ASAHI (Pentax)

 

The firm is based in Tokyo Japan in 1919. Since 1924, it manufactures optical instruments and lenses only for military instruments during the second war. After the war she enters in the competition of 35 mm cameras and produce in 1951 the Asahiflex I. Asahi is the first company in the world to use the miror with the instant return for the Asahiflex II in 1954. In 1957 the company is developing for his cameras the first pentaprism with an image in the good position. It's followed a long series of production of reflex cameras (SLR) with interchangeable lens (Takumar) including among others the Spotmatic in 1964 that innovates with the exposure meter through the lens (TTL). All these cameras have made the renowned of the firm Asahi Optical. We must mention two SLR with unusual design produced by the company: the very large reflex "Pentax 6X7" 1969 for 120/220 reel and the tiny reflex "Pentax Auto 110" from 1979 for the format 110.