Komamura Corporation Explained

Komamura Corporation
Native Name:	駒村商会
Native Name Lang:	ja
Romanized Name:	Komamura Shokai
Type:	LLC
Predecessors:	-->
Founded:	in Kyoto, Japan
Founders:	-->
Successors:	-->
Hq Location City:	Tokyo
Hq Location Country:	Japan
Areas Served:	-->
Key People:	Toshiyuki Komamura, President
Owners:	-->

is a Japanese company that most notably manufactured medium- and large-format cameras. The company's first camera, the PC-101, was offered in 1948 as a police inspection camera; this was soon developed into a press camera, the Horseman 102, which was the first Horseman Professional branded camera.

History

In 1933, Komamura Brothers was founded in Kyoto; the first camera produced was the PC-101, an inspection camera for the National Police Agency produced in 1948. This was developed into the Horseman 102, which was also designed for police inspection and offered in 1950.

Komamura relocated in Tokyo in 1982. In 1992, Komamura signed the first of several licensing agreements to be the exclusive distributor for foreign photographic and video products in Japan, including Rodenstock and Schneider Kreuznach lenses, Gossen light meters, and Anton Bauer batteries.^[1]

Komamura transferred the Horseman Professional photographic business assets to Kenko Professional Imaging in 2012;^[2] Kenko continues to market the cameras and photographic accessories developed by Komamura under the Horseman brand.^[3] Komamura's primary business is currently centered on sales of night vision scopes and cameras.^[2]

Products

Current

Komamura developed and launched the Falcon Eye KC-2000 high-sensitivity camera in 2014, providing full-color imaging.^[4]

Past

Past cameras developed by Komamura and marketed under the Horseman Professional brand include:

35mm

• DigiFlex / DigiFlex II^[5]
• Horseman 3D^[6]

Medium format

• Press/Field
  • Horseman 970
  • Horseman 975
  • Horseman 980
  • Horseman 985
  • Horseman VH (VH-R)^[7]
• Limited movements (vertical/lateral shift only)
  • Horseman SW-D Pro^[8]
  • Horseman SW612 Professional^[9]
  • Horseman SW617 Professional^[10]
  • Horseman SW6x9^[11]
• Rigid camera (no movements)
  • Horseman SW612^{[9] [12]}

Large format

• Press/Field
  • Horseman 45FA^[7]
  • Horseman 45HD^[7]
  • Woodman 45^[7]
• View
  • Horseman L-series (L, LS, LE, LX)^[13]
  • Horseman X-Act-D^[14]

Accessories marketed by Horseman include:

35mm

• VCC (View Camera Converter)^[15]
• LD / LD Pro (L-series View Camera for Digital SLRs)^{[16] [17]}

Medium format

• VCC (View Camera Converter)^[18]

Large format

• ISS (Intelligent Shutter System)^[19]

External links

• Web site: Horseman 970 . Komamura Photographic Co. Ltd. . Pacific Rim Camera.
• Modern tests: 2-1/4 X 3-1/4 Horseman 980 Technical Camera . October 1971 . Modern Photography.
• Web site: Calumet / Horseman Technical Camera [980] Guidebook ]. Calumet Photographic Inc. . Pacific Rim Camera.

35.6854°N 139.7798°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Komamura Corporation, the company behind Falcon Eye . Falcon Eye CNV . 10 January 2020.
2. Web site: Company profile: Komamura Shokai Co., Ltd. . Komamura Corporation . 10 January 2020.
3. Web site: Horseman . Kenko Professional Imaging Co., Ltd. . 10 January 2020.
4. News: Falcon Eye Camera Wants To Give You Full Color Night Vision Recording . Barribeau, Tim . February 23, 2014 . Popular Photography . 10 January 2020.
5. Web site: Horseman DigiFlex II . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/20051225233008/http://www.horsemanusa.com/dgf2.html . December 25, 2005 . dead.
6. Web site: Horseman 3D . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/20071012134053/http://horsemanusa.com/3D/index.html . October 12, 2007 . dead.
7. Web site: Horseman Products / Field Cameras . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/19980208001034fw_/http://www.horsemanusa.com/pd_frame02.html . February 8, 1998 . dead.
8. Web site: Horseman SW-D Pro . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/20051029064248/http://www.horsemanusa.com/digital/SWD.html . October 29, 2005 . dead.
9. Web site: Horseman SW612 Professional & SW612 . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/20051130231242/http://horsemanusa.com/sw612.html . November 30, 2005 . dead.
10. Web site: Horseman SW617 Professional . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/20051202040108/http://horsemanusa.com/SW617e.pdf . December 2, 2005 . dead.
11. Web site: Horseman SW6x9 Professional . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/20051125013111/http://www.horsemanusa.com/sw69p.html . November 25, 2005 . dead.
12. Web site: Horseman Products / SW612 . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/19980208001041fw_/http://www.horsemanusa.com/pd_frame031.html . February 8, 1998 . dead.
13. Web site: Horseman New L series cameras . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/19980208001028fw_/http://www.horsemanusa.com/pd_frame01.html . February 8, 1998 . dead.
14. Web site: Horseman X-Act-D . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/20051029063912/http://www.horsemanusa.com/digital/xactd.html . October 29, 2005 . dead.
15. Web site: Horseman Products / View Camera Converter . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/19980208001047fw_/http://www.horsemanusa.com/pd_frame032.html . February 8, 1998 . dead.
16. Web site: Horseman LD for DSLRs . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/20051029064543/http://www.horsemanusa.com/digital/LD.html . October 29, 2005 . dead.
17. Web site: Horseman LD Pro . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/20071012024616/http://www.horsemanusa.com/digital/LDpro.html . October 12, 2007 . dead.
18. Web site: Horseman View Camera Converter . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/20051208014836/http://www.horsemanusa.com/vcc.html . December 8, 2005 . dead.
19. Web site: Horseman Intelligent Shutter System . Horseman USA . https://web.archive.org/web/20051029064857/http://www.horsemanusa.com/digital/issg2.html . October 29, 2005 . dead.