The acronym T.Y.O.W. corresponds to a Japanese lens maker based in Tokyo, whose full name is currently unknown. It made Taiyo-Anastigmat barrel lenses for large format cameras. These are usually marked T.Y.O.W. TOKYO TAIYO–Anastigmat. The brand name certainly comes from the word taiyō (太陽), which means "sun" in Japanese.
The Taiyo lenses were already existing in 1941.[1] They were made by a relative of Mr. Yamasaki, founder of Yamasaki Kōgaku Kenkyūsho and maker of the Congo lenses.[2]
List of known Taiyo-Anastigmat lenses:
- 18cm f/4.5 (reported only)[3]
- 21cm f/4.5[4]
- 21cm f/6.3[5]
- 21cm f/6.8 (reported only)[6]
- 25cm f/4.5[7]
- 30cm f/6.3 (reported only)[8]
Notes[]
- ↑ An advertisement by Kuwata in Asahi Camera April 1941 mentions the Taiyo as one of the lenses onto which one could attach the Bimagon wide-angle attachment.
- ↑ Taiyo-Anastigmat at Leica Virgin.
- ↑ Example reported in an online auction.
- ↑ Examples observed in an online auction, and for sale by Chinese and Russian dealers.
- ↑ Example observed in an online auction.
- ↑ Lens reported in this thread at mformat.com.
- ↑ Example observed in an online auction.
- ↑ Example reported in lot no.1515 sold on 11 December 2007 by Rosebery's.
Bibliography[]
- Asahi Camera. Advertisement by Kuwata Shōkai in April 1941, p.512.
Links[]
In English:
- Wooden camera retailed by Western India Photographic Agency, Bombay, reportedly having a Taiyo-Anastigmat 30cm f/6.3, sold as lot no.1515 on 11 December 2007 by Rosebery's
In Japanese:
- Taiyo-Anastigmat at Leica Virgin
- Large-format Japanese camera reportedly having a Taiyo-Anastigmat 21cm f/4.5, at tinyslope.com
In Russian: