NIKON KIU
Did you say Nippon Kogaku?
Someone here should have one of these?
Raid did you know there is a camera out there named Reid?
Kiu
Raid did you know there is a camera out there named Reid?
Kiu
NIKON KIU said:Someone here should have one of these?
Raid did you know there is a camera out there named Reid?
Kiu
NIKON KIU said:Someone here should have one of these?
Raid did you know there is a camera out there named Reid?
Kiu
Your Tower may be one of many,actually,Tower cameras are Niccas branded for Sears stores in the USA,and of course over the years,Sears had many other companies produce cameras for them,including German....here is an example of a Tower Type IIIA(according to the seller) which seems to be an early example markedMIOJ(made in occupied Japan):davidbivins said:I have a Tower 3 (Leica screwmount copy) and Tower 18B (fixed lens rf w/integrated meter).
I use the Tower 3. Not regularly, but it's a great match for a superwide lens like the CV 15mm. In fact, it's in my everyday bag right now with the 15mm and finder mounted and a roll of Tri-X loaded.
The Tower 3 came to me with the original leather everready case and a Nikkor 1:2 50mm lens. No lens cap though. I really wish I could find the original lens cap. I even have the plastic DOF card that goes into the pocket in the back of the case.
Jocko said:Another interesting aspect of the Reid was that it's original purpose was as a high quality camera for military use. According to the famous British Intelligence Objectives Sub-committee report on Leitz (1946) -
"In November 1946, the production of Leica Cameras was 1100 per month of which 89% was allocated to the American forces, 6% for French forces and 5% for German sales. A small proportion of the American 89% was available for the British forces in exchange for Rolliflex cameras".
Which was found unacceptable. Reid production should have started much earlier - prototypes were ready in '46 - but goverment interference and various problems stalled plans for years and cameras were not sold on the civilian market until the early 50s. Curiously, I don't think that the import-duty argument holds up, except perhaps in the immediate postwar years, when cameras were not available anyway. Indeed, I've read that many of Reid's problems were caused by the very heavy levels of tax applied to their cameras.
Adverts in AP suggest that the Reid was actually more expensive than a new Leica - here's a fairly late example. In the same issue there are adverts for Leica IIIgs at £91/19/10 - £10/$40.00 cheaper - a pretty significant sum in 1961. I also include a Periflex Ad. weird is the word🙂
Cheers, Ian