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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]

 

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[]

  • 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]

Other[]

  • Kopil cine cameras

Notes[]

  1. 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.
  2. Kopil self-timer pictured here by Marcfoto, and Kopil bellows observed in online auctions.
  3. Date: Fujishima, p.122 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.38.
  4. Takeda, pp.110–1 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.53.

Bibliography[]

Links[]

In English:

In German:

In Japanese:

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