The Nicca Camera Co. Ltd. started as the optical workshop Kōgaku Seiki-sha (光学精機社, meaning Optics and Precision Co.) in 1940, founded by former employees of Seiki Kōgaku (the predecessor of Canon). It was based in Tokyo, Honjo.[1] Its first camera, the Nippon, a close copy of the Leica rangefinder camera, was produced in 1942.
In 1948, the company changed its name to the Nippon Camera Works, and a year later, to the Nicca Camera Works. It continued to build Leica-type rangefinder cameras, adding such features as flash synchronization, lever wind, a hinged film back, and projected viewfinder framing. Nicca also made cameras for Sears under the Tower name.
In 1958, the company was acquired by Yashica, which manufactured and re-labeled the Nicca-33 and III-L as the Yashica YE and YF respectively.
Camera list[]
Nicca 3-S no.66358, Nikkor-H 5cm f/1.4 lens no.321448. Pictures by eBayer Yalluflex. (Image rights) |
- Nippon
- Nicca (original)
- Nicca III or Nicca Type-3
- Tower Type-3 (Leica III-copy for Sears & Roebuck, 1949)
- Nicca IIIA (Leica III-copy, 1951)
- Nicca IIIB (Leica III-copy, 1951)
- Nicca IIIS (Leica III-copy, 1952)
- Nicca 3-S
- Nicca 4
- Nicca 5
- Nicca 5L
- Nicca 3-F
- Nicca 33
- Nicca III-L
- Peerless 35
- Snider 35
- Yashica YE
- Yashica YF (Leica M3-copy)
Notes[]
- ↑ Its address in 1943 was Tōkyō-to Honjo-ku Higashi-Ryōgoku 3–10 (東京都本所区東両国3–10). Source: "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943.
Bibliography[]
- "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" (国産写真機ノ現状調査, Inquiry into Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of April 1943. Reproduced in Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no shōkai to tsukaikata (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の紹介と使い方, Let's try spring cameras: Presentation and use of 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4-87956-072-3. Pp.180–7.
Links[]
- Chronology at Leica Copies by Ian Norris
- Unmarked camera, perhaps based on a Nicca or Yashica, at Cameraquest
- Cameras at www.collection-appareils.fr
- Nicca 33 at Kuroneko Camera
- Nicca Snider 35 among copies of the Leica III at Massimo Bertacchi's Innovative Cameras