Starflex, Trioflex, Zenoflex.
		Toyocaflex II	TLR	1956	120
		Toyoca 44	TLR	1965	127		Baby TLR
		Toyoca 16	Submini	1956	17.5mm	Kute, Saga 16,	A step up from the Hit style, slightly larger, yet the same B/I speeds
		Toyoca 35	Rangefinder	1957	35mm	Buena	An export model. An early coupled rangefinder.
		Toyoca Ace	Miniature	1965	17.5mm	Hobby 16, Prince Ruby,	Same format as the Hit models, dressed as a "real" camera. Made after buyers lost interest in the simplistic Hit models
		Toyoca Six	Klapp	1957	120		Dual format on #120 film. It was an expensive model that failed to attract buyers because of Tougodo's image as a maker of cheap cameras. Real-world value unknown.
		Toyoca B 35	Klapp	1985	35mm	Chest 35
		Toyoca	Hit	1953	17.5mm	Hobby, Amerex, Arrow, Beica, C.M.C, Click, Colly, Diplomat, Global, Happy, I.G.B, Hobix, Homer, Mycro, mighty, Mini, Minetta, Midget, Speedex, Satelite, Regent, Walklenz, Traveler.	A run-of-the-mill Hit camera.

Strato 35

Toyoca 35S