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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 Gemflex or Gem Flex is a subminiature pseudo TLR camera made by Shōwa Kōgaku Seiki (昭和光学精機)[1] in November 1949. (It was advertised in Japanese camera magazines dated February to June 1950.)

The Gemflex uses paper-backed 17.5mm film, for a frame size of 14×14mm. It has the same layout as that of a conventional 6×6 TLR, with the viewing lens above the taking lens. The taking lens is a 25mm f/3.5 "Gem". The "Swallow" shutter has three speeds (25, 50, 100) as well as bulb. Film wind and aperture knobs are on the right.

The nameplate reads GEMFLEX with the "G" and "F" larger than the other letters. At the center of the outer cover of the viewing screen (visible from the front when the cover is open for use) is a stylized "SK" monogram.

A 1950 advertisement[2] does not mention the manufacturer but describes the camera as being distributed by Miura Shōji (三浦商事), of Ginza.

Notes[]

  1. According to Kokusan kamera no rekishi, Shōwa Kōki (昭和光機).
  2. Advertisement in Asahi Camera April 1950, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.140.

Sources / further reading[]

Links[]

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In Japanese:

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