Kobayashi Seiki Seisakusho (小林精器製作所, meaning Kobayashi Precision Works) was a Japanese company, which made cine cameras, bellows and accessories sold under the Kopil brand.[1] It sometimes used a K.S.S logo.[2]
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| Kopil Bellowscope in Leica screw mount. Picture by David Murphy. (Image rights) |
Kobayashi Seiki Seisakusho (小林精器製作所) was started as a private workshop of founder Mr. Tomo Kobayashi (小林知) at Higashi-Nagasaki-cho, Toshima-ku, Tokyo before World War II. In this early period, the workshop is as subcontract factory of NIKON. The founder Mr. Kobayashi and his parter Mr. Harukichi Maehara (前原春吉) founded COPAL (still exist today, 2012, as a shutter maker), but Mr. Kobayashi dissociated from the company and established Kobayashi Seiki Seisakusho (小林精器製作所) of "KOPIL" brand after the War. Kobayashi Seiki Seisakusho terminated in ca. 1965 by the reason of financial difficulties. In this late period, the company is for OEM of Fuji 8 mm film movie camera and so on.
Kobayashi Seiki Seisakusho (小林精機製作所) is not related company, which is founded in October 1953 in the city of Morioka, and the spell of the name in Japanese is different,
Products[]
Bellows units[]
- Kopil Folding Bellowscope, single folding rail, in various mounts (shows patent number 472839)
- name variants of the Kopil Folding Bellowscope:
- Alpex Bellox Jr, in various mounts
- Miranda Bellox Jr, in Miranda bayonet mount
- Asahi Bellowscope, in 42mm screw mount
- Asahi Bellows Unit, in 42mm screw mount
- Asahi Pentax Bellows Unit, in 42mm screw mount
- Minolta Extension Bellows Model 1, in Minolta SR mount
- Kopil Bellowsmat, single rail, with movements, in various mounts
- Kopil Duo-Track Bellowscope, dual rail, in various mounts
Rangefinders[]
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- Kopil Mod.III rangefinder (c.1955)[3]
Exposure meters[]
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| Kopil CdS TTL meter, 42mm screw mount. Picture courtesy of Pacific Rim Camera. (Image rights) | Kopil shoe-mounted exposure meter. Picture by Keith Rock. (Image rights) |
- Kopil CdS TTL meter, in various mounts
- Kopil shoe-mounted exposure meter
Other camera accessories[]
- Kopil self-timers (at least one model was also sold by Ōmiya under the Hansa brand)[4]
 
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| Kopil self-timer, with K.S.S logo. Pictures by Marcfoto. (Image rights) |
Other[]
- Kopil cine cameras
Notes[]
- ↑ Fujishima, p.122 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.38; Takeda, p.110 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.53; This page and this page at Shisantei.
- ↑ Kopil self-timer pictured here by Marcfoto, and Kopil bellows observed in online auctions.
- ↑ Date: Fujishima, p.122 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.38.
- ↑ Takeda, pp.110–1 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.53.
Bibliography[]
- Fujishima Kōichi (藤島広一). "Kyorikei 2 - Nihon-sei" (距離計・２・日本製, Rangefinders 2: Made in Japan). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.38, June 1996. ISBN 4-257-13003-2. Purakuchika maunto (プラクチカマウント, special issue on the Praktica mount). Pp.118–23. (On the Kopil No.III rangefinder.)
- Takeda Shigeru (武田茂). "Serufutaimā korekushon" (セルフタイマーコレクション, Self-timer collection). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.53, December 1999. ISBN 4-257-13026-1. Tokushū: 50-nin no korekutā ni kiku watakushi no ichi-dai (特集:50人のコレクターに聞く私の1題, 50 stories told by camera collectors). Pp.110–1. (On the Kopil self-timer.)
Links[]
In English:
- Kopil Zoom 8 EE cine camera at Stefan's Camera Collection
- Kopil CdS TTL meter in James Ollinger's exposure meter collection
- Kopil CdS TTL meter among Exakta close-up equipment in Captain Jack's Exakta Pages
In German:
- Kopil Bellowsmat and Folding Bellowscope among Exakta bellows at Photobutmore
In Japanese:
- Bellows units and close-up accessories at Shisantei (mentions the Kopil as made by Kobayashi Seiki Seisakusho)
- Profile and history in the Kobayashi Seiki official website