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Japanese subminiature
on paper-backed roll film and round film (edit)
17.5mm film Baby Flex | Baby-Max | Barlux | Beauty 14 | Bell 14 | Blondy | Baby Colon | Comex | Corona | Croma Color 16 | Epochs | Fuji Kozet | Gamma | Gem 16 | Gemflex | Glico Lighter | Halmat | Hit | Hit-II | Hit-type | Hobby 16 | Homer No.1 | Homer 16 | Honey | Hope | Jenic | Kiku 16 | Kolt | Kute | Lovely | Mascot | Meteor | Micky | Midget | Mighty | Mini | Moment | Mycro | Myracle | Nikkobaby | Peace | Peace Baby Flex | Peace Small Lef | Pet | Petit | Petty | Prince 16-A | Prince Ruby | Robin | New Rocket | Rubina | Rubix | Saga 16 | Saica | Septon Pen | Sholy-Flex | Snappy | Spy-14 | Sun | Sun B | Sun 16 | Sweet 16 | Tacker | Takka | Tone | Top Camera | Toyoca 16 | Toyoca Ace | Tsubame | Vesta | Vista | Vestkam
20mm film Guzzi | Mycroflex | Top
round film Evarax | Petal | Sakura Petal | Star
unknown Hallow | Lyravit | Tsubasa
cine film see Japanese cine film subminiature
110 film see Japanese 110 film

The Baby Flex is a Japanese subminiature pseudo TLR made in the late 1940s or early 1950s, taking 14×14mm pictures on 17.5mm paper backed rollfilm.

Description[]

The Baby Flex has the shape of a regular twin-lens reflex, but in a miniature form. The lens actually has fixed focus and aperture, and the camera is thus a pseudo TLR.

The film is advanced by a knob on the photographer's right. The L-shaped back is hinged to the top, and there is a simple latch at the bottom. The viewing hood has three ribs, and is released by a small button. The name Baby Flex is inscribed in relief on a plate in front of the viewfinder. The viewing lens has no marking, and the taking lens is a Sanko 20mm f/3.5.

Versions[]

Two versions of the camera are known, differing by the shutter unit. The simple version has the same everset shutter as on the Peace III, giving B and I settings.[1] Its shutter plate is black with silver markings: PEACE at the top, and III R.K. at the bottom. The advanced version has a better cocking shutter, giving B, 150, 100, 50, 25 speeds selected by turning the rim.[2] Its shutter plate has Y.N.S. at the top and PEACE MOD. II at the bottom, inscribed in black on a clear background.

Origin[]

The Baby Flex is clearly related to the Peace, and was certainly made by the same manufacturer. It was also closely related to the Peace Baby Flex, perhaps a successor. The Sanko lens might be related to the Sankō company, or to the Sanko 35mm lens of the Sun subminiature pseudo TLR, or these name similarities might be coincidental.

Notes[]

  1. Example pictured in Pritchard, p.58.
  2. Example pictured in Sugiyama, item 5011.

Bibliography[]

The Baby Flex is not listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi.

Links[]

In English:

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