Old 6x7 Brochure

Lord Lucan · 01-17-2020, 04:11 PM

I recently found this old 6x7 brochure when going through my files. I think I originally found it in a junk shop, and it seems to date from the earliest days of the 6x7. There is no reference to a mirror up function, and one page has a picture showing it alongside the other Pentax cameras, which are Spotmatics.

The brochure shows a full range of lenses and accessories though, including those in the second picture. That 800mm f4 is a monster (nearly 18kg they say) and I wonder how many were made. I have the 300mm f4, second from the left in the back row, and that seems huge to me, but it is dwarfed by that 800mm.

**beachgardener** · 01-17-2020, 05:10 PM

Nice one, scanned that could make a nice resource in pdf format.

Silent Street · 01-17-2020, 06:09 PM

Mmm. It's a gentle, nostagic tug at the forelocks of a bygone era, and a nice one!
MLU didn't come along until 1975 or 1976 I think, so the brochure is probably from the late 1960s.

Paul Ewins · 01-17-2020, 08:01 PM

This is from (more or less) the second era of brochures, possibly produced around the time that the 6x7 was first actively marketed internationally. The lenses are all Super-Takumars but the cameras have already been upgraded with the mirror-reset buttons and have the familiar slot style of film type select switch. The first series of brochures used photos of the chrome and black prototypes and had non production (possibly retouched) serial numbers on the bodies. Since the manual that shipped with the earliest cameras was a correct reflection of the production camera I would think that the first brochures were prepared well in advance of the system launch.

Another interesting point is that all of the early brochures list a 135/4 Super-Macro-Takumar but as far as I can tell this was only ever available as the Super Multi Coated Macro Takumar. Likewise the Reflex Takumar is listed as 1000/7, not 1000/8. These were the last two of the initial range of lenses to become available so presumably there were tweaks between announcement and delivery.

desertscape · 01-19-2020, 09:07 PM

Originally posted by Lord Lucan

hat 800mm f4 is a monster (nearly 18kg they say) and I wonder how many were made.

I have only seen a few of these for sale over the years. It might have been too much of a good thing. The use of conventional glass limited its performance like the 600mm. Chromatic aberration was probably a serious problem at the wider stops. The advent of the 800 EDIF with its low dispersion glass, put the 800 f/4 out of the running.

johnha · 01-22-2020, 01:07 AM

What's the flashgun bottom right? Looks a bit out of place and isn't something I've seen before?

orengrad · 01-22-2020, 10:40 AM

Originally posted by johnha

What's the flashgun bottom right? Looks a bit out of place and isn't something I've seen before?

Honeywell Strobonar, can't tell exactly which model.

Silent Street · 01-22-2020, 05:38 PM

Originally posted by orengrad

Honeywell Strobonar, can't tell exactly which model.

I think we're going back further in the time machine than my initial thoughts. If that is a Honeywell Strobonar flash, we are staring down the tunnel of antiquity. How is it attached to the camera body? I cannot discern this point from the photo.

orengrad · 01-22-2020, 10:58 PM

Originally posted by Silent Street

If that is a Honeywell Strobonar flash, we are staring down the tunnel of antiquity.

'60's vintage.

Originally posted by Silent Street

How is it attached to the camera body? I cannot discern this point from the photo.

Simple flash bracket, attaches to the camera via the tripod socket.

I had one of these older Strobonar potato-mashers briefly some years ago, IIRC I acquired it as part of a Graphic outfit. You can see plenty of information on them at Mike Butkus's camera manual site. Scroll down to see various models, and do put something in his tip jar if you download any of them for saving:

Honeywell auto Strobonar 65c, 460, 480,600, 660, 628S, 700, 770, 800, 882 instruction manual, user manual, free instruction manual, pdf manuals

**rdenney** · 01-28-2020, 11:28 AM

The Strobonar potato masher was a standard and probably the most popular commercial strobe of the immediate post-flashbulb era, and remained so until Sunpak unseated them with the 622 in the mid 70’s, notwithstanding the loyal Norman following.

Remember that Honeywell was the US distributor for Pentax well into the 70’s, so early 6x7 cameras imported into the US market were co-branded with Honeywell. So literature printed for the US market would reasonably include other Honeywell commercial products.

Rick “who, as a teen, dreamed about owning a Strobonar handle-mount flash, but ended up with a Sunpak 611 for commercial work” Denney

01-17-2020, 04:11 PM	#1
Lord Lucan Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: South Wales Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,961	Old 6x7 Brochure I recently found this old 6x7 brochure when going through my files. I think I originally found it in a junk shop, and it seems to date from the earliest days of the 6x7. There is no reference to a mirror up function, and one page has a picture showing it alongside the other Pentax cameras, which are Spotmatics. The brochure shows a full range of lenses and accessories though, including those in the second picture. That 800mm f4 is a monster (nearly 18kg they say) and I wonder how many were made. I have the 300mm f4, second from the left in the back row, and that seems huge to me, but it is dwarfed by that 800mm.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
The Way They Were: old Konica brochure	.a.t.	Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands	13	07-30-2018 07:37 PM
Misc ASAHI PENTAX TELESCOPE BROCHURE (Mid 1960s)	Rex De Silva	Post Your Photos!	3	10-02-2017 01:49 PM
The new K series by Pentax old brochure	17dew	Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras	30	12-12-2015 02:27 PM
Japanese K-01 brochure pics	EbisuHapa	Pentax K-01	2	03-20-2012 05:03 AM
K10D Brochure	KFrog	Pentax DSLR Discussion	3	10-13-2006 04:37 AM

01-17-2020, 05:10 PM	#2
beachgardener Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,842	Nice one, scanned that could make a nice resource in pdf format.

01-17-2020, 06:09 PM	#3
Silent Street Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Castlemaine, Victoria, AUS Photos: Albums Posts: 1,151	Mmm. It's a gentle, nostagic tug at the forelocks of a bygone era, and a nice one! MLU didn't come along until 1975 or 1976 I think, so the brochure is probably from the late 1960s.

01-17-2020, 08:01 PM	#4
Paul Ewins Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Melbourne, Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 274	This is from (more or less) the second era of brochures, possibly produced around the time that the 6x7 was first actively marketed internationally. The lenses are all Super-Takumars but the cameras have already been upgraded with the mirror-reset buttons and have the familiar slot style of film type select switch. The first series of brochures used photos of the chrome and black prototypes and had non production (possibly retouched) serial numbers on the bodies. Since the manual that shipped with the earliest cameras was a correct reflection of the production camera I would think that the first brochures were prepared well in advance of the system launch. Another interesting point is that all of the early brochures list a 135/4 Super-Macro-Takumar but as far as I can tell this was only ever available as the Super Multi Coated Macro Takumar. Likewise the Reflex Takumar is listed as 1000/7, not 1000/8. These were the last two of the initial range of lenses to become available so presumably there were tweaks between announcement and delivery.

01-19-2020, 09:07 PM	#5
desertscape Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,272	Originally posted by Lord Lucan hat 800mm f4 is a monster (nearly 18kg they say) and I wonder how many were made. I have only seen a few of these for sale over the years. It might have been too much of a good thing. The use of conventional glass limited its performance like the 600mm. Chromatic aberration was probably a serious problem at the wider stops. The advent of the 800 EDIF with its low dispersion glass, put the 800 f/4 out of the running.

01-22-2020, 01:07 AM	#6
johnha Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Lancashire, UK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,155	What's the flashgun bottom right? Looks a bit out of place and isn't something I've seen before?

01-22-2020, 10:40 AM	#7
orengrad New Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 8	Originally posted by johnha What's the flashgun bottom right? Looks a bit out of place and isn't something I've seen before? Honeywell Strobonar, can't tell exactly which model.

01-22-2020, 05:38 PM	#8
Silent Street Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Castlemaine, Victoria, AUS Photos: Albums Posts: 1,151	Originally posted by orengrad Honeywell Strobonar, can't tell exactly which model. I think we're going back further in the time machine than my initial thoughts. If that is a Honeywell Strobonar flash, we are staring down the tunnel of antiquity. How is it attached to the camera body? I cannot discern this point from the photo.

01-22-2020, 10:58 PM	#9
orengrad New Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 8	Originally posted by Silent Street If that is a Honeywell Strobonar flash, we are staring down the tunnel of antiquity. '60's vintage. Originally posted by Silent Street How is it attached to the camera body? I cannot discern this point from the photo. Simple flash bracket, attaches to the camera via the tripod socket. I had one of these older Strobonar potato-mashers briefly some years ago, IIRC I acquired it as part of a Graphic outfit. You can see plenty of information on them at Mike Butkus's camera manual site. Scroll down to see various models, and do put something in his tip jar if you download any of them for saving: Honeywell auto Strobonar 65c, 460, 480,600, 660, 628S, 700, 770, 800, 882 instruction manual, user manual, free instruction manual, pdf manuals

01-28-2020, 11:28 AM	#10
rdenney Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: NoVA Posts: 635	The Strobonar potato masher was a standard and probably the most popular commercial strobe of the immediate post-flashbulb era, and remained so until Sunpak unseated them with the 622 in the mid 70’s, notwithstanding the loyal Norman following. Remember that Honeywell was the US distributor for Pentax well into the 70’s, so early 6x7 cameras imported into the US market were co-branded with Honeywell. So literature printed for the US market would reasonably include other Honeywell commercial products. Rick “who, as a teen, dreamed about owning a Strobonar handle-mount flash, but ended up with a Sunpak 611 for commercial work” Denney