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Suzuki Optical Co. Camera Lite Model A |
 Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in Japan from 1955 to (After) 1955.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 13664
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Suzuki Optical Co.
Suzuki Optical Co. was founded in 1950 in Tokyo. It is known for creating camera in the shape of a Zippo lighter that use 8 mm film.
The first camera was the Echo 8. Its sales remained modest until the release of the film "Roman Holiday" directed by William Wyler in 1953. This romantic story features a young princess played by Audrey Hepburn who spends a weekend incognito in Rome. She falls in love with a reporter (Gregory Peck) whose paparazzo friend discreetly takes her photo on a café terrace using an Echo 8 camera. The reporter ultimately decides not to publish the article, and the paparazzo returns the photos. The reporter, realizing he and the princess are from different worlds, chooses to distance himself from her. The film won three Oscars in Hollywood.
Following the success of this film, the demand for the Echo 8 surged, leading to its quick unavailability. Suzuki then introduced the Camera Lite to meet this demand. The Camera Lite was simplified compared to the Echo 8, lacking a B setting or aperture adjustments, and replacing the angled viewfinder with a simple hole on the lid acting as a sports viewfinder. However, it came with pre-loaded Minori film cassettes, eliminating the need for the film cutter (16 mm to 8 mm conversion) that came with the Echo 8 and was less convenient for amateur use.
The lineup was further extended with an Echo 8 model , which was identical to the Echo 8 but featured a removable filter or lens hood system. Similarly, the Camera-Lite was followed by the Camera Lite model B, which added the B setting and had a more refined appearance due to its guilloché pattern.
The Echo 8 model B is rarely found in good condition, as its metal parts are made of zamak, an alloy of zinc, aluminum, magnesium, and copper, which tends to oxidize over time, becoming powdery and brittle.
It seems that the Echo 8 (original model) and the Camera Lite are not affected by this issue.
Le Camera Lite de Suzuki Optical Co. est le modèle simplifié de l’Echo 8 de la même marque.
Le briquet est fonctionnel et l’appareil peut être chargé d’un film 8 mm pour lequel on peut obtenir 20 images de 6 x 6 mm. La visée se fait au travers du couvercle du briquet et le déclenchement à l’aide du petit levier sur le haut près du foyer du briquet. L’avancement du film se fait avec la petite roue crantée à droite du levier de déclenchement. Elle se bloque automatiquement après la dernière photo. L’objectif a une focale fixe de 17 mm ouvert à f/8.
Dans sa boite, on trouve outre le mode d’emploi en anglais et japonais, un étui en plastique souple marron clair, une boite de trois films Minori, un tirage contact du négatif de 9 images et un agrandissement 4 x 4 cm de la photo d’une jeune Japonaise.
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