Kobayashi Seiki Seisakusho (小林精機製作所, meaning Kobayashi Precision Works) was a Japanese company, which made cine cameras, bellows and accessories sold under the Kopil brand.^[1] It sometimes used a K.S.S logo.^[2]

Kopil Bellowscope in Leica screw mount. Picture by David Murphy. (Image rights)

A company called Kobayashi Seiki still exists today (2009), founded as "Kobayashi Seiki Seisakusho" (小林精機製作所) in October 1953 in the city of Morioka.^[3] It is probably not the same as that described above, which was certainly already active before 1953.

Contents 1 Products 1.1 Bellows units 1.2 Rangefinders 1.3 Exposure meters 1.4 Other camera accessories 1.5 Other 2 Notes 3 Bibliography 4 Links

Products Edit

Bellows units Edit

• Kopil Folding Bellowscope, single folding rail, in various mounts (shows patent number 472839)
• name variants of the Kopil Folding Bellowscope:
  • Alpex Bellox Jr, in various mounts
  • Miranda Bellox Jr, in Miranda bayonet mount
  • Asahi Bellowscope, in 42mm screw mount
  • Asahi Bellows Unit, in 42mm screw mount
  • Asahi Pentax Bellows Unit, in 42mm screw mount
  • Minolta Extension Bellows Model 1, in Minolta SR mount
• Kopil Bellowsmat, single rail, with movements, in various mounts
• Kopil Duo-Track Bellowscope, dual rail, in various mounts

Rangefinders Edit

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• Kopil Mod.III rangefinder (c.1955)^[4]

Exposure meters Edit

Kopil CdS TTL meter, 42mm screw mount. Picture courtesy of Pacific Rim Camera. (Image rights)	Kopil shoe-mounted exposure meter. Picture by Keith Rock. (Image rights)

• Kopil CdS TTL meter, in various mounts
• Kopil shoe-mounted exposure meter

Other camera accessories Edit

• Kopil self-timers (at least one model was also sold by Ōmiya under the Hansa brand)^[5]

Kopil self-timer, with K.S.S logo. Pictures by Marcfoto. (Image rights)

Other Edit

• Kopil cine cameras

Notes Edit

1. ↑ Fujishima, p.122 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.38; Takeda, p.110 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.53; This page and this page at Shisantei.
2. ↑ Kopil self-timer pictured here by Marcfoto, and Kopil bellows observed in online auctions.
3. ↑ Official company history of the current Kobayashi Seiki.
4. ↑ Date: Fujishima, p.122 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.38.
5. ↑ Takeda, pp.110–1 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.53.

Bibliography Edit

• Fujishima Kōichi (藤島広一). "Kyorikei 2 - Nihon-sei" (距離計・２・日本製, Rangefinders 2: Made in Japan). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.38, June 1996. ISBN 4-257-13003-2. Purakuchika maunto (プラクチカマウント, special issue on the Praktica mount). Pp.118–23. (On the Kopil No.III rangefinder.)
• Takeda Shigeru (武田茂). "Serufutaimā korekushon" (セルフタイマーコレクション, Self-timer collection). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.53, December 1999. ISBN 4-257-13026-1. Tokushū: 50-nin no korekutā ni kiku watakushi no ichi-dai (特集:50人のコレクターに聞く私の1題, 50 stories told by camera collectors). Pp.110–1. (On the Kopil self-timer.)

Links Edit

In English:

• Kopil Zoom 8 EE cine camera at Stefan's Camera Collection
• Kopil CdS TTL meter in James Ollinger's exposure meter collection
• Kopil CdS TTL meter among Exakta close-up equipment in Captain Jack's Exakta Pages

In German:

• Kopil Bellowsmat and Folding Bellowscope among Exakta bellows at Photobutmore

In Japanese:

• Bellows units and close-up accessories at Shisantei (mentions the Kopil as made by Kobayashi Seiki Seisakusho)
• Profile and history in the Kobayashi Seiki official website