Sumida Proud Chrome Six

The Proud Chrome Six, released in 1951, is a dual format version of the Semi Proud, taking 6×6cm and 6x4.5cm pictures. It is not known if the main body had to be enlarged to accommodate the wider exposure chamber. The main change is in the back, which has two red windows, one above the other, protected by a sliding cover. There is a small lever, switchable from the 6X6 to the 6X4.5 position and moving another cover, to block the red window that is not in use. This device is contained under a metal plate engraved PAT. PEND. and was advertised as an innovative feature.

The top housing is exactly the same as that of the Semi Proud, except for the format of the viewfinder and the Proud CHROME SIX marking. The brilliant finder above the shutter housing is also similar to that of the Semi Proud. The leather on the folding bed is embossed with the KSK logo

All the variants have a front-cell focusing 75mm f/3.5 coated lens, B, 1–200 speeds, a self-timer and a synch pin at the bottom of the shutter.

In an advertisement dated October 1951, the Proud Chrome Six was offered with a Bio-Congo lens, made by Yamasaki, and a KSK shutter made by Sumida itself. The lens and shutter combinations observed so far are:

• - Proud Special lens, KSK shutter.


• - K.S.K. Opton Hocter lens, Synchront shutter.


• - Bio-Congo lens, Synchront shutter.

The shutter plate of the Synchront is inscribed PROUD at the top and SUMIDA OPTICAL WORKS at the bottom, whereas the name SYNCHRONT is engraved at the base of the speed rim.

The October 1951 advertisement cited above says that a Proud S Six would appear soon. It is not known if this camera corresponds to the Proud Chrome Six II, to the Proud Super Six or to another ill-fated project. The list of announced lenses were Opton Hocter 75mm f/3.5 (made by Sumida), Bio Congo 75mm f/3.5 (made by Yamasaki) and Kominar 75mm f/3.5 (made by Nitto Kogaku).

The Proud Chrome Six II, released in early 1952, has a modified top housing. The viewfinder is offset to the right and its window is surrounded by a metal frame attached by two screws, with four small pins indicating the 6x4.5 field of view. The advance knob is larger and flatter than that of the original Chrome Six, and there is a film indicator above the left knob. The folding bed release is situated in front of the accessory shoe, as in the previous model. There is a brilliant finder above the shutter housing, in a metal casting exactly similar to the previous model.

The Proud Chrome Six II appears in an advertisement, dated January 1952, with a Bio-Congo 75mm f/3.5 lens made by Yamasaki, and the Synchront shutter. This model was also announced with a Nitto Kominar 75mm f/3.5 lens. The only example observed so far is pictured in McKeown, the shutter is a Synchront and the lens is reported as a K.S.K. Opton Hocter.

The Proud Chrome Six III and IIIA, made in 1952 and 1953, have an uncoupled rangefinder, set by a wheel falling under the left thumb. The round rangefinder window is situated under the accessory shoe. The folding bed release is now situated on the bed itself, probably because it otherwise got in the way of the rangefinder. The film indicator has only three settings: PANCHRO and CHROME in black and COLOR in red. The top housing itself is marked Proud III CHROME SIX above the finder and the serial number is engraved in front of the accessory shoe.

The Proud Chrome Six III usually has a front-cell focusing S-Congo 7.5cm f/3.5 lens by Yamasaki, engraved K.Yamasaki S-CONGO 1:3.5 F=7.5cm No.XXXXX in black on a chrome bezel, with a red "S" on the early examples. The shutter is a Synchront giving B, 1–200 speeds, synchonized and equipped with a self-timer. The aperture scale is on top of the shutter housing. The shutter plate is marked PROUD at the top and SUMIDA OPTICAL WORKS at the bottom, and the speed rim is engraved SYNCHRONT. This lens and shutter equipment appears in an advertisement dated November 1952.

The early examples of the Proud Chrome Six III have a brilliant finder above the shutter housing like the original Chrome Six, but the part sustaining this finder is different. Some of these early examples are known with a Kominar f/3.5 lens made by Nitto Kogaku.

The later examples lack this brilliant finder but still have a metal part above the shutter housing, whose purpose is unknown. At a later time, the original synch pin situated at the bottom right of the shutter housing (as seen from the front) was replaced by an ASA bayonet post. Minor variations are noticeable in the aperture scale (black or chrome) and in the shape of the aperture index, but too few examples have been observed for any pattern to be detected.

The Proud Chrome Six IIIA only differs by the lens and shutter equipment. The lens is a front-cell focusing Tri-Lausar 8cm f/3.5 by Tomioka (maybe the same used on the YashicaMat), engraved TOMIOKA Opt. Co. TRI-LAUSAR 1:3.5 f=8cm No.XXXXX, usually in white on a black bezel; the shutter is an NKS giving B, 1–200 speeds, synchronized and having a self-timer. This model has only been observed with no brilliant finder and with an ASA synch post.

The next model has a coupled rangefinder and unit-focusing lens. The top housing is similar to the Chrome Six III but the rangefinder window is rectangular, the viewfinder window has lost the surrounding metal frame and the distance-setting wheel on the back has presumably disappeared. The lens and shutter assembly is mounted on a focusing helix.

This camera was announced in the January 1953 issue of Ars Camera as the Proud Chrome Six IV with a Zuiko lens and a Seikosha shutter. It was briefly advertised as the Proud Super Six in the April 1953 issue of Asahi Camera. The lens is a four-element Tessar-type Congor 75mm f/3.5 and the shutter is an NKS (B, 1–200, self-timer), synchronized via an ASA bayonet post.

No example of the Proud Super Six has yet been observed, and it is not known if it was actually sold.

The Proud Chrome Six III body dimensions are nearly 100 x 135 x 100mm and weights around 650 gr.

<< Back