Favourite Cameras: Kuribayashi Karoron

The Kuribayashi Karoron is a bit of a mystery camera. I first heard about the brand because of my dad. While serving in the Korean war, he spent a little time in Tokyo, where he purchased a Karoron. Much later, that camera found its way into my collection and once I got it working again, it delivered some very pleasing results.

Like many folders, the Karoron has a small foot that clicks into place, allowing the user to place the camera on a flat surface in its landscape orientation.

Eventually dad’s camera developed a problem I couldn’t repair, but I was happy enough with the camera’s form factor and capabilities that I went hunting for a replacement. Interestingly, I never did find a model that was an exact match for dad’s and ended up settling on one that was very similar.

So what are we dealing with here? The Karoron is a folding medium format camera that yields 16, 6 × 4.5 cm frames per roll — the “645” format. Neither my dad’s original or its replacement sports anything so extravagant as a model number, but both utilize the same Carperu shutter (with speeds of 1/200 to 1 second plus a bulb setting) and 75mm f/3.5 “coated Orikon Anastigmat” lens that is apparently a Tessar-based design. Focusing is scale only. If I had to guess, I’d say that my “new” Karoron is either more recent or more deluxe than the one my dad purchased, which lacks a frame counter but is otherwise the same.

So far as I’ve been able to glean, there’s only been three different Karorons. There’s the one my dad bought, which is apparently known as the Karoron S; one with an uncoupled rangefinder (the Karoron RF, which also bore the Petri name) and my recent acquisition, which apparently is known only as a Karoron.

This straight Karoron is the one that pops up most often on eBay and elsewhere. Indeed, my dad’s camera is the only example I’ve seen of the more basic version. Karorons were made starting in 1949 and seemed to have wrapped up production only two years later. (For a more complete history of the company, zip over to Mike Eckman’s excellent site.)

All folded up and ready to go. In this configuration, the camera measures roughly 4.75 x 3.75 x 1.5 inches.

The top plate features a frame counter, next to the viewfinder. The shutter release button is next to the film advance knob, both on the left side of the camera.

The counter reset is the small switch below and to the left of the view finder. The Karoron also has the traditional red window for keeping track of the frame number.

Interesting history aside, there’s a lot to like about this camera. It seems very solidly built and is the most compact medium-format camera in my collection. It easily slips into a jacked pocket, though its 554 gram weight means you’ll definitely know it’s there.

The frame counter puts a little less space between shots than you’d get by keeping track of the numbers printed on the film’s backing paper, which you view through the usual red window in the film door.

Interestingly it’s possible to get 17 frames out of a roll of Ektar 100 with this camera. (This may be true for other film as well, but there is some variance in the length of film you get with different brands.) To get that bonus frame, keep track with the red window (or the camera’s frame counter) and after you’ve exposed frame #16, push the little counter reset lever on the back of the camera. This sets the frame counter back to 1. To claim your 17th frame, simply advance the film until the 2 is just fully in the little frame counter window. I’m not aware of another camera that lets you get 17 frames from a roll, so that’s a nice point in favour of the Karoron.

What’s not to like? Very little. The biggest performance issue is that Orikon lens vignettes a bit in the extreme corners of the frame — something you can see in shots that include a lot of sky. If you’re a fan of fast film, you may also find the camera’s maximum shutter speed (1/200) a bit limiting.

It’s also not the quickest camera going — you have to manually cock the shutter for each shot and remember to advance the film since there’s no double-exposure interlock protection. The fact that the camera’s default orientation is portrait (not unusual for 645 cameras) and that the shutter release on the left side of the top plate both take a bit of getting used to.

But be honest, this is really nit-picking. If you’re okay with scale focusing and using a light meter (or are adept at “Sunny 16”) you’ll get on well with the Karoron. It’s a nice camera that produces very good results. If you have room in your photography arsenal for a very compact medium-format camera, the Karoron definitely merits consideration.

For sample photos, click here.

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