Who knows the Hamano 35?

<p>Does anyone have any information regarding the origins of this nice little camera? It's the Hamano 35.</p><div></div>

<p>I've just finished cleaning off an icky coating of nicotine from the Hamano; the camera must have been on display in the Smokers' Corner of some country pub, if the density of the deposit was anything to go by. I'll have to leave it in the fresh air for a while for the odour to diminish. It's all a bit of a mystery, and I bought it mainly because I'd never come across one before. It's well-made, a typical little Japanese camera of the late 50's/early 60's, with a selenium lightmeter that seems as eager and accurate as the day it was built, and an un-named shutter with speeds from 1/25 to 1/300, plus B. It appears to be a product of the Oshiro Optical works, and that's about all I know. The nice bright Tokinon lens is another stranger to me, the "Tokinon" brand having apparently been created by Tokiwa Seiki, manufacturers of a small range of TLR's in the 1950's. Some sources suggest links with Tokina and Tominon, but I can find no basis for this association.<br /> <br />Anyway, the camera may have appeared under a number of different names and guises, and if anyone can supply a lead, I'd be grateful. I'll run a film through it when time allows, and post a pic or two.</p>

<p>You should put a pack of baking soda on the picture to let us feel the nicotine smell. Camera is nice indeed and looks great, to bad I do not have any knowledge about it.</p>

<p>Looks great! I know Holger Schult has one too, but seems like there is no additional info on his site either.</p>

<p>Oshiro Optical Works. Thought but never proven to be related or the same as Halma (of Japan) because of camera similarity. Oshiro products (all circa 1956) include: Emi 35A, scale helical focusing, Tri-Lausar 45/3.5, B, 1-300, angled release. Emi K35, 50/2.8 Eminent Color lens, B, 25-300, rapid wind, standard position release. Lumica, same as Emi 35A. Sierra 35, same body as Emi 35A/Lumica but front cell focus 45/3.5 Tokina, speeds are B-S-M-F-H (Bulb, slow, medium, fast, high), knob wind, angled release. Spinney, same as Emi K35, 50/2.8 Fujiyama C. Color Eminent lens. CCC (or Three CCC's), same as Emi K35. No meters on any of them. The Emi K35 look more sleek like some German cameras, maybe a little Balda-ish.</p>

<p>Thanks, <strong>Tom</strong>, that fleshes things out a little. Here's a pic of the Hamano 35 with an Emi K 35; there's not much similarity between the two. I wonder who the lensmakers were? Perhaps Fujiyama made both?</p><div></div>

<p>Real mystery to me. Did Fujiyama make Tokina lenses? Tokinon sounds like a Tokina product. As always love the "product" shots, complete with icky cotton buds!</p>

<p>Really, the lens is called "Tokinon" and it was covered in smoke residue?! LOL! Somebody was tokin' on something, all right.</p>

<p>Now <em>that's</em> something that never occurred to me...Thanks, <strong>Dan</strong>.</p>

<p>I added a Hamano 35 to my collection four or five years ago. Research on the net was no more fruitful then than now. I settled for a 'best guess'.<br /><br />Mr Michisaburo HAMANO left Nippon Kogaku in 1953 to take on the job of Chief of Engineering at Zunow. He was apparently an expert lens polisher and designed large aperture lenses. He played a part in the design and manufacture of the Nikon 50mm f1.1. The Hamano has a similar body shape to the Nikon S (yes, I know it is a bit of a stretch). After Zunow folded, where did he go? Probably back to Nikon. Or did he try his hand at camera manufacturing?<br /><br />Zunow was formerly Teikoku and apparently designed and maybe produced a Leica look-a-like called Teica (no pictures available ?) which had a 1.2 lens.<br /><br />In the Japanese language, toki no has something to do with time (at least that is a definition I found on the net). Seems sort of appropriate for a camera lens.<br /><br />So there you have it. Mr Hamano left Zunow and had a go at becoming a camera manufacturer: hence the Hamano 35.<br /><br />(While I'm not a writer of fiction I have been known to launch off on flights of fancy from time to time!)</p>

<p>Thanks, <strong>Geoff</strong>! I really enjoy the odd flight of fancy, and it's amazing how often a seed is sown for later growth. As a "best guess" your theory looks pretty sound. I'll file it away...</p>