Half-Plate Revival: Konichiwa Konishi?

[Rob_5419]

There's been some fascinating half-plate cameras floating around recently particularly in this Spring buzz.

This one went on an auction site to a lucky Japanese bidder. Of course the Japanese collectors' market is as lively as the Japanese half-plate photographer's market:


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...ayphotohosting


It's described as a half-plate camera by "R Konishi & Co" manufactured before the second-world war. Complete minus lens. Even has the proper matching half-plate book form holders.

Was this a branch company of the old Konishirou company (modern day Konica-Minolta)? I gather Konica made large format lenses although I've not seen a Konica large format camera before.

I always hope these go to photographers rather than collectors, feeling a duty to bid them away from collectors no matter how futile that might be (it probably only drives up the collector's price and makes it even more elusive for the photographer ;( )

[Rob_5419]

PS - don't know if links to the above site are allowed - as I've noticed threads have been deleted for similar reasons.

This one isn't for sale in any case. It's already sold

[Oren Grad]

I've seen old wooden cameras labeled Konishiroku in Japanese. Assuming that's what this one is, yes, it's the same company that became Konica.

[Jim Galli]

There's been some fascinating half-plate cameras floating around recently particularly in this Spring buzz.

This one went on an auction site to a lucky Japanese bidder. Of course the Japanese collectors' market is as lively as the Japanese half-plate photographer's market:


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...ayphotohosting


It's described as a half-plate camera by "R Konishi & Co" manufactured before the second-world war. Complete minus lens. Even has the proper matching half-plate book form holders.

Was this a branch company of the old Konishirou company (modern day Konica-Minolta)? I gather Konica made large format lenses although I've not seen a Konica large format camera before.

I always hope these go to photographers rather than collectors, feeling a duty to bid them away from collectors no matter how futile that might be (it probably only drives up the collector's price and makes it even more elusive for the photographer ;( )

Rob, I have the identical camera and mine has the 21 cm Rokuoh-sha Tokyo Hexar Ser. 1 f4.5 which lends credence to your theory. Mine is near mint in it's original leather case with 2 japanese copies of the Thornton Pickard roller blind shutter and 6 original plate holders. Mine has a little fancier mounting for the tripod with a tilting table. I bought it to explore wet plate but it sits in it's case. It has 3 matching filters in little holders in the camera case, and the minty lens lives in it's original round leatherette case inside the outfit case. Available if anyone wants it.

[Ernest Purdum]

Rokuemon Konishi was a major pioneer of Japanese photography. He started out in 1873. The Company and its products have gone through many name changes before becoming Konica-Minolta. Cameras like the one described were made for the Japanese Navy anongst many other customers.

[Hiro]

Konica is (was, sadly) the oldest photographic equipment company in Japan. It started out with emulsions and plates, then cameras, darkroom stuff, lenses... Here's a rather comprehensive link about Konica:
http://www2f.biglobe.ne.jp/~ter-1212/sakura/index.htm
It's in Japanese, but maybe fun just to see photos and illustrations of old cameras and lenses. Some cameras used "R. Konishi" designation although, unfortunately, there's no picture of the camera on that auction.

Trivia:
- "Konishi" is the business name adopted by the founding family, the Sugiuras. "Rokuemon" is the hereditary name assumed by the head of the family. Mr. Sugiura who founded Konica was Rokuemon VI.
- In Japanese "roku" (as in Rokuemon, Konishiroku, Rokuoh-sha) means "six." The name of Konica's Hexar lens was derived from Greek (Latin?) hexa/hex (six).
- Konica (Konishiroku) founded Konishi Professional School of Photography, later to become Tokyo Polytechnic University, one of the best art schools in Japan.

[Rob_5419]

Rob, I have the identical camera and mine has the 21 cm Rokuoh-sha Tokyo Hexar Ser. 1 f4.5 which lends credence to your theory. Mine is near mint in it's original leather case with 2 japanese copies of the Thornton Pickard roller blind shutter and 6 original plate holders. Mine has a little fancier mounting for the tripod with a tilting table. I bought it to explore wet plate but it sits in it's case. It has 3 matching filters in little holders in the camera case, and the minty lens lives in it's original round leatherette case inside the outfit case. Available if anyone wants it.

Woohoo!


How much? I live in England btw

The last thing I need is another camera....but I have a fondness for all things Konishiroku...Konishirou....Konishi....Konica...

Can I ask where you got it from?
How does the lens perform?

These are unheard of in England. I always imagine that they were captured off the shores of Japan by American service men at the end of the war and taken back to Japan. Or somehow there was a better trade agreement between Japan & the US in the post-1945 era.

Ernest & Hiro -

Thanks for the added information. It's fabulous to hear that Konica's legacy in the arts still lives on. It makes sense now where Rokuemon VI fits in too.

Hiro - are these popular in Japan still?

[Jim Galli]

Woohoo!


How much? I live in England btw

The last thing I need is another camera....but I have a fondness for all things Konishiroku...Konishirou....Konishi....Konica...

Can I ask where you got it from?
How does the lens perform?

These are unheard of in England. I always imagine that they were captured off the shores of Japan by American service men at the end of the war and taken back to Japan. Or somehow there was a better trade agreement between Japan & the US in the post-1945 era.

Ernest & Hiro -

Thanks for the added information. It's fabulous to hear that Konica's legacy in the arts still lives on. It makes sense now where Rokuemon VI fits in too.

Hiro - are these popular in Japan still?

Here you go Rob.



$525 US includes shipping to UK

The roller blind shutters were made with black paper which is dead but easily rebuilt perhaps. I'll bet some of these came to california in the 1930's with Japanese immagrants? War spoils? Not sure. I bought it from a US seller on Ebay several years ago.

[Rob_5419]

Hi Jim,

thanks for posting - it looks really dainty.

A question though: how does the camera fit onto a tripod? There should be a spiral metal spread which locks into the metal disc and fits into the tripod, unless that is hidden behind the 90 degree wooden bracket holding the metal disc?

It's amazing that you have a set of matching film holders here. It will be a fantastic buy for anyone wanting to get into half-plate photography.

I've never repaired a Thornton Pickard shutter (end up paying a premium just to get a proper working one).

The only thing holding me back is that Ebony whole-plate camera which I'm going to take a lifetime to save up for at this rate...

[Jim Galli]

You'd have to make up a plate with a 1/4-20 center to adapt the old style open bottom. The other possibility I thought of was to reverse the tilt plate, iow put the 2 big opens face to face and you end up with a 1/4-20 for the tripod. Either way takes a little messing around. I had the photo handy because a few months back I was thinking of putting it on Ebay but every time I get it out and look at it, I don't have the heart to do that.

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/05...06/Japan_2.jpg

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/05...06/Japan_1.jpg

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/05...06/Japan_3.jpg