A Kowa Kallo 35 with sample pictures

[Stephen]

Bought a couple of days ago on Ebay, a Kowa Kallo 35 camera, a Japanese rangefinder 35mm camera from the 1950's. It was one of the first 35mm cameras from Kowa, who later supplied it to Graflex in the States as the Graflex 35.

Few imported the the UK, the camera bears no Made in Japan marks, or distributors stickers etc., so may have been bought in Japan, or the Far East.

It is in excellent condition, frankly barely used, with a nice brown leather case. There is also a nice Sekonic S-7 meter with it, in full working order, with it's original case.

The grand sum came to £8.07......

The camera has a 48mm F2.8 Prominor Kowa lens, clean , no marks, it may be missing a lens cover with Kallo on it, I have seen them before. I'll turn up a brushed aluminium one to replace it. The 48 mm F2.8 lens is a bit longer focal length than a lot of 1950's Japanese cameras that use 45mm as standard.

The rangefinder is still accurate, spot clearly defined, and clean. The focus has been checked with a ground glass and microscope as well, spot on! No film as yet, I think I may try a colour film first.
The speeds range from 1sec to 500th, and seem accurate, my tester is on the blink at the moment.

Quite happy with the purchase, it goes with a couple of Lords, a Leotax, etc., but I am still waiting on Ebay turning up a Meisupi 35mm TLR.......been after one since 1967.....still looking. The only Meisupi I have is a "Kiosk" 35mm half frame from the 50's.
Stephen

[Stephen]

The quality of the engineering is very good, no wonder that Graflex marketed them, very heavy gauge brass and steel, very much along German design of the time. The rewind knob double extends and is well engineered, nothing flimsy here. The interior of the camera film chamber is flat matt, and ridged to prevent reflections. I have seen worst on German designs! Nothing unique about the camera it does what it says on the tin.

[Stephen]

The interior and back, all finely engineered, well finished, and this example is in good sound usable condition.
Stephen.

[Stephen]

Well the Kowa Kallo works fine, the shot was taken today, and scanned, but the negative is much finer than the scanner goes to. Film was O/D Agfa, and the detail compares to any good lens.
After a deep clean the camera really does look pretty unused. The Sekonic meter is accurate as well, they made them to last then. The lettering on the meter is all deep engraved, no transfers or printing, even the main Sekonic name on the body is deeply etched.

[daveh]

Super, Stephen, looks good all round. The Kowa 6 is the camera I recall from the Kowa stable.

[Stephen]

Cropped shot from the Kowa. I am using a Fuji reflex to scan these, I must investigate a proper scanner but they seem a bit costly. One of the mirrorless reflex cameras with bellows and a process or enlarger lens seems the best option in theory.
Stephen.

[Berndt]

Interesting camera and very nice looking pictures. The scan quality is better than of many shop services. If you want to buy a scanner, which can do even better then that, it'll become expensive indeed. But that's the old story ... I am fighting with myself on the same object: Buying a scanner or always relying on the often random quality of shop services ... difficult decision.

[daveh]

In the end it seems sensible to buy a scanner, as there is much more flexibility. Cost-wise it saves that extra payment every time a film is developed and also allows for different quality of scan. My HP will scan a full-bed negative i.e slightly larger than A4 so copes with almost anything. The only real snag is that it all takes time - a shop scan saves you that time.

Somewhere or other on here there is the occasional thread on scanners. I did question on one about using a camera rather than a scanner. It takes a scanner quite some time to do a negative at say 5250x3500 pixels while a camera will do it instantly.

[Stephen]

The Sekonic S-7 meter that came with the Kowa proves to be just as old, at 1954, it is the "Baby" model of that year. Still works fine, but only the one outdoor range, no two range flap as with other early models, and no incident light adaptor. The scales aim at lower than current film speeds still catering for the old Kodachrome and low ASA colour films. It reads in EV values as well as speed/aperture.

Stephen

[Stephen]

Some colour shots from the Kowa Kallo 35, scanned into digital, the close up used an add on type dioptre lens. Excellent performance, on Fuji negative film.

Palm bush

Thistle flower and fly.

Ferns

Ferns on old brick wall.

Stephen.

[Deleted]

The Kowa doesn't appear to have the "Push Button Focus" of the later Graphic 35.

W.

[Stephen]

Sept 10, 2012 17:49:06 GMT -5 @wayne said:

The Kowa doesn't appear to have the "Push Button Focus" of the later Graphic 35.

W.

Same sort of chassis, but it appears the Graflex Push Button was designed in the States, and built to order by Kowa, using parts of the Kallo. The Kallo with ordinary focusing was sold in the States as the Graflex 35M, for about 2/3 years before the infamous push button focus version.
The Kowa Kallo seems to be pure Japanese design, aiming quite up market for a relatively plain 35mm camera.
Stephen

[mickeyobe]

Stephen,

"Bought a couple of days ago on Ebay, a Kowa Kallo 35 camera, a Japanese rangefinder 35mm camera from the 1950's. It was one of the first 35mm cameras from Kowa, who later supplied it to Graflex in the States as the Graflex 35."

Here is the Graphic 35.
There doesn't seem to be much of a family resemblance.


Mickey

[Stephen]

As I pointed out, the Graflex Graphic push button was designed in the States, and just made by Kowa, who at the time had several more 35mm Kallo models, and parts used were including the lenses that were used in the Graflex, but Graflex in the meantime had marketed the Kowa Kallo as the Graflex Century 35 M in the States. Kowa were merely a sub contractor to the Graflex Corp.
Stephen.

[Stephen]

I have looked up the complicated history of the Graflex and the push button was indeed made by Kowa....at first.... then Graflex altered supply altogether, and used German shutters and lens in later productions, where these were assembled it does not say.
The posted picture is one of the German equipment fitted versions, and differ from the Kowa slightly in details, (but are not converted a Kowa Kallo). Graflex changed makers and lenses a couple of times on the Push button camera, and I have only seen Japanese equipped versions. For the period the push button was made, Graflex continued to sell the Kowa Kallo as the Century 35M.
Stephen.