The Baby Light (ベビー・ライト) is a Japanese 3×4 camera using 127 film, made by Ōhashi Kōki Seisakusho and distributed by Ōhashi Takeji Shōten in 1936 and 1937.[1]
Description[]
The Baby Light has a metal body and a telescopic tube supporting the lens and shutter assembly. The top and bottom plates are chrome finished. There is a tubular optical finder offset to the right, proudly presented as a "Leica type finder" in an original leaflet.[2] and the advance knob is at the left end. There is a knob in the middle of the top plate, probably because it is removable for film loading.
All the versions have a fixed-focus lens and a release lever directly placed on the shutter housing.
Advertisements[]
No example of the camera has yet been observed, but three different advertisements have been found.
Baby Light leaflet and close-up of the picture. Click on the image for a translation. (Image rights) |
In a first leaflet by the distributor Ōhashi Takeji Shōten,[3] a single version is announced with Bulb and Instant shutter settings, sold for ¥7. The document pictures the camera with no lens markings and a plain shutter plate only written BABY RIGHT at the top.[4] The picture is so heavily retouched that it is not certain that the camera ever had these markings. Yamashita Yūjirō Shōten and Mizuno Shashinki-ten are mentioned as authorized dealers, and the manufacturer is quoted as Ōhashi Kōki Seisakusho.
Baby Light in a Ōhashi leaflet, mention of the 50% clearance sale and picture close-up. Click on the image for a translation. (Image rights) |
In an advertisement in Asahi Camera April 1937[5] and in another undated leaflet by Ōhashi,[6] two versions were listed:
- RR lens, single 1/25 speed (¥7);
- Genira Special f/6.3 lens, Genira shutter, B, 25, 50, 100 speeds[7] (¥12).
The pictures show the f/6.3 version. The shutter plate is marked GENIRA–SHUTTER at the top and OKS at the bottom.[8] ("OKS" probably stands for Ohashi Koki Seisakusho.) The leaflet indicates that the Baby Light weighs 220 grams and that the fixed-focus lens allows to take pictures down to 2 metres. It also mentions that the company was clearing the stocks and applying a 50% discount to the Baby Light and Roll Light Ref.
Notes[]
- ↑ Dates: advertisements mentioned in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.342.
- ↑ Undated leaflet by Ōhashi Takeji Shōten, presenting the Ōhashi range.
- ↑ Undated leaflet by Ōhashi Takeji Shōten, presenting the Baby Light.
- ↑ The typo is explained by the fact that the "r" and "l" sounds are not distinguished in the Japanese phonology.
- ↑ Advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.100.
- ↑ Undated leaflet by Ōhashi Takeji Shōten, presenting the Ōhashi range.
- ↑ The leaflet indicates a T setting that is absent in the pictures.
- ↑ The same markings are visible on the version of the Roll Light Ref pictured in the same documents.
Bibliography[]
- Asahi Camera (アサヒカメラ) editorial staff. Shōwa 10–40nen kōkoku ni miru kokusan kamera no rekishi (昭和10–40年広告にみる国産カメラの歴史, Japanese camera history as seen in advertisements, 1935–1965). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1994. ISBN 4-02-330312-7. Item 288.
- Ōhashi Takeji Shōten (大橋武治商店). Leaflet for the Baby Light and the Cross filters and hood. Date not indicated. Document partly reproduced in this Flickr album by Rebollo_fr.
- Ōhashi Takeji Shōten (大橋武治商店). Leaflet for the Hope, Seves, Baby Light, Roll Light Ref, Bosch enlarging lens, Cross filters and Riken hood. Date not indicated. Document partly reproduced in this Flickr album by Rebollo_fr.
The Baby Light is not listed in Sugiyama.