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Meikai AR-4367 |
 Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in China from (After) 1987 to (After) 1988.
Index of rarity in France: Infrequent (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 3388
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Meikai
Meikai was a brand used by several companies called Tougodo (or Togodo), run by three brothers in Japan, both before and after World War II. Tougodo specialized in very inexpensive cameras designed to be sold in major department stores in Japan and the USA. The later models from the 1960s were designed to use 135 film and had only one shutter speed and a single lens, with apertures formed by a rotating metal piece with variable-sized holes. Tougodo ceased camera production in the early 1970s, and from there, several Taiwanese companies began producing cameras using the same formula but entirely made of plastic. The first of these was likely the Formosa Plastics Group (FPG). In January 1986, the Arrow Trading Company Inc of New York filed a trademark in the USA with the word Meikai. Shortly after, the unique and original logo appeared, suggesting the silhouette of bows and arrows. The registered trademark remained in effect until 2007. (Meikai = "Clarity, Clear Understanding" in Japanese).
Arrow Trading Company initially commissioned its toy cameras from Taiwanese manufacturers, but from around 1989, they started sourcing from Chinese manufacturers. The Taiwanese examples resemble real cameras of the time, while the Chinese ones became increasingly flamboyant over the years.
1 The trademark was also registered in the UK in 1992.
2 Meikai cameras typically have model numbers starting with AR or AW (from the word Arrow) or DI, suggesting the silhouette of a bow and arrow.
In 1987 Minolta released its' '5000AF' and Kyocera its' 'Yashica 230AF'. Soon after, a new family of Taiwanese plastic imitations appeared. They were all made (or commissioned) by NTPC, and they all have a 6,3 lens with the 'series number' 198761.
They differ from all previous designs by having the four apertures under a plastic 'window' like the Minolta 5000AF.
There were three types, all sharing the same instruction sheet.
1. a Minolta 5000AF imitation (this one),
2. the same body with an electronic flash on top like the Yashica 230AF (Yoshita MF-A7000F, Fukai WR-2),
3. the same body with a reflex viewfinder in place of the inbuilt flash.
There were several variations on each of these in following years, although the second type was soon abandoned in favour of the third type, sold with a huge electronic tilt head flash gun mounted on a separate bracket.
Ouyama is also known as New Taiwan Photographic Corporation (NTPC). Like those of Formosa Plastics Corporation (FPC), NTPC's products are plastic, of poor quality (from a photographic perspective), and are found under multiple names, often used as promotional gifts. The Canomatic is representative of this manufacturer. It appears that FPC manufactured for NTPC.
The other products can be grouped into several types:
| Markings on lens | #on lens | |||
 SLR appearance Off-center viewfinder Finger rest on the right hand |
Odette X3000 |  |
New Optical Lens 1:5.6 f=50mm Series 626326 |
626326 |
| Derlai (Nestlé) | |
|||
 SLR appearanceOff-center viewfinder Finger rest on the right hand Exposure table |
2000 |  |
New Color Optical Lens 1:6.3 f=50mm series 624181 |
624181 |
| Halimax WX-500 |
 |
|||
| Komax 2000 |  |
|||
 SLR appearanceOff-center viewfinder Finger rest on both ends Exposure table Gold lettering on models bearing the number 198761 |
(La Maison de Valérie) |  |
New Color Optical Lens 1:6.3 f=50mm series 198761 |
198761 |
| Neikai AW-4392 |
 |
|||
| QLS-99 2000N |
 |
|||
| Henrycon A-8000S |
 |
624181 | ||
| Skina SK-7000F |
 |
Lens Made in Japan 1:6.3 f=50mm series 198761 |
198761 | |
| Henrycon A-8000 |
 |
Lens Made in Japan 1:6.3 f=50mm series 624181 |
624181 | |
| Starflex |  |
|||
 SLR appearance Dual viewfinders Gold lettering |
Asaflex EF-300 |  |
Lens Made in Japan 1:6.3 f=50mm series 198761 |
198761 |
 SLR appearance Off-center viewfinder Red trim on the shutter release Motorized |
Okaido |  |
Lens Made in Japan 1:6.3 f=50mm series 198761 |
198761 |
| Meikai AR-4367 |  |
New Color Optical Lens 1:6.3 f=50mm series 198761 |
||
| Novai 7000 |  |
|||
 SLR appearance Built-in flash on the (fake) prism cover Off-center viewfinder Red trim on the shutter release Motorized Flash shoe |
Fukaï WR-2 |  |
New Color Optical Lens 1:6.3 f=50mm series 198761 |
198761 |
| Yoshita MF-A7000F |  |
Lens Made in Japan 1:6.3 f=50mm series 198761 |
||
 Built-in flash Off-center viewfinder Motorized |
Ocean |  |
New Color Optical Lens 1:6.3 f=50mm series 198761 |
198761 |
 Built-in flash Off-center viewfinder Motorized |
S-1000 |  |
New Color Optical Lens 1:6.3 f=50mm series |
|
 SLR appearance Red trim on the shutter release Off-center viewfinder Motorized |
Meikai AW-4366 |  |
New Color Optical Lens 1:6.3 f=50mm series 198761 |
198761 |
 SLR appearance Off-center viewfinder Motorized |
Nikayo |  |
50mm 6.3 Focus Free Optical Lens Made in Japan |
|
 SLR form. Side viewfinder. Flash in line with the lens. |
Asaflex EF 50 |  |
Lens Made in Japan Auto Fix Focus 50 mm Lens 1:6 |
|
 SLR shape. Side viewfinder. Flash on the fake prism. |
Asaflex EF-80 |  |
New Optical Lens Auto Fix Focus 50 mm Lens 1:6 |
|
 |
Nikaï |  |
Color Optical Lens f=1:6.3 50mm |
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