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Japanese Baby (3×4) and Four (4×4) (edit)
folding
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unknown
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Japanese SLR, TLR, pseudo TLR and stereo models ->
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The Kinsi (キンシ)[1] is a 3×4 strut folding camera, made by Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō (now Ricoh) between 1941 and 1943.[2]

The New Olympic II (a 4.5×6 bakelite camera) also has Kinsi engravings, see Semi Olympic.

Description

The Kinsi is a strut folding camera, inspired by the Dolly 3×4 camera made by the German company Certo.[3] The camera has a folding optical finder in the middle of the top plate, and the advance knob is on the left. The button on the right of the viewfinder releases the front standard. There is a folding leg, allowing the camera to stand vertically on a table. The name Kinsi is embossed in the front leather. The back is hinged to the left and contains two red windows to control the film advance.

The lens is a front-cell focusing Kinsi Anastigmat 5cm f/4.5. It has three elements and was made by Riken.[4] The shutter is an everset Licht, made by Seikōsha, providing 25, 50, 100, B, T speeds. This variant of the Licht shutter has a funny device: there is a hole at the bottom of the shutter plate, where you can introduce a needle, held by a long thread. The picture is taken when you pull the thread, so you can take pictures of yourself. This is explained with pictures on this page by Nekosan.

Advertisements and other documents

The Kinsi was announced in advertisements for the Olympic Four dated March and April 1940, together with the Gaica and Roico.[5] The camera was listed in the Template:Kakaku1940 short, compiled on October 25, 1940 and published in January 1941, under the name "Kinsi I" (¥48).[6] It was pictured in advertisements dated January and February 1941 for the Riken camera range, with no further detail.[7] It was described as the Kinsi I (キンシⅠ型) in advertisements dated February and April 1941, where it was offered for ¥48.[8] In advertisements dated October and November 1942, the description was identical but the price was ¥56.80.[9]

The camera was still described in the "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943, under the name "Kinsi I" again.[10] There is no record of a Kinsi II.

Notes

  1. The name Kinsi (pronounced kinshi) can be written 金鵄, then meaning "golden eagle". It all the advertisements observed, it is written in katakana: キンシ.
  2. Made by Riken: "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), item 165. This page of the Ricoh official website says otherwise, certainly by mistake.
  3. This page of the Ricoh official website says that the Kinsi was a copy of the Zeh Goldi, that is obviously not true, the Goldi being of the folding bed type. Tanaka, p. 18 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14 and this page at Asacame say that it is a copy of the Dolly.
  4. "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), lens item Jc11.
  5. Advertisements published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, pp. 64 and 104.
  6. Template:Kakaku1940 short, type 1, section 4B.
  7. Advertisement published in Gakusei no Kagaku January 1941 and advertisement published in Gakusei no Kagaku February 1941, reproduced in the Gochamaze website.
  8. Advertisement published in Asahi Camera February 1941, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 104. Advertisement published in Gakusei no Kagaku April 1941, reproduced in the Gochamaze website.
  9. Advertisement published in Shashin Bunka October 1942, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 58. Advertisement published in Asahi Graph 18 November 1942, reproduced in the Gochamaze website.
  10. "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), item 165.

Bibliography

Links

In Japanese:


Asahi Bussan and Riken prewar and wartime cameras (edit)
rigid or collapsible
Vest Adler | Gokoku | Semi Kinsi | Letix | Olympic | New Olympic | Regal Olympic | Semi Olympic | Super Olympic | Vest Olympic | Riken No.1 | Ricohl | Roico | Seica | Zessan
folders pseudo TLR TLR
Semi Adler | Adler III | Adler A | Adler B | Adler C | Adler Four | Adler Six | Gaica | Heil | Kinsi Chukon Ref Ricohflex | Ricohflex B
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