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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 Blondy is a Japanese subminiature announced in 1949 by Kashiwa Seikō.

Description[]

The Blondy takes ten 14×14mm exposures, presumably on 17.5mm paper backed rollfilm. It has higher specifications than the Midget or Mycro cameras using the same format.

The viewfinder is contained in the middle of a sleek top housing. There is a body release, a rare feature on this class of subminiature cameras, emulated by the New Midget III only two years later.[1] The release linkage is covered by a small cylindrical fairing next to the lens barrel. The film is advanced by a gear at the left, half covered by the top housing. The back is presumably hinged to the left, and there is a spring-loaded latch on the right. The film advance is certainly controlled via a red window in the back.

The shutter gives B, 25, 50, 100 speeds.[2] It has a lever on the side, certainly used for winding. The lens is a Blondy Anastigmat 20mm f/4.5 made of four elements, again a rare feature on a subminiature camera.[3]

The name BLONDY is engraved above the viewfinder, together the word PATENTS and the company name KASHIWASEIKO CO.

Commercial life[]

The Blondy was briefly advertised in the July and August 1949 issues of Kohga Gekkan.[4] It is also mentioned in an article of Photo Art December 1949 on Japanese cameras, where the price is quoted as "less than ¥2,500".[5] It was certainly made in very small quantities, and no surviving example has been observed so far.

Notes[]

  1. The column in Photo Art December 1949, p.35, says that the Blondy is the first Japanese subminiature with a body release.
  2. Speed range: column in Photo Art December 1949, p.35.
  3. Four elements: column in Photo Art December 1949, p.35.
  4. Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.363.
  5. Photo Art December 1949, p.35.

Bibliography[]

The Blondy is not listed in Sugiyama.

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