Citizen is a Japanese company which still exists (2015). It produces watches, clocks, electronic devices and has several other activities. At some time its portfolio included the production of shutters.
History
The company was founded in 1918 as Shōkōsha Tokei Kenkyūjo (尚工舎時計研究所, meaning Shōkōsha Watch Research Institute) and became Citizen Tokei K.K. (シチズン時計㈱, officially translated as Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.).[1] It started the production of camera shutters in 1953, as a result of a cooperation with Chiyoda Kōgaku for the shutter of the Minoltaflex III and Minoltacord.[2] It notably made the Optiper HS shutter of the Minolta V2 and Minolta V3. The camera shutter activity was dropped at the beginning of the 1970s.[3]
Cameras with Citizen shutter
This list is incomplete, and not all the versions have a Citizen shutter.
with Citizen MX or MXV shutter
- Ricoh S2
- Ricohflex New Dia
- Fujica Compact-D
- Fujica Compact Deluxe
- Minolta Autocord
- Minolta Autocord RA
with Optiper shutter
- Minoltacord (Optiper MXS) - Export only
- Minolta Autocord (Optiper) - Export only
- Minolta A (Optiper) - Export only
- Minolta A-2 (Optiper MXV) - Export only
- Minolta Uniomat Series (Optiper Uni)
- Minolta A5(Optiper Citizen MLT)
- Minolta AL(Optiper Citizen MLT)
- Minolta V2 (Optiper HS)
- Minolta V3 (Optiper HS)
- Minolta Miniflex (Optiper Citizen MVL)
with MV or MVL shutter
- Minolta Autocord I
- Minolta Autocord RG
- Minolta Autocord III
- Minolta Autocord CdS
- Minolta Autocord CdS III
- Minolta Autowide
- Minolta AL-2
- Ricoh S3
- Fujica 35M
- Fujica 35ML
- Neoca 35 IV S
- Nikon Nikkorex 35
- Ricoh Diacord G
- Ricoh Super 44
- Taron Eye
- Tougodo 4×4 TLR
with MLT shutter
with Other Citizen shutter
- Minolta A (Citizen)
- Yashica Minister III (Citizen)
- Minoltacord (Citizen)
- Minolta Hi-Matic (Citizen Uni-E)
- Minolta Minoltina-P (Citizen P)
- Minolta AL-E (Citizen VE)
- Minolta Repo (Citizen LB)
Notes
- ↑ Citizen company history: Japanese version and English version.
- ↑ Shunkan o torae-tsuzukeru shattā-ten, p. 17.
- ↑ Shunkan o torae-tsuzukeru shattā-ten, p. 18.
Bibliography
- Kamera no mekanizumu sono I: "Hai! Chīzu" Shunkan o torae-tsuzukeru shattā-ten (カメラのメカニズム・そのⅠ・「ハイ！チーズ」瞬間をとらえ続けるシャッター展, Camera mechanism, part 1 "Cheese!" Exhibition of instant taking shutters). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 2002. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number)
Links
In English:
In Japanese: