Hi,

I made a looooooooong post in spanish about this with history and details in our local photo club forum.
Long story made short, I got for my camera museum a 1947 Toko Mighty miniature camera. These are usually called Spy cameras. I doubt they saw spy work, but who knows. These were more novelty than serious photo gear.
It is missing the shutter knob and the name label around the lens. But those are purely cosmetic. It is 100% functional including both shutter speeds (Instantaneous and Bulb) and all 3 apertures (F4.5 / f6.3 / f8)

All my lightbox pics are with the K100DS - M50 f1.4 - f22 - 1/180s

How I got it





How big it is....


Beep Beep, COMING THRU! On its way to the restoration shop! Yes, it's a Hot Wheels, no, not my kids' but MINE. You have a problem with that?



During



Finished



















AAARGGGGGGHHHHH! The K1000 is going to eat it!



Here is a link to my camera museum if anyone is interested. It is in spanish but I plan to (someday) make a mirror copy and translate it. Not a google translation but to actually sit down and re-write it in english. Someday.....
Museo de Cámaras Antiguas

Thanks,

[Adam]

Wow! That's some camera. If you'd like to post the Spanish text, our translation system can handle it using lang tags (see misc.php?do=bbcode for an explanation).

[ismaelg]

Thanks Adam!

Here is my own translation and the original text in spanish.

History:
During the second half of the 19th century, Japan sponsored the development of the optical industry with the support of some European countries like Germany and Austria. Several companies emerged at the end of the 19th Century and early 20th Century. In 1932, some of these companies merged and formed Tokyo Kogaku Kikai which lousily translates into Tokyo Optical Company
By 1934 they were producing photographic lenses. During World War II, they supplied the Japanese forces with binoculars, one of their specialties.
World War II left Japan in bad shape. The industrial sector in particular needed to recover badly. After the war, several diminutive cameras appeared that were easy to manufacture and to market. These type of camera became popular but from the beginning were more of a novelty or a toy rather than a serious photographic tool. Photographic quality was second grade at best. There were many models from several different companies.
A military treaty signed in 1947 established that any export item from Japan had to be labeled “Made In Occupied Japan” (or MIOJ). Japan was by then under Allied military control led by the USA. This identification was used probably until around 1949. Japan’s military occupation ended in 1952.
Today, these cameras are usually known as Spy cameras. Personally, I doubt they were used seriously as spying devices but who knows.
Among the many models, there is the Mighty, made by TOKO (Tokyo Kogaku) around 1947. Despite the frugal nature of the camera, it had some impressive characteristics for its type.
This cameras used 17.5mm film. This was essentially paperbacked 35mm unperforated film sliced in half.

Characteristics:
17.5mm film
Image format: 14mm x 14mm
25mm fixed focus lens
3 aperture settings: f4.5 / f6.3 / f8
2 viewfinders: A direct sight one and a waist level screen
2 shutter speeds: Instantaneous and bulb
Available 2X Teleconverter and a hood that attached to the front of the lens.
Little red window in the back door to see the frame number in the paperback of the film

My specimen:
I found this poor lost soul in need of help. Initial inspection reveal a missing shutter knob and the label around the lens with the camera name. Both are purely cosmetics and do not affect camera functions.
Since the mechanics are very simple, it still operates properly. All functions work properly like shutter, aperture etc.


---------------------------------------------


Historia:
Durante la segunda mitad del siglo 19, Japón auspició el desarrollo de la industria de la óptica con asesoramiento europeo, principalmente alemán y austriaco. Varias compañías surgen al final de siglo 19 y principios del siglo 20. En 1932, varias de estas compañías se unen y surge la compañía Tokyo Kogaku Kikai que mas o menos traduce en Tokyo Optical Company. Para el 1934 ya producían lentes fotográficos. Durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, suplían binoculares a las fuerzas armadas.
La Segunda Guerra Mundial dejó a Japón en mal estado y la severamente afectada industria necesitaba reponerse. Luego de la guerra aparecen en el mercado varias cámaras diminutas, fáciles de fabricar y mercadear. Estas cámaras se hicieron populares pero desde un principio fueron vistas como juguetes o curiosidades. La calidad fotográfica era secundaria. Surgieron numerosos modelos de varias compañías.
En un tratado militar de 1947 se estableció que todo producto exportado de Japón tuviera la identificación “Made in Occupied Japan” (o MIOJ) ya que Japón estaba bajo el control militar de Estados Unidos. Esta identificación se uso probablemente hasta 1949. La ocupación militar de Japón termina en 1952.
Hoy día se conocen como cámaras espías. Personalmente dudo que fueran usadas seriamente como equipo de espionaje, pero quién sabe.
Entre los muchos modelos de este tipo de cámaras esta la Mighty, fabricada por Toko alrededor del 1947. A pesar de ser de este tipo de cámara frugal, tenía características impresionantes para su tipo.
Esta cámara usa película 17.5mm Esto era película 35mm cortada a la mitad longitudinalmente, sin perforaciones, montada sobre papel.

Características:
Película 17.5mm
Imagen formato 14mm x 14mm
Lente 25mm de foco fijo
Selección de 3 aperturas: f4.5, f6.3 y f8
2 visores (viewfinders): uno directo y otro tipo “waist level” en donde ves la imagen en una pequeña “pantalla” sin tener que acercar la cámara a los ojos.
2 velocidades de obturador: Instantánea y “Bulb”
Existía un teleconvertidor de 2X y un “hood” que se atachaban al frente del lente principal.
Ventana roja en la parte posterior que permite ver el numero de la exposición en el rollo impreso en el papel que lleva la película.

Mi espécimen:
Como alma en pena pidiendo ayuda consigo este espécimen. La inspección inicial revela que le falta un botón tipo tornillo para el obturador y la etiqueta redonda alrededor del lente con el nombre. Ambos son puramente cosméticos y no afectan el funcionamiento. Por ser una cámara muy sencilla, el mecanismo aún opera muy bien. Todas las funciones operan correctamente: Obturador, apertura etc.


Thanks,

[pcarfan]

Thanks for sharing this...really enjoyed it.

[marcinski]

WOW You've got really big hands

[Andres]

Excelente la foto del camion Ismael!!!

Great photo the one with the hotwheel truck Ismael

[Aquadan005]

Wow, not just made in Japan. Made in OCCUPIED Japan! Nice piece of history there.