Japan 1956 – Subminiature – 16 mm – Rare.
The Kiku 16 measures less than 6 cm and is one of many subminiature cameras mass produced in Japan from the mid 50s.
What makes Kiku 16 unique is the very refined craftsmanship that clearly intends to look like a miniature Leica. The shutter is tripped by a button on the top cover, next to the viewfinder, and the cocking mechanism is located where the timer would be. There even is a fake rewind knob at the top left, mimicking that of 35mm cameras and the possibility to choose between Bulb or Instant exposures using a knob at the front, reminding the slow-speed dial of the Leica III.
The Kiku 16 was only produced for a year and remains a very fascinating camera that gives you a strange sensation of mistake in scale when handling it.
3 Replies to “Morita
Kiku 16 (mod. 2) – 27/99”