KYOCERA RX with Yashica 100mm f8 Medical/Dental lens
Nov 8, 2019 14:29:21 GMT
on Nov 8, 2019 14:29:21 GMT
Last Edit: Nov 8, 2019 14:33:36 GMT by lumiworx
I can't imagine that the executives at Yashica or Kyocera who were responsible for doing production forecasts were always accurate or made predictions that lead to production order totals on the plus side. I'd also like to think that the designers and engineers would never shy away from a challenge when they were called on to fill in a production shortfall, or to create a custom-fit solution with a specialty product, or just for the sake of filling a large custom order for a distributor or a contract buyer, like government agencies or partner companies.
I think we've all seen a small-run specialty product fuel a large scale model run because of an initial idea or an innovation that grew out of those early sparks. There's value in the small ideas that later turn into major products or model features. Leica, Zeiss, Nikon and others did it through their history, and I'd argue that Yashica did it just as well, if not a little better, than everyone else. The Dental and Medical lines, along with the CGCM's and M35/M35W's are examples on one hand, where the FX-A, the Aria, and the AX became beneficiaries of earlier 'experiments', and on to the Swedish and Austrian Air Force customizations that stretched the envelope from an outside request. It doesn't surprise me to hear that they modified a short run of 167MT's to fill a need.
Unlike Leica, who apparently kept meticulous records (and still do), Yashica and Kyocera didn't seem to pass out whatever they might have had as readily. Anything I've found that's official 'minutia', is from company correspondence to dealers, distributors, or the press, more than the brochures or ads. Maybe it's a Japan versus Germany thing. Canon might be the exception.
Of course, there might be times when a good concept doesn't quite become an industry leading example that others follow. On paper, a modular hood/ring system that allows for a universal approach to 'build your own hood' might have seemed ideal, but ended up as a one-off idea that ended with the Zeiss T* series.
In the rarity department... The second/last DE-I I got wasn't fully operational, and was listed that way in the auction and was likely the reason I was the only bidder at $9.95. The upside was that it had the case with a key (my working DE-I didn't have one), the 2X doubler was sealed in it's box, and came with a new strap. Sadly, it had no manual or other accessories. I think there might be some things that are rarer than the doubler though... the reflector/diffuser cone set for the Medical/Dental 100's, and the oral mirrors that were optional items for all the Dental Eye series. They were not branded as far as I know, but were unique to the brand.
I think we've all seen a small-run specialty product fuel a large scale model run because of an initial idea or an innovation that grew out of those early sparks. There's value in the small ideas that later turn into major products or model features. Leica, Zeiss, Nikon and others did it through their history, and I'd argue that Yashica did it just as well, if not a little better, than everyone else. The Dental and Medical lines, along with the CGCM's and M35/M35W's are examples on one hand, where the FX-A, the Aria, and the AX became beneficiaries of earlier 'experiments', and on to the Swedish and Austrian Air Force customizations that stretched the envelope from an outside request. It doesn't surprise me to hear that they modified a short run of 167MT's to fill a need.
Unlike Leica, who apparently kept meticulous records (and still do), Yashica and Kyocera didn't seem to pass out whatever they might have had as readily. Anything I've found that's official 'minutia', is from company correspondence to dealers, distributors, or the press, more than the brochures or ads. Maybe it's a Japan versus Germany thing. Canon might be the exception.
Of course, there might be times when a good concept doesn't quite become an industry leading example that others follow. On paper, a modular hood/ring system that allows for a universal approach to 'build your own hood' might have seemed ideal, but ended up as a one-off idea that ended with the Zeiss T* series.
In the rarity department... The second/last DE-I I got wasn't fully operational, and was listed that way in the auction and was likely the reason I was the only bidder at $9.95. The upside was that it had the case with a key (my working DE-I didn't have one), the 2X doubler was sealed in it's box, and came with a new strap. Sadly, it had no manual or other accessories. I think there might be some things that are rarer than the doubler though... the reflector/diffuser cone set for the Medical/Dental 100's, and the oral mirrors that were optional items for all the Dental Eye series. They were not branded as far as I know, but were unique to the brand.