Royal-35LE camera

[Spotmatic]

I recently came across this interesting rangefinder camera. Unfortunately, I cannot find anything about it, other than that it was made by Royal Camera Co. of Japan, and that it is of very high quality. It has a Tomioka Tominor 45mm f/1.9 lens.

Usually, all cameras I research are mentioned somewhere on the net, but not this example (or name variation). It looks like the Royal 35M (link), but it certainly is different. Maybe the LE stands for "Limited Edition" as in "only 10 or so were made"?

Does anyone know more about this camera? Many thanks in advance!

 

[cp_ste.croix]

I have a Royal 35M and don't know that it's any better than my GSN or Canonet, in fact I'm sure it's not, though that may be due to it's need of a cla....I tried and couldn't find any info on it...

 

[yossarian]

My favorite book, "The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras" has only a few bits of info. The book lists cameras from 1950-57, but there are only five models shown.
No doubt there were differing model designations for different markets. Of the models shown in the book, the one closest to yours is the "Royal-35M (Deluxe Version)" from '57.

FYI--Tomioka was the lens manufacturer bought out by Yashica sometime in the early '60s I think, and it was in that factory that Carl Zeiss personnel set up production for the Contax lenses. The Tomioka name pops up occasionally elsewhere,
for example, on 55mm f1.4 and f1.2 lenses in M42 mount. I don't know if they were
directly involved in camera manufacturing. After the war hundreds of tiny companies, some operating out of peoples' homes came and went in Japan.

Fred

 

[yossarian]

Another Tomioka tidbit. The all manual rangefinder-focusing Polaroid 180 and 195
both had Tomioka lenses. Cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth used a 180 throughout production of "2001" to check his lighting set ups.

Fred

 

[pshinkaw]

This Japanese collection has an earlier model of a Royal. Nice set of photos.

http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~rd2h-ari/OTHERS_LIST.htm

-Paul

 

[cp_ste.croix]

well if anyone cares to make me an even half decent offer, they can have my 35M

 

[Spotmatic]

Thanks for the info, everyone!

In the meantime, I've dome some more research. I came across a Dutch magazine from 1996 which has an article about this very camera. It's absolutely the same as mine , but it shows a different model name (Ogikon-35E). The author is raving about it, calling it a masterpiece of very high quality. He could tell by the smell of "bone oil" that was used only for the most expensive and quality mechanical instruments.
But my mouth fell open when he mentioned the current value (in 1996) on the collector's market: up to 1800 Dutch Guilders! That would be close to US$900 or EUR900 today... 😕

I suspect my camera is worth a lot for certain Japanese collectors?