Re: [KOML] KO History

["James W. (Jim) Simmons" <jwsimmons@kih.net>]

Everyone else has had their two cents worth, now mine.  I is taken from the
original manual for the KONI-OMEGA "RAPID"

This Camera....conceived and designed by the engineering department of
Simmon Brothers in Long Island City, NY
.....perfected, production engineered, manufactured by Kinishiroke Photo
Industry Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan.
The Story Behind the Koni-Omega "Rapid"
The original Omega 120 was developed at the suggestion of the U.S. Navy in
the 40's(made in USA).  It was a technical success but a commercial
disappointment.  It was discontinued in 1958.  Increased cost caused the
Simmon Brothers to look abroad to manufacture it successor, the KO "Rapid".
They found Japan, etc.,.....

The difference between the Rapid and the 100 or the Rapid M and the 200 is
very simple.  During the last 50's early 60's congress passed law, that all
government agencies use items made in part in the US. And that gave us the
Besslar Topcon Super D (Topcon RE Super), The Omega 100 (Koni-Omega Rapid),
The Omega 200 (Koni-Omega 200), Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic (Pentax
Spotmatic), etc..  This was still going on in late 70's, early 80's when
Exakta 35mm cameras became Besslar Topcon Cameras.

The difference in the lenses is simple also; Koni-Omega's became Omega's by
changing the lens ring. 

All the cameras and lens were manufactured in Japan by Konishiroku Photo
Industry Co., Ltd. Some minor assembly (just that needed to meet the demand
of the law) of the Omega 100 and 200 was done here in the states.  The same
is true for the lens.  

One Camera, the Koni-Omega made and sold to the world, the Omega made the
same way but sold to the US Gov.

James W.(Jim) Simmons                                                
jwsimmons@kih.net
Morehead, Kentucky

----------
> From: pjcaplow@sprynet.com
> To: koni-omega@snoopy.cmagic.com
> Subject: [KOML] KO History
> Date: Thursday, 08 January, 1998 21:46 PM
> 
> Clive wrote:
> 
> The 100 or Rapid-Omega handles a lot better than the 200 or M.  You have
no
> separate dark slide to consider (big advantage), there is a knob which
when
> turned operates an internal dark slide allowing lens changes mid-roll.
> There are also fewer places for potential light leaks.
> 
> Clive:
> 
> I recently handled an old Koni-Omega Rapid which did have the built-in
dark 
> slide operated by a knob as described above.  However, by the time this
camera 
> evolved into the Mamiya produced Rapid-Omega 100, it had a removable dark
slide 
> just like the Koni-Omega Rapid M or the Rapid-Omega 200.  Other
difference that 
> I noticed between the later cameras and the Koni-Omega Rapid were as
follows: 
> 
> 1) The little door for the film reminder tab did not cover the back latch
but 
> was instead near the upper left side of the back.
> 
> 2) The grip was much thinner and not adjustable.
> 
> 3) The focus knob was much thinner.
> 
> I also saw an older KO Rapid M whose grip was a different shape than mine
and 
> not adjustable.  There may have been other differences as well but I only
had 
> these cameras in my hands for a short time.
> 
> Before that I had assumed that the KO Rapid was as closely related to the
RO 100 
> as the KO Rapid M is to the RO 200.  Now for some questions:
> 
> 1) I read somewhere that the Omega was designed prior to WWII.  Is this
true?  
> Was a camera built to this design prior to the war?  In what ways did the

> original design differ from the later models?
> 
> 2) I have also read that cameras were produced in the 50's by Simmons, in
the 
> U.S.  Were they called just Omega or Simmons-Omega.  How did they differ
from 
> later models and was there just a single model?
> 
> 3) Were the later KO Rapid's just like the KO Rapid M except for the
magazine 
> back or were they always like the one that I described above?  Did early
KO 
> Rapid M's differ from the later ones?
> 
> 4) When was the magazine back first introduced?
> 
> 5) When did production start for the Simmons-Omega?  How about the
Koni-Omega's? 
> Did the KO Rapid come out before the KO Rapid M?  (I think the RO 100 and
200 
> production started in the early 70's.)
> 
> 6) Has anyone ever put together any sort of Omega history?
> 
> 
> Peter Caplow