Cameras of Japanese invaders made in Germany

Cameras of Japanese invaders made in Germany

In the early days of Taisho and Showa, most of the Japanese optical equipment, such as gun mirrors, gun sights and rangefinders, were imported from Germany, and then copied with minor repairs. In terms of cameras, Japan also advocates German products. From 1930 to 1940s, German cameras have led the world camera trend with high-quality lenses and excellent mechanical properties. During the period of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Japanese invaders, especially Japanese journalists embedded in the army, mostly used German cameras, among which Leica and Zeiss were the most famous. According to the CONTAX (Contax produced by Zeiss is widely used by Japanese journalists. At that time, the most popular products were Leica Ⅲ and Ⅲ C produced by 1933 and 1940, and Contax 35mm camera produced by 1936, both of which had their own characteristics.

For example, Leica camera is a horizontal curtain shutter, while Contex camera is a vertical metal shutter; Leica camera looks round and muddy, Contax camera looks angular; Leica camera components are simple, while Contax cameras mostly use gears, and the components are complex. Nevertheless, these two types of camera wells are valued by military strategists. At that time, Japan had a heated debate about which was better, Leica and Zeiss. 1940 Leica ⅲC is the prototype of modern Leica M. The whole fuselage is made of metal, and the top cover is made of a whole copper plate, which has been used until now on Leica M6. Model Ⅲ C is the most mature design of 35mm camera in 1940s. In addition to ⅲC, Leica ⅲB and ⅲ are also specially designed for the military.

Remarkably, the German marshal Rommel, who is known as the "fox of the desert", used the ⅲC type. Coincidentally, Rommel's rival in North Africa, General Patton of the US Army, also used Leica Ⅲ C. In War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, many leaders of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army also used Leica cameras, such as Ye Jianying and Ye Ting. This Leica ⅲC in my hand was bought by a division political commissar of our army from a captured Kuomintang officer in the Liberation War (this is also a concrete example of exemplary compliance with the three major disciplines and eight notices). The captured officer said that he had seized the camera from the Japanese army. In addition, Contax III produced by 1936 is the earliest camera with selenium battery exposure meter in the world. Because of its excellent performance, the camera was selected as military by the then German Navy and adopted by Japan.

War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression was also won by our army. 1On June 20th, 944, when my Jiaodong Pictorial was first published, the army chief gave a captured Contek to Kong Dongping, a special photojournalist of Popular Daily. Kong Dongping creatively cut 120 film in half for 135 film. Zeiss Super Yikangtai 53 1 120 camera is an improved model of earlier model 1934. The camera body is equipped with a shutter button to prevent repeated shooting, and can take 16 4.5cm photos. It is small, light and practical. The cameras of the Japanese invaders, like their weapons and fittings, were acquired by our army in the war and used by us. 1938, the Eighth Route Army 1 15 Division held a training course on captured camera photography, which was headed by Su Jing, the reconnaissance chief of the Division Command, and mainly served military reconnaissance.

The 386th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army129th Division was ambushed in Shentouling. Zhou Xihan, chief of staff, gave a brand-new camera captured by Japanese 16 Division to Brigadier Chen Geng. Chen Geng said happily, Wow, this camera is also a weapon! With the machines sent by the enemy, we can take some photos and publish them in newspapers and magazines, so that people all over China and the world can know that this is what happens when Japanese imperialism invades China! When Chen Geng saw that the camera was loaded with film, he aimed at the flags and the bodies of enemy soldiers lying on the ground and took several photos in succession. There is such a picture: on a small mound, a soldier is standing on a plaster flag and looking east. This is a very famous photo. 1938 129 division handed over the captured Japanese camera to Van Gogh, who was doing propaganda work in the division's political department at that time, and began to record the fighting life of 129 division and Taihang Mountain anti-Japanese base area with photography.

The First Division of Taihang also held a training course for photography cadres, with only five students. Teaching AIDS are two cameras to capture the Japanese army. There were only two rolls of film, and Van Gogh was a teacher. At that time, the Eighth Route Army in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Pictorial published by the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army publicized our army and people's resistance to Japan. Many photos were taken with captured Japanese cameras. From the end of 1947 to the beginning of 1948, the teaching AIDS of the photography training class founded by Jinchaji Pictorial were also Japanese 120 old cameras. 1939 He Long, the division commander of the Eighth Route Army 120, gave a Zeiss 120 camera to his secretary Li for use. With this camera, he came to Jinsui and took many photos of He Long and Guan Xiangying commanding operations.

Among the leaders of the New Fourth Army, General Zhang Aiping, the commander of the 4th Division, is another famous photographer besides Commander Ye Ting. 194 1 year, the Japanese army seized a German Zeiss camera that could take 16 negative film. Since then, like General Ye Ting, he has carried a camera and revolver with him. 1943, General Zhang Aiping took a photo entitled "Battle of Chenjiagang" after commanding the victory of anti-mopping. Another "chase" was taken when the general rode with scouts to chase the enemy. There is also a touching photo of "mending military uniform". The person mending clothes under the oil lamp is the general's wife Li Youlan. Li Xuesan, political commissar of the Eighth Brigade of the Third Division of the New Fourth Army, recorded the fighting life of the troops with cameras captured by the Japanese army, and made a photo studio by himself, taking photos with a flashlight at night.

Li Xuesan took photos such as "Shandong People Welcome the New Fourth Army to the North" and "Baxian Crossing the Canal Bridge". This camera has been with him during the Liaoshen campaign and when he went south to Guangxi.