Civil Rights
Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
q2K BHP
Black History Portal
THE BHP WIRE —
HIDDEN TRUTHS
What's New!
Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.
Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.
Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.
Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.
Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.
Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.
In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972 she launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, breaking another political barrier.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
 | |
Native name | コニカ株式会社 |
|---|---|
| TYO: 4902 | |
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Defunct | August 5, 2003 |
| Fate | Merged with Minolta to form Konica Minolta |
| Successor | Konica Minolta |
| Headquarters | 26-2, Nishishinjuku 1-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-052 Japan (1998) |
| Products | Cameras, film cameras, camera accessories, photocopiers, laser printers |
Number of employees | 17,319 (2002)[1] |
Konica (コニカ, Konika) was a Japanese manufacturer of, among other products, film, film cameras, camera accessories, photographic and photo-processing equipment, photocopiers, fax machines and laser printers, founded in 1873. The company merged with Japanese peer Minolta in 2003, forming Konica Minolta.
The company traces its history back to 1873 when pharmacist Rokusaburō Sugiura began selling photographic materials at his shop in Konishiya Rokubē, the biggest pharmacy trader in Tokyo at that time.[2]
In 1878, Rokusaburō succeeded to his family and renamed Rokuemon VI (Rokudaime Rokuemon). He gave the original shop to his younger brother and launched a new shop, Konishi Honten (Konishi Main Shop) in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo.
In 1882, Konishi launched a project to produce photography related materials in Japan which were imported at that time. In 1902, Konishi began to sell the "Cherry Portable Camera" (チェリー手提用暗函), the first Japanese produced end-user oriented camera[citation needed]. New products were released respectively, and Konishi Main Shop became the leading camera company in Japan[citation needed]. In 1921, Konishi had his elder son succeed to the family and thus company head with the name, and in this occasion Konishi Honten was turned into a company Konishiroku Honten. The name Konishiroku was taken from the abbreviation of their names, Konishi Rokuemon.
Konishiroku released their "Konica I" type camera in 1948, after which they would name their own company in 1987. Since 1949 Konica produced a Medium format-camera Pearl.[3] From 1964 until 1975 Konica manufactured Medium format Omega-cameras, which used Konica's Hexanon-lenses; they were named Koni-Omega for the global market. Two models were named Konica Press for the Japanese market.[4][5]
Konica's single lens reflex cameras pioneered auto-exposure in cameras with focal-plane shutters and fully interchangeable lenses[citation needed]. The Konica Autoreflex of 1965 used an external light meter cell to set the lens diaphragm automatically after the user selected a shutter speed. With the Autoreflex T of 1968, Konica improved this design into a through-the-lens meter, using the same automation system (the user could also set the exposure manually on these cameras). Other camera makers eventually adopted auto-exposure as well, but Konica was the first[citation needed].
When Konishiroku got the new name Konica in 1987, the company employed about 4,935 people.[6] In the 1990s Konica signed its first major contract with Los Angeles County providing leasing of copiers to the Los Angeles Superior Court. This resulted in a major shift in the industry that had sold only copiers before. The initial order of 250 copiers required Konica to redirect all of its inventory throughout North America to the county.
On 5 August 2003, Konica merged with Minolta to form Konica Minolta. In 2006, Konica Minolta exited the photography business.[7] In March 2006, the merged company closed down its photo imaging division, which produced color film, color paper, photo chemicals and digital minilab machines. Its digital SLR camera section was transferred to Sony, currently known as the Sony Alpha line. Dai Nippon (DNP) purchased Konica's Odawara factory site and continues to produce paper under its own brand, while Seapac acquired the Konica chemical factory.
Konica was a major producer of 35mm film and related products, including film development processors and printing technology. Originally Konica film and paper was sold under the brand name "Sakura" (cherry blossom).
In the mid-1980s, Konica launched its SR range of film, then SR-V (1987), SR-G (1989), Super SR (1991), Super XG (1993), VX and finally "Centuria" in 1999.
The first series of Konica single-lens reflex cameras used the Konica F lens mount, named after the first camera to use it. This was a bayonet mount, and is not compatible with later Konica lens mounts. The flange focal distance of the F-mount was 40.5 mm, one of the smallest ever used for a 35 mm SLR. The diameter was 40 mm.
It is not identical to Nikon F-mount, which has a much longer flange focal distance of 46.5 mm.
Konica's second series of SLR cameras began with 1965's Auto-Reflex. This line came to an end in 1987 when Konica abandoned the SLR market.
Konica's AR lens mount kept the same flange-film distance that the earlier Konica F lens mount had (40.5 mm), but it has a larger diameter of 47 mm.
Konica lenses were named Hexanon or Hexar. Hexanon projector lenses are thought to have been used by the Japanese Camera Industry Institute for quality assurance tests on camera equipment of all brands,[25] which may be a testament to the quality of Konica's optics. They are known to have made lenses in the Leica M, Konica F and Konica AR mounts: conventional primes ranging from 15 to 800mm, various zoom lenses and even two mirror lenses.[26]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
Konica (コニカ, Konika) was a Japanese manufacturer of, among other products, film, film cameras, camera accessories, photographic and photo-processing equipment, photocopiers, fax machines and laser printers, founded in 1873. The company merged with Japanese peer Minolta in 2003, forming Konica Minolta.
The Konica FT-1 was the last SLR to be built both under the Konica name and by Konica themselves. The FT-1 was introduced in 1983 as an improvement on the earlier FS-1. The changes included a different meter type (using silicon photodiode cells instead of the previously used gallium arsenide cells), improved quality of electronics, and a faster winder speed. It was available with black or silver top of the housing and built until 1987. Various controls were moved around on the camera, including the ISO film speed setting, the on/off switch, and the self-timer. Newly added controls are the exposure compensation knob and a switch to toggle between continuous (up to 2 frames per second) and single shot exposures. There are some noteworthy features like a film advance indicator, self-timer LED, accessory terminal (use only for dedicated Konica accessories), and an aperture LED finder display. The range of shutterspeeds starts at 1/1000 s and ends at 2s. As in the Konica F, the first Single-lens reflex camera by Konica in 1960, the FT-1 has a vertical metal focal plane shutter, even if it does not reach 1/2000 s, the shortest speed of the F. The FT-1 uses the FS-1 the Autoload-System for loading the film into the camera. Lenses are fixed with the Konica AR-mount. Konica offered Hexanon-lenses with focus from 15 mm up to 400 mm. There was no low-cost or consumer line: All Konica lenses have good quality and got a good reputation: this includes the mechanics and less variation between samples. This model was commonly paired with a Konica 50mm Hexanon AR F1.8 lens and a Sunpak autozoom 333D thyristor flash.
The Konica FC-1 was introduced in 1980 by Konica, one year after the FS-1, but does not have the integrated winder. It was manufactured until 1983. Both models were only available in a black finish. With top covers made from black plastic cast Konica had good experiences since the Autoreflex TC in the mid of the 70s. Like the FS-1 the FC-1 is a camera with shutter priority and so it has a aperture LED finder display. The shutter is a vertical metal focal plane shutter, like in the Konica F, the first Single-lens reflex camera by Konica in 1960. Shutter and mirror of the FC-1 are electronically controlled. The range of shutterspeeds starts at 1/1000 s and ends at 2s. The self-timer with LED electronically works, too; its delay is round about 10 s. The camera has accessory terminal (use only for dedicated Konica accessories). The FC-1 does not have an on/off switch. The film loading system of the FC-1 is noteworthy: The camera takes the film tip automatically and there is no need to fire the shutter until the first frame is reached. It was named Autoload. It is possible to use a separate winder, the "Auto Winder F". Lenses are fixed with the Konica AR-bayonet. This model was commonly paired with a Konica 40mm Hexanon AR F1.8 lens. The weight of this pancake lens, which has six lenses, is 140 g only. It got an excellent reputation.
Konica Minolta, Inc. (Japanese: コニカミノルタ, Hepburn: Konika Minoruta) is a Japanese multinational technology company headquartered in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, with offices in 45 countries worldwide. The company manufactures business and industrial imaging products, including printers, multi-function printers (MFPs) and digital print systems for the production printing market. Konica Minolta's Managed Print Service (MPS) is called Optimised Print Services. The company also makes optical devices, including lenses and LCD film; medical and graphic imaging products, such as X-ray image processing systems, colour proofing systems, and X-ray film; photometers, 3-D digitizers, and other sensing products; and textile printers. It once had camera and photo operations inherited from Konica and Minolta but they were sold in 2006 to Sony, with Sony's Alpha series being the successor SLR division brand.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →Shirley Chisholm, elected in 1968.
