The Pet is a Japanese subminiature taking 14×14mm pictures on 17.5mm paper backed rollfilm. It is only known from a single example, pictured in Sugiyama.[1]
Description[]
The Pet has the shape of a matchbox, with a shiny metal finish all around. There is a long tubular finder at the top, and a frame finder is hinged to the camera's left side, as seen by the photographer. The film is advanced by a knob on the left of the main finder. The lens has a fixed focus and aperture, and is engraved Pet F.4.5. It seems that this is the sole marking present on the camera.
The everset shutter is tripped by a small lever protruding on the camera's right. Another small lever is visible at the top, in front of the advance knob, with S, B, I indications.[2] The B and I positions correspond to Bulb and Instant exposures, and the S position certainly functions as a shutter lock, needed because accidental exposures are made easy by the position of the release lever.
Origin[]
The Pet is conceptually similar to the Hallow, another Japanese subminiature of which it might be a successor. It mainly differs by the viewfinder, the position of the advance knob, the film running direction, and the addition of the "S" shutter lock.
The Pet might also be related to the Petty, which has a similar name and a similar position of the controls, but a markedly different round shape.
The three cameras were probably made in the late 1940s or early 1950s, perhaps by the same workshop, currently unidentified.
Notes[]
Bibliography[]
- Sugiyama, Kōichi (杉山浩一); Naoi, Hiroaki (直井浩明); Bullock, John R. The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras. 国産カメラ図鑑 (Kokusan kamera zukan). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1985. ISBN 4-257-03187-5. Item 5109.
The Pet is not listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi.
Links[]
In English:
- Pet (text only) at Submin.com
- Brief mention of the Pet among 17.5mm film cameras at Subclub.org