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Yamato Koki Kogyo Co. Simflex 35 |
 Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in Japan from 1960 to (After) 1960.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 934
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Chronology of cameras Yamato Koki Kogyo Co.
The exact history of the Yamato brand is not well-known. If we focus on the cameras bearing the name Yamato, the first one (as defined) appears in the late 1940s. It is the Minon 35, a small, well-crafted camera that uses Bolta cartridge film. Shortly after, a horizontal folding 6x6 camera accompanies it, but neither of them is what the brand is known for. During the 1950s and 1960s, the manufacturer released a series of small 35mm cameras with different levels of technology (basic, rangefinder, automatic exposure), all remarkably well-made. The surviving examples found today are often in excellent condition. Chronologically, the early models were inspired by Leica, and later models have a more modern shape, but they all have a family resemblance. These cameras rarely fail to capture the interest of collectors.
At least three Yamato models are based on the same technical platform. These are the Simflex 35, Pax Jr, and Mansfield Starlite. They all share the same body and lens. Their viewfinders are unusually large, predating the era of Big Finders. The Simflex 35 and Pax Jr feature a bright frame in the viewfinder to compensate for parallax errors. The Simflex 35 has a Luminor Anastrigmat 3.5/45mm lens marked with a "C," suggesting it may be coated, although the reality may be less flattering. The Mansfield Starlite has a flash contact in the accessory shoe, while the other two cameras have a sync socket on the lens barrel. The distance scale on the Mansfield is graduated in both meters and feet.
The use of the name "Pax" is puzzling because Yamato seemed to reserve it for their rangefinder cameras.
The same camera was also sold by Sears under the name Tower 55.
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