"Half frame" is a Japanese invention

<p>18x24mm format is known as still-cine format or single frame format, it exists before there was any 24x36mm format. Aftei Oskar Barnack made 24x36mm popular, it was known as double frame format, because it<br /> was doubling up of long existed 18x24mm format As late as 1950, there was only cine still format, single frame format, double frame format. Half frame never existed in any<br /> camera name or literature.The 1950 Leica 72 camera stressed the fact that a roll of film makes 72 frames. the word half never appeard<br /> cine still format has deep root in North American and European tradition, "half frame" cannot germinated from such a culture<br /> In Japan, it is a different story.<br /> Japan did not have any cine still camera manufacturing history, after WWII, 24x36mm format camera mushroomed in Japan<br /> they know only 24x36mm.</p>

<p>In 1963, appeared Olympus Pen F adCanon Demi, "Pen" in Japanese means half, "demi" is also half</p>

<p>In Olympus Pen F user manual, 18x24mm format was called "Pen" size, that is Half-size</p>t

In Canon Demi, the image size 17x24mm is called half size.

<P>The 1963 Rioch Automatic Half camera, half appeared directly on camera name

 

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<p><br /> So apparently the Japanese see 24x36 format as ancestory, 18x24mm as decendent.</p>

 

By eighties, the term half frame becomes popular, and the term cine still disappeared.

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18267076-lg.jpg" alt="" width="629" height="1056" /><br /> Agfa Ansco Memo still cine camera</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18267077-lg.jpg" alt="" width="509" height="955" /><br>

Ansco memo still-cine camera user manual</p>

 

 

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18267079-md.jpg"><P>

1938 made in USA Univex Mercury II single frame camera<p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18267080-md.jpg"><P>

Univex Mercury II user manual

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18267078-lg.jpg" alt="" width="426" height="606" /><br>

1963 Made in Japan Ricoh automatic Half camera user manual</p>

<p>Interesting thoughts on the development of these terms, Martin. Other formats have had different names over the years too. There was a time when "miniature camera" could mean anything up to 6x9cm. And I think the term "large format" used to be applied to what we now call medium format.</p>

<p>The half frame idea also applied to 120 film, when the 6x4.5cm size was referred to as half frame, particularly in Japanese folders, for example the Semi Minolta</p>

<p>I have inherited some half-frame negatives and positive filmstrips from my grandfather. Vintage, about 1930, judging from the ages of the (now dead) aunts, uncles and my mom. He was educated in Germany, then returned to the US and went to Harvard. I think he used an Ansco Memo -- I sort of remember seeing it. </p><div></div>

<p>Peter, thank you for sharing photos from Ansco Memo.</p>