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Showa Optical S-Reginon 7.5cm 3.5 from Semi-Leotax
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 12:52 am    Post subject: Showa Optical S-Reginon 7.5cm 3.5 from Semi-Leotax Reply with quote
Purchased this very nice copy of the SOW Semi Leotax for 29 USD plus shipping. Fitted with the S-Reginon 7.5 cm F3.5 in a Wester Shutter. Shutter seems to work properly. It a a roll of Verichrome with the 6th exposure in the window. . I finished up the roll and will see about getting it developed.

The camera was great the shutter amazing after all these years!! The lens was very good but had a thin haze... Hey! I thinks. I'll just open it up and clean it. The jam nut removed easily but kind of lurked behind the closest folds. The the front cell I had to unscrew a stop screw to open the front cell focus lens.. a bear to get back.. finally I made a little "dam" of blue-tak (silly putty). That worked. I cleaned the interior front cell without removing it. It didn't have any slots i could see.And I went from the aperture side to clean the inside of that cell. I believe it a triplet. A solid performer on digital IMHO. You can decide otherwise if you choose but some samples to convince you.

Pictures soon.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 2:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote













Most are F8 a few are wide open,. Very good for its era with backlight. Even with the sun in the frame not too bad. Colors are very good.

It has a RMS thread with a jam nut so adaptation was straightforward.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 3:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
No comments. Interesting, as there is almost nothing on the web about this lens.

Here are a few more shots.




PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
An impressively modern rendering! The red tulips shots are especially convincing.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 8:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
A roll of what? Is that a type of memory card? 😂
The Tulips look nice, any idea or thoughts on the lens manufacturer?
https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Semi_Leotax_DL_and_R
Quote:
The earliest document mentioning the name "Semi Leotax DL" is an advertisement dated May 1952.[5] That in Shashin Kōgyō November 1952, reproduced above, only has the name "Semi Leotax", and lists three lens and shutter combinations:[6]

Toko 7.5cm f/3.5 lens, Copal shutter, ¥14,500;
Kominar 7.5cm f/3.5 lens, Copal shutter, ¥13,500;
Reginon 7.5cm f/3.5 lens, Wester shutter, ¥12,500.

The Toko was supplied by Tōkyō Kōgaku and the Kominar by Nittō Kōgaku. The maker of the Reginon is unknown; it might be Nishida, which made the Wester shutter, and supplied Wester Anastigmat lenses for the early postwar Semi Leotax just before the introduction of the Reginon lens brand.

After that, the S-Reginon lens and Wester shutter combination was offered on the model R as a cheaper alternative. Actual examples are found with a body number in the 21xxx to 23xxx range, mixed with Toko-equipped cameras.[31] The Wester is similar to that mounted on the late DL. All three lens and shutter combinations were advertised simultaneously in Shashin Kōgyō August 1954 and Asahi Camera September 1954.[32] The prices were lower than the previous year:

Toko f/3.5, Copal, ¥17,200;
Kominar, Copal, ¥16,100;[33]
S-Reginon, Wester, ¥15,000.

Semi Leotax R in Shashin Kōgyō January 1955. (Image rights) Advertisement in Asahi Camera January 1955 (text only). (Image rights)
The late cameras, with a body number in the 24xxx to 30xxx range, have either a Toko or a Kominar lens.[34] One isolated example has been found with the Kominar lens and a New Trio shutter, similar to that mounted on some examples of the Semi Leotax DL.[35] The last mentions of the Semi Leotax R are found in Japanese magazines dated January 1955. A column in Shashin Kōgyō mentions the Toko and Kominar lenses and Copal shutter, at an unchanged price,[36] whereas the advertisement in Asahi Camera lists the Toko version only, at ¥15,500 knock-off price.[37]


PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 10:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hah! It is a type of memory, but not a card! You're the card;) Its Verichrome. I'll probably have to check around to see if I can find a place that works with it.
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