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Chiccolini
Tinkerer
Username: Chiccolini
Post Number: 4
Registered: 06-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 19, 2009 - 07:07 pm: | 
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Does anyone know anything about roll film backs made or distributed by Hansa (actually Hanza, the correct spelling)? The backs are like the Rada or Suydam 120 rollfilm backs that slide on where the ground glass should be on a 9x12 or 6x9 folding plate camera. My belief is they are from the mid 1930s. More data anyone? |
Harryrag
Tinkerer
Username: Harryrag
Post Number: 85
Registered: 05-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 20, 2009 - 04:30 am: |
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I recently read on the net that "Hansa" was a brand name used in Japan by a company that was to become Canon years later; unfortunately I cannot recall that webpage. |
Chiccolini
Tinkerer
Username: Chiccolini
Post Number: 5
Registered: 06-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 - 05:08 pm: |
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Actually, Hanza is the brand name of the Omiya Trading Co., Ltd. which initially distributed the early Canon cameras which had the Hanza brand name stamped on them in the 1930s. Remaining in business they distributed many small manufacturers products until 2004 when they admitted not being able to compete in a digital marketplace and were taken over by Fuji. |
M_currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie
Post Number: 183
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 - 07:24 am: |
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There also is or was a "Hansa" with an S, not sure whether that's the same company. I had a bunch of Hansa darkroom equipment years ago which I bought from someone who had gotten it in Japan while in the service. Decent quality, more or less generic Japanese gear. If I ran across a Hansa roll film back that fit my old plate cameras, I'd grab it without hesitation! |
Tom_cheshire
Tinkerer
Username: Tom_cheshire
Post Number: 62
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 13, 2009 - 05:35 pm: |
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Hey, the backs you are talking about were made by some little back room tinker shop for Hansa. They made two backs that I know of but there may be others. One was the Crown, their top-of-the-line with automatic frame counter. The other was the Venus, a more standard type back like the Suydam and Rada with red window.
By the way, the Crown back I saw was 6x7. An odd format prior to the war.
The Crown may have had that name because it was the "king" of their roll film back line or because it was intended for the Molta (early Minolta) and Minolta cameras, particularly the Auto Press (which had a Crown shutter).
The reason to name a roll film back Venus back is not readily understood unless, logically, it was for the ultra rare Molta Venus folding plate camera which would date it at about 1930. Speculation on my part. I saw a box for the Venue back once. It had both Japanese and English writing on it. |
Msiegel
Tinkerer
Username: Msiegel
Post Number: 120
Registered: 03-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 - 01:24 am: |
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A short question about the format. Are you sure it was 6x7 or was it 6x9? I thought that 6x7 is not a prewar format. A lot of newer MF cameras (e.g. Pentax 67, Fuji/Cosina-Voigtländer Bessa III) still use it. While 6x9 is not found often anymore. |
Tom_cheshire
Tinkerer
Username: Tom_cheshire
Post Number: 65
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 - 06:06 am: |
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Yes, went to the collector who has it and measured it. Confirmed 2-3/4 x 2-1/4.
Now, I ask you (and myself), if the 6x7 format dates this item as a post-war product why would a company build film backs for those old pre-war German and Japanese folding plate cameras 10 years after manufacturers stopped producing cameras of that type? The last of those style cameras were made about 1940. |
Msiegel
Tinkerer
Username: Msiegel
Post Number: 121
Registered: 03-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 16, 2009 - 05:14 am: |
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Once again it showed that my limited knowledge of English led to some misunderstandings.
After having read your previous post with more concentration I think we both mean the same: Before the war 6x7 was not a common format.
This does not necessarely mean that it did not exist and though the format does not necessarely date the film back as post war. Sorry if I did not point that out clearly.
We still can speculate why anyone would build roll film backs for outdated cameras. Here I have to enter into speculation - at least partially. Large format was used in the 1940ies and 50ies much more than nowadays. There are e.g. roll film backs for the Graflok back which was introduced in 1949 (if I read the Graflex website correctly).
http://www.graflex.org/speed-graphic/features.html#GraflokBack
In addition the Japanese industry was severely damaged in 1945 and not many new cameras were produced so photographers had to use what they still had and a 10 year old camera had to be regarded as almost new then. Using glass plates for those cameras was certainly not an option by that time. What was left of the Japanese float glass industry was needed for rebuilding the country. So chances are quite good that there was a demand for roll film backs even in formats that were not so common anymore. At least enough demand for a small company making all different kinds of photo related equipment.
But as said - that involves a lot of speculation from my side. |
Tom_cheshire
Tinkerer
Username: Tom_cheshire
Post Number: 70
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 16, 2009 - 06:02 am: |
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That sounds like a good theory. I also guess importers like Spiratone and Sterling-Howard, who sold all sorts of after-market accessories, might have brought some over here. The Venus back I have seen had the box with it and the printing was in both English and Japanese. The Japanese was on the side of the box. The English was on the main front of the box. And, legally, only half of post-war products had to be labeled as "Occupied Japan" so many collectors may have an "Occ." item without the added nicety of it being stamped as such.
Maybe I can get the owner to post photos here. |
Leesobing
Tinkerer
Username: Leesobing
Post Number: 40
Registered: 01-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 06, 2009 - 08:45 pm: |
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It Hansa Canon ?this name using 1935 the first canon product a leica like camera which using Nikkor 50mm f/3.5lens .further more the mount, viewfinder also made by NIKON. Only assemble and shutter made by canon |
Raj
Tinkerer
Username: Raj
Post Number: 2
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 10:39 am: |
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Lenses for enlargers branded 'Hansa' and other accessories were being imported in to India as late as the 1970s. They were cheap but the quality was rather good and definitely better than the Russian and other socialist bloc manufacturers.
Raj
From beautiful and exotic India |
M_currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie
Post Number: 195
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 28, 2009 - 08:28 am: |
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Raj: My Hansa enlarger (bought used in mid 70's) was quite decent, and the lens good and sharp. Like much of that vintage Japanese stuff, it appears they saved cost by using a lot of stamped sheet metal rather than fancy castings, but sacrificed little in functional quality. I have a couple of similar vintage Japanese mini projectors that look as if they ought to be awful, but actually work quite well and have very decent optics. |
Chiccolini
Tinkerer
Username: Chiccolini
Post Number: 50
Registered: 06-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 01, 2009 - 03:56 pm: |
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I hear that an obscure collector is going to be putting one of these Hansa backs on eBay sometime this week. I'm going to be watching that one. |
