Letix

Template:127 Japan The Riken Letix was a 4x4cm format camera released around 1940. It is said on this page that the Letix was made by Asahi Optical Industries (Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō, 旭光学工業, a sub-company of Riken) whereas the Riken Roico introduced the same year was made by Riken Optical Industries (Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō, 理研光学工業). McKeown lists the Letix under the Asahi Optical Works / Asahi Bussan entry.

The Letix had a bakelite body with opening back, like the Olympic, but the lens and shutter assembly was mounted on a metal telescopic tube. The Letix had a tubular optical finder and an accessory shoe. At the time, the rollfilm paperback was not marked for 4x4 pictures, so the film advance was not by red window but there was an exposure counter.

The lens was a Ukas Anastigmat 50/4.5 front cell focusing triplet. Ricoh's corporate site says the lens name later became Helios Anastigmat. The T-B-25-50-100-150 shutter was probably the same as on the Olympic. The shutter plate was marked Letix, with an AKK logo, probably for Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō. The body was also embossed Letix, but McKeown shows a picture with the body embossed Retix. This funny mistake can be explained because the Japanese language does not distinguish between the "l" and "r" letters.

A camera looking very much like the Letix has been observed at an ebay auction with the name Kraft followed by No2586, with a Seikosha Licht shutter. See also this page with a Kraft. Maker said to be Ehito Kogaku (エヒト光学).

Links

Ricoh's corporate website:

• Letix

Other:

• Riken 127 film cameras at Asacame, including the Letix
• A-Z 127 film cameras at Asacame, with the Letix on this page
• A page from the All Japan Classic Camera Club, presenting the Roico and the Letix side by side