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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 Toyoca Ace[1] is a Japanese subminiature camera producing ten 14x14mm images on a roll of 17.5mm film. It was made by Tougodo, certainly in the mid-1960s, and was a stylish, more modern and rectangular version of the Hit cameras. The Hobby 16, Homer 16 and Prince Ruby are name variants of the same camera.

Description[]

The Toyoca Ace is styled the same as the Bell 14, but it is smaller. It might be an updated version of the Homer No.1. Its internals are made of black plastic. The viewfinder is integrated in the top housing, and the front window is elongated, imitating the rangefinder cameras of the 1960s. The film is advanced by a wheel at the rear, moved by the photographer's left thumb. The rear half of the camera is removable for film loading, together with the spool holders and crude advance mechanism. It is locked by sliding bars at both ends, and has an uncovered square window in the middle.

The lens is fixed-focus and has no marking. Two apertures are available, selected by a small lever controlling Waterhouse stops; according to the instructions, "8 (for shade) and 11 (for bright)".[2] The single speed shutter is everset and runs at about 1/30s.[3]

Variations[]

The camera exists in different name variants, identified by the inscriptions on the side of the viewfinder window and at the top of the shutter plate. These are listed in the following table:

Type name Side of the viewfinder Shutter plate
top bottom
Hobby 16 HOBBY 16 HOBBY 16 MADE IN JAPAN
Homer 16 HOMER 16 HOMER 16 stars
Prince Ruby PRINCE PRINCE RUBY MADE IN JAPAN
Toyoca Ace TOYOCA TOYOCA ACE MADE IN JAPAN

Notes[]

  1. "Toyoca" is certainly the contraction of Toyohashi — Tougodo's hometown — and Camera.
  2. User manual of the Toyoca Ace reproduced at [Submin.com].
  3. About 1/30: user manual of the Toyoca Ace reproduced at [Submin.com].

Bibliography[]

The cameras are not listed in Sugiyama or in Kokusan kamera no rekishi.

Links[]

In English:

In French:

In Swedish:

In Japanese:

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