[KOML] RE: Some more information

["Kotsinadelis, Peter" <Peter.Kotsinadelis@octel.com>]

 I went through my files and found a document from Konica Japan that
details 
 the specific time frames of the company and products.  It is a 30 page
(or 
 so) colorful brochure so to condense it for the Koni-Omega group here
goes:
 
 1873 - Rokusaburo Sugiura begins trade of photographic and lithographic

 printing materials in his apothecary Konishiya at Kojimachi 4-chome
Tokyo
 
 1876 - Rokusaburo Sugiura suceeds the company and becomes Rokuemon
Sugiura, 
 the Sixth, as he moves the shop to Muromachi, Nihonbashi and calls it
Konishi 
 Honten.  (not uncommon in Japan for a man to change his name, can also
take a 
 wife's family name if it is a name that is well regarded).
 
 1903 - Cherry Hand camera debuts.  Single element lens.  (This was the
first 
 Japanese made camera - Konica is the oldest Japanese camera
manufacture).
 
 1921 - Konishi Honten becomes Konishiroku (Note the name Konishi + Roku
for 
 the founder.  
 
 1931 - Hexar lens - beginning of lens production in Japan.  Hexar F4.5
was a 
 4-element design based on the Zeiss Tessar.  (Incidentally, the name
Hexar 
 (and later Hexanon) was taken from the name of Rokuemon Sugiura  - Roku
means 
 "6" in Japanese or "hexa."  (By the way the original Hexar dates to
1925 and 
 was the first photographic lens made in Japan for commercial
production.  It 
 was based on the British Thornton lens used on a gun camera.  Later it
was 
 improved and released as a phtographic lens in 1931, which I believe
was 2 
 years before Nikon introduce a Japanese made optic [which they hired 8
German 
 optical engineers and moved them to Japan to develop.  This is in
another 
 book I have detialing the Japanese optical industry].)
 
 1948 - the "Konica" brand was first used on the Konica I 35mm camera.
 
 1965 - KOni-Oemag rapid (6x7cm) - A press camera winds 120 film rapidly
with 
 a sliding bar that cocks the shutter simutaneously.
 
 1967 - Koni-Omega Rapid M - Press Camera for export only.
 
 1968 - Koni-Omegaflex M (6x7cm) Teh world's first 6x7cm twin lens
reflex.  
 This lens interchangeable camera has finder in its back.  Accepts
Koni-Omega 
 Rapid M magazines (120,220)
 
 1969 - Konica Press - reintroduces Koni-Omega Rapid, lauched in 1965,
in 
 domestic market under a new name.
 
 1970 - Konica Press 2 - Konica Press is modified to accept
interchangeable 
 film back.
 
 1987 - Changes company name to Konica Corporation October 21, 1987