Nikkormat ( Nikomat in Japan) was a brand of cameras produced by the Japanese optics company Nippon Kogaku K. K., as a consumer version of the professional Nikon brand. Nikkormat cameras, produced from 1965 until 1978, were simpler and more affordable than Nikon-branded cameras, but accepted the same lenses as the Nikon F series cameras.
109-473: The light meter indicates current whose value depends on the amount of light, and three user settings: aperture, shutter speed, and film sensitivity (film speed). In many cameras the three user settings each have a separate resistor with a moving contact. In the Nikkormat there is only a single resistor and a single moving contact: the resistor is on one ring and the contact on another of the concentric rings around
218-418: A Flipflash were set in a vertical array, putting a distance between the bulb and the lens, eliminating red eye . The Flipflash name derived from the fact that once half the flashbulbs had been used, the unit had to be flipped over and re-inserted to use the remaining bulbs. In many Flipflash cameras, the bulbs were ignited by electrical currents produced when a piezoelectric crystal was struck mechanically by
327-424: A Hoya merger, on May 16 it was reported that Pentax had accepted "with conditions" a sweetened offer from Hoya, according to a source familiar with the matter. Pentax was under increasing pressure from its major shareholders, Sparx Asset Management in particular, to accept Hoya's bid. On August 6, 2007, Hoya completed a friendly public tender offer for Pentax and acquired 90.59% of the company. On August 14, 2007,
436-412: A camera hot shoe. An air-gap flash is a high-voltage device that discharges a flash of light with an exceptionally short duration, often much less than one microsecond . These are commonly used by scientists or engineers for examining extremely fast-moving objects or reactions, famous for producing images of bullets tearing through light bulbs and balloons (see Harold Eugene Edgerton ). An example of
545-482: A choice (made at purchase time or by replacement at factory service centers) of brighter fixed viewfinder focusing screens: Nippon Kogaku's standard Type J with central 4 mm microprism focusing aid plus 12 mm etched circle indicating the area of the meter centerweighting or the Type A with central 3 mm split image rangefinder plus 12 mm etched circle. The Nikkormat FT2 , manufactured from 1975 to 1977, added
654-590: A deal the Nikkei business daily reported was worth about 10 billion yen ($ 124.2 million). On July 29, 2011, Hoya transferred its Pentax imaging systems business to a newly established subsidiary called Pentax Imaging Corporation. On October 1, 2011, Ricoh acquired all shares of Pentax Imaging Corp. and renamed the new subsidiary Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd. Hoya will continue to use the Pentax brand name for their medical related products such as endoscopes. On August 1, 2013,
763-400: A galvanometer needle pointer moving vertically at the lower right side of the viewfinder to indicate the readings of the built-in, open aperture, TTL, full-scene averaging, cadmium sulfide (CdS) light meter versus the actual camera settings. The photographer would adjust the shutter speed to freeze or blur motion and/or the lens aperture f-stop to control depth of field (focus) until the needle
872-553: A high-capacitance capacitor to several hundred volts . When the flash is triggered by the shutter's flash synchronization contact, the capacitor is discharged rapidly through a permanent flash tube , producing an immediate flash lasting typically less than 1 ⁄ 1000 of a second, shorter than shutter speeds used, with full brightness before the shutter has started to close, allowing easy synchronization of maximum shutter opening with full flash brightness, unlike flashbulbs which were slower to reach full brightness and burned for
981-506: A holder for the ribbon, which formed a lamp to burn it in. A variety of magnesium ribbon holders were produced by other manufacturers, such as the Pistol Flashmeter, which incorporated an inscribed ruler that allowed the photographer to use the correct length of ribbon for the exposure they needed. The packaging also implies that the magnesium ribbon was not necessarily broken off before being ignited. An alternative to magnesium ribbon
1090-523: A list price of US $ 359.50 (equivalent to $ 3,758 in 2023) in 1959 when new cars sold in the US$ 2500 range. Many amateur photographers could not afford Nikon cameras. Nippon Kogaku had tried offering a consumer grade camera-brand; beginning in 1963 the Nikkorex SLR was made by Mamiya but marketed by Nippon Kogaku and its distributors. Initially these cameras had fixed lenses and built-in metering, but in 1963
1199-497: A little less, so the minimum possible exposure time for even exposure across the sensor with a full-power flash is about 2.4 ms + 1.0 ms = 3.4 ms, corresponding to a shutter speed of about 1 ⁄ 290 s. However some time is required to trigger the flash. At the maximum (standard) D850 X-sync shutter speed of 1 ⁄ 250 s, the exposure time is 1 ⁄ 250 s = 4.0 ms, so about 4.0 ms − 2.4 ms = 1.6 ms are available to trigger and fire
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#17328918627281308-484: A longer time, typically 1 ⁄ 30 of a second. A single electronic flash unit is often mounted on a camera's accessory shoe or a bracket; many inexpensive cameras have an electronic flash unit built in. For more sophisticated and longer-range lighting several synchronised flash units at different positions may be used. Ring flashes that fit to a camera's lens can be used for shadow free portrait and macro photography; some lenses have built-in ring-flash. In
1417-450: A low voltage, eliminating the need of a high-voltage capacitor. They are more energy-efficient, and very small. The LED flash can also be used for illumination of video recordings or as an autofocus assist lamp in low-light photography; it can also be used as a general-purpose non-photographic light source. Electronic flash units have shutter speed limits with focal-plane shutters . Focal-plane shutters expose using two curtains that cross
1526-609: A manual-exposure camera to expose the film properly takes two steps, even after taking a light meter reading. Autoexposure systems that greatly simplified the process were a boon when first introduced in the Konica AutoReflex (Autorex in Japan) in 1965. Nikon's autoexposure system was advanced at the EL's launch in 1972, and proved to be long-lived. Nippon Kogaku/Nikon continued to use aperture-priority autoexposure, with considerable development, in
1635-555: A permanently affixed hot shoe to the top of the pentaprism cover, combined the two PC terminals into one and switched the light meter battery to a non-toxic silver cell, one 1.5 V S76 or SR44. ASA adjustment also featured a lock and an easier slider than previous models. The advance lever was more contoured with an added plastic grip. The FT2's viewfinder also switched to Nippon Kogaku's new standard Type K focusing screen with 3 mm split image rangefinder and 1 mm microprism collar focusing aids plus 12 mm etched circle indicating
1744-463: A photographic studio, more powerful and flexible studio flash systems are used. They usually contain a modelling light , a lamp close to the flash tube; the continuous illumination of the modelling light lets the photographer visualize the effect of the flash. LED lamps are replacing the previous incandescent light bulbs in new designs, modelling lights typically being proportionately variable to flash power require dimmable LEDs and suitable circuitry in
1853-561: A process by which to create a high speed flash is the exploding wire method . A camera that implements multiple flashes can be used to find depth edges or create stylized images. Such a camera has been developed by researchers at the Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL). Successive flashing of strategically placed flash mechanisms results in shadows along the depths of the scene. This information can be manipulated to suppress or enhance details or capture
1962-505: A second. If the exposure flash is fired at approximately this interval after the TTL measuring flash, people will be squinting or have their eyes shut. One solution may be the FEL (flash exposure lock) offered on some more expensive cameras, which allows the photographer to fire the measuring flash at some earlier time, long (many seconds) before taking the real picture. Many camera manufacturers do not make
2071-544: A second—while most bulbs require a shutter speed of 1 ⁄ 15 on X synch to keep the shutter open long enough for the bulb to ignite and burn. A smaller version which was not as bright but did not require the fibre ring, the AG-1, was introduced in 1958; it was cheaper, and rapidly supplanted the PF1. In 1965 Eastman Kodak of Rochester, New York replaced the individual flashbulb technology used on early Instamatic cameras with
2180-421: A shoulder strap. Towards the end of the 1960s electronic flashguns of similar size to conventional bulb guns became available; the price, although it had dropped, was still high. The electronic flash system eventually superseded bulb guns as prices came down. Already in the early 1970s, amateur electronic flashes were available for less than $ 100. A typical electronic flash unit has electronic circuitry to charge
2289-426: A single exposure. Colored gels can also be used to change the color of the flash. Correction gels are commonly used, so that the light of the flash is the same as tungsten lights (using a CTO gel) or fluorescent lights. Open flash, free flash or manually-triggered flash refers to modes in which the photographer manually triggers the flash unit to fire independently of the shutter. Using on-camera flash will give
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#17328918627282398-406: A special mechanized carbon arc lamp to photograph subjects in his studio, but more portable and less expensive devices prevailed. On through the 1920s, flash photography normally meant a professional photographer sprinkling powder into the trough of a T-shaped flash lamp, holding it aloft, then triggering a brief and (usually) harmless bit of pyrotechnics . The use of flash powder in an open lamp
2507-425: A spring-loaded striker, which was cocked each time the film was advanced. The electronic flash tube was introduced by Harold Eugene Edgerton in 1931. The electronic flash reaches full brightness almost instantaneously, and is of very short duration. Edgerton took advantage of the short duration to make several iconic photographs, such as one of a bullet bursting through an apple. The large photographic company Kodak
2616-453: A subject close to the camera that would otherwise be in shade relative to the rest of the scene. The flash unit is set to expose the subject correctly at a given aperture, while shutter speed is calculated to correctly expose for the background or ambient light at that aperture setting. Secondary or slave flash units may be synchronized to the master unit to provide light from additional directions. The slave units are electrically triggered by
2725-409: A very harsh light, which results in a loss of shadows in the image, because the only lightsource is in practically the same place as the camera. Balancing the flash power and ambient lighting or using off-camera flash can help overcome these issues. Using an umbrella or softbox (the flash will have to be off-camera for this) makes softer shadows. A typical problem with cameras using built-in flash units
2834-400: A white ceiling or a flash umbrella , which then reflects light onto the subject. It can be used as fill-flash or, if used indoors, as ambient lighting for the whole scene. Bouncing creates softer, less artificial-looking illumination than direct flash, often reducing overall contrast and expanding shadow and highlight detail, and typically requires more flash power than direct lighting. Part of
2943-428: Is a device used in photography that produces a brief burst of light (lasting around 1 ⁄ 200 of a second) at a color temperature of about 5500 K to help illuminate a scene. The main purpose of a flash is to illuminate a dark scene. Other uses are capturing quickly moving objects or changing the quality of light. Flash refers either to the flash of light itself or to the electronic flash unit discharging
3052-632: Is the low intensity of the flash; the level of light produced will often not suffice for good pictures at distances of over 3 metres (10 ft) or so. Dark, murky pictures with excessive image noise or "grain" will result. In order to get good flash pictures with simple cameras, it is important not to exceed the recommended distance for flash pictures. Larger flashes, especially studio units and monoblocks, have sufficient power for larger distances, even through an umbrella, and can even be used against sunlight at short distances. Cameras which automatically flash in low light conditions often do not take into account
3161-483: The Flashcube developed by Sylvania Electric Products . A flashcube was a module with four expendable flashbulbs, each mounted at 90° from the others in its own reflector. For use it was mounted atop the camera with an electrical connection to the shutter release and a battery inside the camera. After each flash exposure, the film advance mechanism also rotated the flashcube 90° to a fresh bulb. This arrangement allowed
3270-556: The Nikon F bayonet mount (introduced in 1959 on the Nikon F camera) and a "meter coupling shoe" (or prong, informally called "rabbit ears"). The FT had a mirror lockup allowing its use with some specialised lenses for which an auxiliary viewfinder was provided. The FT was Nippon Kogaku's first SLR with a built-in TTL light meter. As such, Nippon Kogaku could not find a way to automatically synchronize their Nikkor Auto lenses' aperture information with
3379-532: The Nikon FE , FE2 and FM3A of the succeeding Nikon compact F-series SLRs until 2006. In common with other manufacturers' first-generation electronic autoexposure SLRs, the EL had a reputation for rapidly draining batteries; later models had much more energy-efficient electronics. Note that the EL would still function without batteries in a very limited fashion: fully mechanical operation, with only one shutter speed available (an unmarked, fixed 1/90 second) and without
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3488-541: The Samsung GX-1S and GX-1L , while the jointly developed (90% Pentax and 10% Samsung) Pentax K10D and K20D gave birth to the Samsung GX-10 and GX-20 respectively. Some Pentax lenses are also rebranded and sold as Samsung Schneider Kreuznach D-Xenon and D-Xenogon lenses for Samsung DSLRs. However, both brands are completely compatible with Pentax and Samsung DSLRs. In 2017, Samsung announced its departure of
3597-399: The retina of the human eye reflects red light straight back in the direction it came from, pictures taken from straight in front of a face often exhibit this effect. It can be somewhat reduced by using the "red eye reduction" found on many cameras (a pre-flash that makes the subject's irises contract). However, very good results can be obtained only with a flash unit that is separated from
3706-632: The "Pentax" series was such that the business eventually renamed itself "Pentax Corporation" after the 35mm product line. Although the corporation ultimately merged into Hoya Corporation , it eventually was purchased by Ricoh , which continues to develop and market digital cameras under the Pentax brand. Currently, Pentax DSLRs are manufactured in Cebu , Philippines , while digital Pentax lenses are manufactured in Hanoi , Vietnam , under Pentax Ricoh Imaging Products. In June 17, 2024, Pentax launched their latest product,
3815-471: The FT body. Therefore, mounting lenses required a special preparatory procedure. First, the lens' maximum aperture (smallest f-stop number) must be set against the film speed scale on the FT's shutter speed ring. Then, the "meter coupling pin" on the ring surrounding the FT's lens mount flange must pushed all the way to the right and the lens' aperture ring must be preset to f/5.6 to line up the "meter coupling shoe" with
3924-402: The FT did not have a built-in accessory shoe to mount flash units. The "Nikkormat accessory shoe" must be screwed to the top of the pentaprism cover via the eyepiece first. Note that this shoe only mounts the flash. A PC cord must still be plugged into the appropriate PC terminal. This was normal for most SLRs of the 1960s. The Nikkormat FS , manufactured from 1965 to 1971, was an FT stripped of
4033-425: The FT strength and durability. The FT used a metal-bladed, vertical travel, focal plane shutter with a speed range of 1 to 1/1000 second plus Bulb and flash X-sync of 1/125th second. The Nikkormat F-series had a shutter speed ring concentric with the lens mount, unlike Nippon Kogaku's other manual focus SLRs with a top mounted shutter speed dial. The FT's exposure control system was a "center-the-needle" system using
4142-695: The FT, the combination cannot provide open aperture metering; only stop down metering. Nikon's most recent 35 mm film SLR lenses, the AF Nikkor G type (2000) lacking an aperture control ring; and the AF Nikkor DX type (2003) with image circles sized for Nikon's digital SLRs will mount, but will not function properly at all. The FT also had two PC terminals to synchronize with flash units: an M-sync to all speeds for M and FP type (1/60 second for MF type) flashbulbs and an X-sync to 1/125th second for electronic flashes using guide number manual exposure control. However,
4251-459: The FT3. However, Nikon's most recent SLR lenses, the AF Nikkor G and AF Nikkor DX types, are not AI types. They will mount, but will not function properly. The FT3 was little more than a stopgap placeholder, awaiting the release of the first of the completely redesigned Nikon compact F-series SLRs, the all-new Nikon FM , with a more compact chassis, in late 1977. The metering system was considered one of
4360-676: The Leica and Contax cameras they were using. In 1952, Asahi Optical introduced its first camera, the Asahiflex (the first Japanese SLR using 35mm film). The name "Pentax" was originally a registered trademark of the East German VEB Zeiss Ikon (from " Pentaprism " and " Contax ") and acquired by the Asahi Optical company in 1957. Since then the company has been primarily known for its photographic products, distributed 35mm equipment under
4469-543: The M-series, M-2, M-3 etc., which had a small ("miniature") metal bayonet base fused to the glass bulb. The largest flashbulb ever produced was the GE Mazda No. 75, being over eight inches long with a girth of 4 inches, initially developed for nighttime aerial photography during World War II . The all-glass PF1 bulb was introduced in 1954. Eliminating the metal base and the multiple manufacturing steps needed to attach it to
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4578-482: The Manchester Magnesium Company with Edward Mellor. With the help of engineer William Mather , who was also a director of the company, they produced flat magnesium ribbon, which was said to burn more consistently and completely so giving better illumination than round wire. It also had the benefit of being a simpler and cheaper process than making round wire. Mather was also credited with the invention of
4687-502: The Nikkorex F (made by Mamiya) was introduced; this was fully compatible with Nikkor F-mount lenses and had a look similar to the Nikon F style, though it was a larger camera. Despite reasonable quality in the later production, the Nikkorex brand was a marketing failure. Nippon Kogaku's second attempt at a consumer camera-line was designed and manufactured completely in-house. The Nikkormat FS and FT of 1965 were similar in size and weight to
4796-469: The Nikkormat FT with incremental improvements. The Nikon FM , FM2 and FM2N of the succeeding Nikon compact F-series SLRs used an improved viewfinder only, center-the- LED system until 2001. The FT's viewfinder also had a fixed focusing screen with Nippon Kogaku's then standard central 4 mm microprism focusing aid plus 12 mm matte focusing surface. The Nikkormat FT accepted all lenses with
4905-692: The Nikkormat FT3 above). The EL2 also abandoned the Nikkormat name (the Nikkormat FT3 being the last of the Nikkormat line) which had distinguished these cameras from the better known Nikon-badged models. The Nikon EL2 was replaced after a year of production by the Nikon FE . In 1959, Nippon Kogaku released its first 35 mm SLR, the professional level Nikon F . The F combined every SLR technological advance available in 1959 (automatic diaphragm lenses, instant return mirror and eye-level pentaprism viewfinder) into an integrated package with mechanical durability and reliability, plus optical quality. It also offered
5014-491: The Nikon F, had a pentaprism viewfinders, and were fully compatible with the F-mount lenses. The more expensive Nikkormat FT offered through-the-lens exposure-metering. However these had fewer professional-level features compared to the Nikon F, these had a fixed viewfinders and did not accept motor drives. Nippon Kogaku achieved some success with amateurs, but by the mid-1970s the remaining Nikkormat models were rebadged as Nikons and
5123-479: The Pentax 17. The Pentax 17 is a half-frame camera with a fixed zone focusing lens, a magnesium alloy body, and a price tag of $ 500. The Pentax 17 is the company's first film camera in over two decades. In 2005, Pentax Corporation partnered with Samsung to share work on camera technology and recapture market ground from Nikon and Canon. Pentax and Samsung subsequently released new DSLR siblings from this agreement. The Pentax *ist DS and *istDL2 also appeared as
5232-462: The TTL pre-flash interval configurable. Flash distracts people, limiting the number of pictures that can be taken without irritating them. Photographing with flash may not be permitted in some museums even after purchasing a permit for taking pictures. Flash equipment may take some time to set up, and like any grip equipment, may need to be carefully secured, especially if hanging overhead, so it does not fall on anyone. A small breeze can easily topple
5341-560: The ability of a flash to "freeze" moving subjects in applications such as sports photography. In cases where intensity is controlled by capacitor discharge time, t0.5 and t0.1 decrease with decreasing intensity. Conversely, in cases where intensity is controlled by capacitor charge, t0.5 and t0.1 increase with decreasing intensity due to the non-linearity of the capacitor's discharge curve. High-current flash LEDs are used as flash sources in camera phones, although they are less bright than xenon flash tubes. Unlike xenon tubes, LEDs require only
5450-518: The area of the meter centerweighting. A final small touch was the addition of "+" and "-" symbols on the display of the top meter read-out. The numerous little improvements on the FT2 directly reflected customer suggestions for the FTn. The Nikkormat FT3 , manufactured for only several months in 1977 (but still available new from dealer stock in 1978), had the shortest production run of any Nippon Kogaku SLR. The FT3
5559-518: The automatic shutter speed range to eight seconds, and its viewfinder was fitted with a new standard focusing screen, the Type K (see the Nikkormat FT2 above). The Nikon EL2 was manufactured from 1977 to 1978 and was essentially identical to the ELW, but with the addition of instant response silicon photodiode light meter sensors and support for Nikkor lenses with the new Automatic Indexing (AI) feature (see
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#17328918627285668-615: The best on the market at the time, as the Nikkormat FT3 remained a very popular camera with professionals and amateurs alike. The Nikkormat EL was an all-metal, electromechanically (some solid-state electronics, but mostly springs, gears and levers) controlled, manual-focus SLR with manual exposure control or aperture-priority autoexposure, manufactured in Japan from 1972 to 1976. It was available in two colors: black with chrome trim and all black. The EL had dimensions of 93.5 mm height, 145 mm width, 54.5 mm depth and 780 g weight. This
5777-484: The bounced light can be also aimed directly on the subject by "bounce cards" attached to the flash unit which increase the efficiency of the flash and illuminate shadows cast by light coming from the ceiling. It is also possible to use one's own palm for that purpose, resulting in warmer tones on the picture, as well as eliminating the need to carry additional accessories. Fill flash or "fill-in flash" describes flash used to supplement ambient light in order to illuminate
5886-484: The built-in light meter with its exposure information system and the mirror lockup feature. The FS was unpopular when new because of the lack of a built-in meter, but this makes it rarer and more valuable than the FTs to collectors today. The Nikkormat FTN was manufactured from 1967 to 1975. It simplified the lens mounting procedure of the rabbit ear Nikkor lenses. The meter coupling pin on the camera still had to be aligned with
5995-470: The bulb, which contained a fulminate , which in turn ignited shredded zirconium foil in the flash. A Magicube could also be fired using a key or paper clip to trip the spring manually. X-cube was an alternate name for Magicubes, indicating the appearance of the camera's socket. Other common flashbulb-based devices were the Flashbar and Flipflash, which provided ten flashes from a single unit. The bulbs in
6104-403: The camera and are thus dedicated to a particular camera make. The multiple flashes result in a significant decrease in guide number, since each is only a part of the total flash power, but it is all that illuminates any particular part of the sensor. In general, if s is the shutter speed, and t is the shutter traverse time, the guide number reduces by √ s / t . For example, if
6213-591: The camera market. Hoya is focusing its main business on the following areas: information technology, eye care, life care, optics, imaging systems. Pentax’s main competitors include Canon , Nikon , Olympus , Panasonic , Sony (imaging/camera business), Fujifilm , Sangi, Kyocera (life care business). Asahi Pentax (all 35mm equipment) Pentax 6x7 (medium format 120 6x7cm equipment from 1969 to 1990) Pentax 67 (medium format 120 6x7cm equipment from 1990 to 1999) Honeywell Pentax (medium format 120 6x7cm equipment from 1969 to 1990) Flash (photography) A flash
6322-577: The camera using a flash synchronization cable or radio signal, or are light-triggered, meaning that only one flash unit needs to be synchronized with the camera, and in turn triggers the other units, called slaves . Studies of magnesium by Bunsen and Roscoe in 1859 showed that burning this metal produced a light with similar qualities to daylight. The potential application to photography inspired Edward Sonstadt to investigate methods of manufacturing magnesium so that it would burn reliably for this use. He applied for patents in 1862 and by 1864 had started
6431-406: The camera's coupled 'match-needle' exposure metering system. This consisted of two needles pointing along a vertical shutter-speed scale visible in the viewfinder. In manual mode, a black needle pointed out the shutter speed recommended by the built-in 60/40 percent centerweighted, cadmium sulfide (CdS) light meter , while a translucent green needle showed the current (actual) shutter speed setting of
6540-419: The camera, sufficiently far from the optical axis , or by using bounce flash, where the flash head is angled to bounce light off a wall, ceiling or reflector. On some cameras the flash exposure measuring logic fires a pre-flash very quickly before the real flash. In some camera/people combinations this will lead to shut eyes in every picture taken. The blink response time seems to be around 1 ⁄ 10 of
6649-415: The camera. The photographer would then adjust the shutter speed and/or the lens aperture until the needles aligned, at which point correct exposure would be achieved. In automatic mode, the EL's black needle indicated the shutter speed automatically set by the camera in response to the light available and the lens aperture set by the user. The green needle just indicated that the EL was in "A" mode. Setting
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#17328918627286758-413: The capacitor charge. Color temperature can change as a result of varying the capacitor charge, making color correction necessary. Constant-color-temperature flash can be achieved by using appropriate circuitry. Flash intensity is typically measured in stops or in fractions (1, 1 ⁄ 2 , 1 ⁄ 4 , 1 ⁄ 8 etc.). Some monolights display an "EV Number", so that a photographer can know
6867-530: The company became a consolidated subsidiary of Hoya. On October 29, 2007, Hoya and Pentax announced that Pentax would merge with and into Hoya effective on March 31, 2008. Hoya closed the Pentax-owned factory in Tokyo , and moved all manufacturing facilities to Cebu , Philippines and Hanoi , Vietnam . On July 1, 2011, Hoya stated that it would sell its Pentax camera business to copier and printer maker Ricoh , in
6976-487: The company name was changed to Ricoh Imaging Company Ltd. Asahi Optical Co Ltd is best known for Asahi Pentax 6x7 medium format film cameras and the later Pentax Corporation is best known for Pentax 67 medium format film cameras. In 1990, the Asahi Optical Co. Ltd renamed the sub-brand from "Pentax 6x7" to Pentax 67 . The company produced Pentax 67 cameras until 1999 and ceased trading in 2002. The success of
7085-425: The difference in brightness between different flash units with different watt-second ratings. EV10.0 is defined as 6400 watt-seconds, and EV9.0 is one stop lower, i.e. 3200 watt-seconds. Flash duration is commonly described by two numbers that are expressed in fractions of a second: For example, a single flash event might have a t0.5 value of 1 ⁄ 1200 and t0.1 of 1 ⁄ 450 . These values determine
7194-442: The distance to the subject, causing them to fire even when the subject is several tens of metres away and unaffected by the flash. In crowds at sports matches, concerts and so on, the stands or the auditorium can be a constant sea of flashes, resulting in distraction to the performers or players and providing absolutely no benefit to the photographers. The " red-eye effect " is another problem with on camera and ring flash units. Since
7303-603: The era, such as the Canon FTb , Pentax Spotmatic , and Minolta SR-T 101 . However, the F-series are not indestructible – especially the meter electronics. When they do break or wear out, repair may be difficult, requiring cannibalizing other F bodies, though CLA and repair services are still available. The Nikkormat EL-series were also tough and reliable, but as with all first generation autoexposure SLRs, they are not considered as handy as later generations with better electronics. With
7412-451: The field of endoscopes, intraocular lenses, surgical loupes, biocompatible ceramics, etc. It was speculated that Pentax's camera business could be sold off after the merger. A stock swap was to be completed by October 1, 2007, but the process was called off on April 11, 2007. Pentax president Fumio Urano resigned over the matter, with Takashi Watanuki taking over as president of Pentax. However, despite Watanuki's previously stated opposition to
7521-521: The first Pentax film camera in over two decades. The original company was founded as Asahi Optical Co Asahi Kogaku Goshi Kaisha in November 1919 by Kumao Kajiwara, at a shop in the Toshima suburb of Tokyo , and began producing spectacle lenses (which it still manufactures). In 1938, it changed its name to Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. ( 旭光学工業株式会社 , Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō Kabushiki-gaisha ) ; by this time, it
7630-464: The first shutter curtain begins to move (M-sync); the X-sync used for electronic flash normally fires only when the first shutter curtain reaches the end of its travel. High-end flash units address this problem by offering a mode, typically called FP sync or HSS ( High Speed Sync ), which fires the flash tube multiple times during the time the slit traverses the sensor. Such units require communication with
7739-400: The flash or provide other effects. Softboxes , diffusers that cover the flash lamp, scatter direct light and reduce its harshness. Reflectors, including umbrellas , flat-white backgrounds, drapes and reflector cards are commonly used for this purpose (even with small hand-held flash units). Bounce flash is a related technique in which flash is directed onto a reflective surface, for example
7848-440: The flash powder was damp. An electrically triggered flash lamp was invented by Joshua Lionel Cowen in 1899. His patent describes a device for igniting photographers' flash powder by using dry cell batteries to heat a wire fuse. Variations and alternatives were touted from time to time and a few found a measure of success, especially for amateur use. In 1905, one French photographer was using intense non-explosive flashes produced by
7957-507: The flash while achieving a uniform flash exposure, so the maximum flash duration, and therefore maximum flash output, must be, and is, reduced. Contemporary (2018) focal-plane shutter cameras with full-frame or smaller sensors typically have maximum normal X-sync speeds of 1 ⁄ 200 s or 1 ⁄ 250 s. Some cameras are limited to 1 ⁄ 160 s. X-sync speeds for medium format cameras when using focal-plane shutters are somewhat slower, e.g. 1 ⁄ 125 s, because of
8066-526: The flash, and with a 1 ms flash duration, 1.6 ms − 1.0 ms = 0.6 ms are available to trigger the flash in this Nikon D850 example. Mid- to high-end Nikon DSLRs with a maximum shutter speed of 1 ⁄ 8000 s (roughly D7000 or D800 and above) have an unusual menu-selectable feature which increases the maximum X-Sync speed to 1 ⁄ 320 s = 3.1 ms with some electronic flashes. At 1 ⁄ 320 s only 3.1 ms − 2.4 ms = 0.7 ms are available to trigger and fire
8175-483: The flashbulb a fraction of a second before opening the shutter to allow it to reach full brightness, allowing faster shutter speeds. A flashbulb widely used during the 1960s was the Press 25, the 25-millimetre (1 in) flashbulb often used by newspapermen in period movies, usually attached to a press camera or a twin-lens reflex camera . Its peak light output was around a million lumens. Other flashbulbs in common use were
8284-502: The glass bulb cut the cost substantially compared to the larger M series bulbs. The design required a fibre ring around the base to hold the contact wires against the side of the glass base. An adapter was available allowing the bulb to fit into flash guns made for bayonet-capped bulbs. The PF1 (along with the M2) had a faster ignition time (less delay between shutter contact and peak output), so it could be used with X synch below 1 ⁄ 30 of
8393-425: The greater shutter travel time required for a wider, heavier, shutter that travels farther across a larger sensor. In the past, slow-burning single-use flash bulbs allowed the use of focal-plane shutters at maximum speed because they produced continuous light for the time taken for the exposing slit to cross the film gate. If these are found they cannot be used on modern cameras because the bulb must be fired *before*
8502-465: The guide number is 100, and the shutter traverse time is 5 ms (a shutter speed of 1/200s), and the shutter speed is set to 1 ⁄ 2000 s (0.5 ms), the guide number reduces by a factor of √ 0.5 / 5 , or about 3.16, so the resultant guide number at this speed would be about 32. Current (2010) flash units frequently have much lower guide numbers in HSS mode than in normal modes, even at speeds below
8611-507: The head. Multiple flashes may be synchronised for multi-source lighting. The strength of a flash device is often indicated in terms of a guide number designed to simplify exposure setting. The energy released by larger studio flash units, such as monolights , is indicated in watt-seconds . Canon names its electronic flash units Speedlite , and Nikon uses Speedlight ; these terms are frequently used as generic terms for electronic flash units designed to be mounted on, and triggered by,
8720-427: The image recorded on the sensor is the exposure time minus the shutter travel time. Equivalently, the minimum possible exposure time is the shutter travel time plus the flash duration (plus any delays in triggering the flash). For example, a Nikon D850 has a shutter travel time of about 2.4 ms. A full-power flash from a modern built-in or hot shoe mounted electronic flash has a typical duration of about 1ms, or
8829-413: The intricate geometric features of a scene (even those hidden from the eye), to create a non-photorealistic image form. Such images could be useful in technical or medical imaging. Unlike flashbulbs, the intensity of an electronic flash can be adjusted on some units. To do this, smaller flash units typically vary the capacitor discharge time, whereas larger (e.g., higher power, studio) units typically vary
8938-486: The lens mount. The film sensitivity (speed) and the shutter speed combine their values on one ring, while the aperture determines the relative position of the second ring. Using only one moving contact presumably led to higher reliability. It also explains why all settings are on the mount rings. The Nikkormat FT was an all-metal, mechanically (springs, gears, levers) controlled, manual focus SLR with match-needle exposure control, manufactured in Japan from 1965 to 1967. It
9047-502: The lens) and meter correctly. This system seems unwieldy to today's photographers, but it was more efficient and easier than before, and became second nature to Nikon and Nikkormat photographers of the 1960s and 1970s. In addition, the FTN improved the metering system to the now classic Nikon 60/40 percent centerweighted style. The viewfinder also added +/– over/underexposure metering markers and set shutter speed information. The FTN also offered
9156-421: The light from the master flash. Many small flashes and studio monolights have optical slaves built in. Wireless radio transmitters, such as PocketWizards , allow the receiver unit to be around a corner, or at a distance too far to trigger using an optical sync. To strobe, some high end units can be set to flash a specified number of times at a specified frequency. This allows action to be frozen multiple times in
9265-507: The light meter. Like the contemporary Nikkormat FTN (see above), the EL accepted all 'rabbit-ear' Nikkor lenses (requiring a double-twist of the lens aperture ring on mounting), and its viewfinder had a choice of Type J or Type A fixed focusing-screens. The Nikkormat ELW , manufactured from 1976 to 1977, was an EL modified to accept the Nikon AW-1 autowinder, providing motorized film advance at up to two frames per second. The ELW also expanded
9374-541: The light. Most current flash units are electronic, having evolved from single-use flashbulbs and flammable powders. Modern cameras often activate flash units automatically. Flash units are commonly built directly into a camera. Some cameras allow separate flash units to be mounted via a standardized accessory mount bracket (a hot shoe ). In professional studio equipment, flashes may be large, standalone units, or studio strobes , powered by special battery packs or connected to mains power . They are either synchronized with
9483-445: The line ended. The Nikkormat F-series are today considered classic designs and are still favorites among film photographers. Assuming that they are not abused, Nikkormats suffer very few mechanical failures for an amateur level SLR. They generally need only the occasional cleaning, lubrication and adjustment (CLA) to continue normal operations even today, thirty to forty years after production, similar to other mechanical Japanese SLRs of
9592-408: The meter coupling shoe on the lens, but the lens maximum aperture no longer had to be manually preset on the FTN. Instead, the lens aperture ring had to be turned back and forth to the smallest aperture (largest f-stop number) and then to the largest (smallest number) immediately after mounting to ensure that the lens and the FTN couple properly (Nippon Kogaku called it indexing the maximum aperture of
9701-460: The most complete system of accessories in the world, including interchangeable viewfinder heads, viewfinder screens, motor drives, flashbulb units, bulk film backs and eventually over fifty Nikkor lenses. The F quickly became a preferred 35 mm camera among professional photographers, especially photojournalists and amateurs who could afford them. However, the professional SLR market is a small market. The Nikon F with Nikkor 50 mm f/2 lens had
9810-457: The name "Asahi Pentax" and medium format 120 6x7cm equipment under the sub brand "Pentax 6x7" (from 1969 to 1990) and "Pentax 67" (from 1990 to 1999). Equipment was exported to the United States from the 1950s until the mid-1970s; being imported by Honeywell Corporation and branded as "Heiland Pentax" and later "Honeywell Pentax". The company was renamed Pentax Corporation in 2002. It was one of
9919-478: The pin for mounting. Note that the lens maximum aperture had to be reset every time the lens was changed. This was very inconvenient compared to some other SLRs of the 1960s. Note that modern AF Nikkor autofocusing lenses (introduced 1986) do not have a meter coupling shoe, but all non-G AF lenses have two pilot holes to retrofit the coupling shoe, making them 100% compatible with all Nikon F-mount cameras. Although most AF Nikkor lenses will mount and manually focus on
10028-725: The return of the Japanese photographic industry to the vigorous level of the late 1930s, and its emergence as a major exporter. The newly reborn industry had sold many of its cameras to the occupation forces (having had far more disposable income than the Japanese), which were well received. The Korean War saw a huge influx of journalists and photographers to the Far East , where they were impressed by lenses from companies such as Nikon and Canon for their Leica rangefinder cameras, and also by bodies by these and other companies to supplement and replace
10137-439: The sensor. The first one opens and the second curtain follows it after a delay equal to the nominal shutter speed. A typical modern focal-plane shutter on a full-frame or smaller sensor camera takes about 1 ⁄ 400 s to 1 ⁄ 300 s to cross the sensor, so at exposure times shorter than this only part of the sensor is uncovered at any one time. The time available to fire a single flash which uniformly illuminates
10246-535: The shutter traverse time. For example, the Mecablitz 58 AF-1 digital flash unit has a guide number of 58 in normal operation, but only 20 in HSS mode, even at low speeds. As well as dedicated studio use, flash may be used as the main light source where ambient light is inadequate, or as a supplementary source in more complex lighting situations. Basic flash lighting produces a hard, frontal light unless modified in some way. Several techniques are used to soften light from
10355-778: The size and weight of older mechanical SLRs, but with fewer features than succeeding autoexposure SLRs, the ELs are not as popular today as the newer Nikon FE and FE2 . Nikkormats are still readily available on the second hand market. The FS, AI type and all-black bodies are relatively rare and carry a premium. Nikkormats are collected and pristine examples are difficult to come by. Nikkorex F / Nikkor J Autofocus Camera | APS-format | Nikkorex with Leaf Shutter | Nikomat/Nikkormat | All Other Cameras | Manual Focus with electronic features (A mode) See also: Nikon DSLR cameras PENTAX Corporation Pentax Corporation ( ペンタックス株式会社 , Pentakkusu Kabushiki gaisha )
10464-408: The user to take four images in rapid succession before inserting a new flashcube. The later Magicube (or X-Cube) by General Electric retained the four-bulb format, but did not require electrical power. It was not interchangeable with the original Flashcube. Each bulb in a Magicube was set off by releasing one of four cocked wire springs within the cube. The spring struck a primer tube at the base of
10573-433: The world's largest optical companies, producing still cameras , binoculars , spectacle lenses, and a variety of other optical instruments. In 2004, Pentax had about 6000 employees. In December 2006, Pentax started the process of merging with Hoya Corporation to form 'Hoya Pentax HD Corporation'. Hoya's primary goal was to strengthen its medical-related business by taking advantage of Pentax's technologies and expertise in
10682-413: Was flash powder , a mixture of magnesium powder and potassium chlorate , was introduced by its German inventors Adolf Miethe and Johannes Gaedicke in 1887. A measured amount was put into a pan or trough and ignited by hand, producing a brief brilliant flash of light, along with the smoke and noise that might be expected from such an explosive event. This could be a life-threatening activity, especially if
10791-579: Was a Japanese camera and optical equipment manufacturer. Currently, it exists as the Pentax Life Care Business Division of Hoya 's medical endoscope business, as well as the digital camera brand of Ricoh Imaging, a subsidiary of Ricoh . Pentax, founded in 1919 as a town workshop specializing in polishing eyeglass lenses, developed Japan's first single-lens reflex camera, the Asahiflex , in 1952. By 2006, Pentax's domestic market share in digital cameras had declined to 4%. In 2007, Pentax
10900-447: Was a significant delay after ignition for a flashbulb to reach full brightness, and the bulb burned for a relatively long time, compared to shutter speeds required to stop motion and not display camera shake. Slower shutter speeds (typically from 1 ⁄ 10 to 1 ⁄ 50 of a second) were initially used on cameras to ensure proper synchronization and to make use of all the bulb's light output. Cameras with flash sync triggered
11009-431: Was acquired by Hoya and subsequently merged with the company the following year. In 2011, Hoya spun off the Pentax brand's digital camera business, which was then acquired by Ricoh , leading to the establishment of Pentax Ricoh Imaging (current Ricoh Imaging). As a response to growing interest in film photography, Pentax launched the Pentax 17 on June 17, 2024. The Pentax 17 is a half-frame film camera. This launch marks
11118-495: Was also manufacturing camera/cine lenses. In the lead-up to World War II, Asahi Optical devoted much of its time to fulfilling military contracts for optical instruments. At the end of the war, Asahi Optical was disbanded by the occupying powers, being allowed to re-form in 1948. The company resumed its pre-war activities, manufacturing binoculars and consumer camera lenses for Konishiroku and Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō (later Konica and Minolta respectively). The period around 1950 marked
11227-401: Was an important advance. A later innovation was the coating of flashbulbs with a plastic film to maintain bulb integrity in the event of the glass shattering during the flash. A blue plastic film was introduced as an option to match the spectral quality of the flash to daylight-balanced colour film . Subsequently, the magnesium was replaced by zirconium , which produced a brighter flash. There
11336-536: Was available in two colors: black with chrome trim and all black. The unmetered version was designated "Nikkormat FS." The FT had dimensions of 95 mm height, 146 mm width, 54 mm depth and 745 g weight. This was larger and heavier than most competing amateur level SLRs of the mid-1960s, such as the Asahi ( Honeywell in the USA) Pentax Spotmatic of 1964, but the quality of the internal components gave
11445-459: Was centered between two pincer-like brackets. The needle array was duplicated in a window next the top-mounted film rewind crank to allow exposure control without looking through the viewfinder. The meter was turned on by pulling the film wind lever out to the standby ready position and turned off by pushing it back flush against the camera. This was very advanced in 1965 and proved to be remarkably long-lived. Nippon Kogaku used it for all versions of
11554-548: Was essentially identical to the FT2 except that it supported Nikkor lenses with the Automatic Indexing (AI) feature (introduced 1977). AI Nikkor lenses had an external "meter coupling ridge" cam on the lens aperture ring that pushed on an external "meter coupling lever" on a ring surrounding the FT3's lens mount flange to transfer lens set aperture information. Note that most AF Nikkor autofocusing lenses are also AI types. They will mount and meter properly under manual focus on
11663-484: Was initially reluctant to take up the idea. Electronic flash, often called "strobe" in the US following Edgerton's use of the technique for stroboscopy , came into some use in the late 1950s, although flashbulbs remained dominant in amateur photography until the mid 1970s. Early units were expensive, and often large and heavy; the power unit was separate from the flash head and was powered by a large lead-acid battery carried with
11772-427: Was large and heavy compared to many other SLRs of the mid-1970s. As Nippon Kogaku's first electronic autoexposure camera, the EL required a battery (one 6V PX28 or one 4SR44 in the bottom of the mirror box) to power its electronically-controlled, metal-bladed, vertical-travel, focal-plane shutter with a speed range of four seconds to 1/1000 second (plus Bulb and flash X-sync at 1/125th second). The battery also powered
11881-461: Was replaced by flashbulbs ; magnesium filaments were contained in bulbs filled with oxygen gas, and electrically ignited by a contact in the camera shutter . Manufactured flashbulbs were first produced commercially in Germany in 1929. Such a bulb could only be used once, and was too hot to handle immediately after use, but the confinement of what would otherwise have amounted to a small explosion
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