Nissei is a brand of Japanese leaf shutters, about which little is known.
Early Nissei[]
The early Nissei shutter has been found on one isolated example of the Roavic (with T, B, 1–400 speeds)[1] and on a Flora 6×6cm prototype camera (with T, B, 1–500).[2] In both cases, the cameras have a Nissei Anastigmat lens, with a low three-digit serial number. They were certainly made in the immediate postwar period.
The casing of the Nissei is surrounded by a herringbone pattern, recalling a double helical gear. The name NISSEI is engraved at the bottom of the rim, and there is a small nameplate screwed above the lens. This plate is engraved n.m.k. Nissei, at least on the shutter found on the Roavic — this surely indicates that the shutter was manufactured by the company using these "n.m.k." initials as a logo. The same initials also appear at the front of the Flora's top casing.
Nissei-Rapid[]
The Nissei-Rapid (ニッセイラピッド) shutter was advertised on the Mizuho Six V and Ofuna Six c.1953–4, with B, 1–500 speeds.[3] At least one example, found on an Ofuna Six, might have 1/400 top speed instead.[4] The external aspect is quite different from the previous Nissei, and the two shutters are perhaps unrelated.
Current Nissei companies[]
Various Japanese companies are called Nissei. One of these is K.K. Nissei (㈱ニッセイ), which currently (2010) makes gears and gear motors under the GTR brand. This company was founded in 1942 as Nihon Mishin Hari Seizō K.K. (日本ミシン針製造㈱).[5] It was originally making needles for sewing machines, and was an offshoot of Nihon Mishin Seizō K.K. (日本ミシン製造㈱, currently Brother Industries, Ltd.).[5] However it only started making gears and other precision parts in 1955,[5] too late to account for the production of the Nissei shutters.
Another potential candidate is the company Nissei Technology K.K. (日精テクノロジー㈱), which currently (2010) makes lenses and precision parts. It was founded in 1923 as Tsujihana Seisakusho (辻花製作所) and became Nissei Kōgyō (日精工業) in 1953,[6] and could have made the Nissei-Rapid shutter.
Notes[]
- ↑ Example observed in an online auction.
- ↑ Example pictured in Sugiyama, item 3247.
- ↑ See Mizuho Six and Ofuna Six.
- ↑ Example pictured in this page. The top speed is not clearly legible on the picture.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Official history of the current Nissei GTR company.
- ↑ Corporate profile of the current Nissei Technology company.
Links[]
In Japanese:
- Official history of the current Nissei GTR company
- Corporate profile of the current Nissei Technology company