Taiyodo Koki Meteor/Vestkam/Epochs, Beauty 14 & Spy 16/Beauty 16
Taiyodo Koki made four Hit-type models, although outwardly three were essentially the same (well almost, but for their names). Their size was miniscule at 59mm wide x 35mm high x 35 deep.
​
The Meteor was advertised in Japan from March 1948. Oddly, over the course of about six months, the camera name was incorrectly spelt as "Meteall" in adverts. It was marginally less basic than some competitors, and offered two shutter speed settings (in addition to B); 1/25 (in position 1) and 1/50 (in position 2). The speed switch is on the right-side of the lens barrel, and the shutter release on the left. There were no identifying names on the shutter or lens, which was a 25mm f/4.5. It is claimed that there was a later 20mm f/3.5 lens option, but I have not been able to verify this: Internet images of Meteors are as scarce as actual cameras. The film door was hinged.
​
The Vestkam (see Figure 1) was released in July 1949 as a successor to the Meteor, and (ignoring the trivial details) seems to have been little different to its predecessor. Some have speculated that the Meteor may have been renamed to distinguish it from another 1949 “Meteor” made by the Universal Camera Corporation (USA), although I doubt it: the two could not have been more dissimilar, the Universal Meteor being a chunky 620 film camera. The Vestkam is by far the most common variant of the family today, and definitely came with either a 25mm f/4.5 or 20mm f/3.5 lens.
​
The Epochs is a late variant of the Vestkam, and speculated to have been made for export only (but available magazine clippings are in Japanese), with the single lens option of a "Talent" 20mm f/3.5. Like the Meteor, this model is rare.
​
The Beauty 14 (1949) was a new design, with significant improvements over the Meteor types (see Figure 2). The main viewfinder was slightly offset to the right of the lens axis, to make way for an additional portrait-shooting viewfinder with an eyepiece on the left-side of the top casing. The top and bottom of the camera separated for film loading. The shutter was slightly improved, no longer an ever-set, and provided the speeds B, 1/25, 1/50, and 1/100 set on a lens dial. It was cocked by a lever on the right and tripped by a separate lever on the left of the lens barrel. The lens was a Beauty 20mm f/4.5. Guess what? ... the Beauty 14 is also extremely rare.
​
Meanwhile, Taiyodo Koki developed an even smaller film format model taking 10×14mm exposures on 16mm film, which is thought to have been loaded (via a hinged film door) into some sort of cassette (but nobody knows for sure). Prepare to meet the far more sophisticated Spy 16, first seen in advertising in December 1949, and arguably not a Hit-type (I'd call it a spy camera).
​
The tubular viewfinder protruded from the top plate. The dial on the right wound on the film. The dial on the left was a mechanical film counter running from 0 to 20 (replacing the ruby window). The top plate button between the two (which looks like a shutter release) primed the frame counter. The film could be advanced freely using the right hand dial, but the film-advance locked (after one frame) and the counter incremented only if this button was pressed first. The shutter was cocked using the lever that sticks out of the right-side of the lens barrel. The shutter was released using the trigger on the left of the lens barrel. The shutter unit, similar to that of the Beauty 14, had B, 1/25, 1/50, and 1/100 speeds. The Talent 25mm f/3.5 lens had an aperture selector (on the underside of the lens barrel) and stopped down to f/11 (via f/8, f/5.6 and f/4.5). The lens was front cell, best-guess focusing, and scaled in feet (from 3' to infinity). In addition, there was a tripod bush on the underside, and some sort of flash synchronisation nipple.
​
However, the Spy 16 has never been seen other than in advertising, and appears to have been manufactured as the Beauty 16 (see Figure 3), which is conversely unknown through advertising and believed to have only been made for export. This is another super rare Taiyodo Koki camera.
Figure 1 - The Meteor, Vestkam and Epochs all look pretty much the same. This is a Vestkam, and I selected this image because it shows how tiny these models were. The shutter release is on the left of the lens barrel, and the speed selector on the right.
Figure 2 -The Beauty 14 was quite different from the Meteor/Vestkam/Epochs models. I've added an arrow to show how the second viewfinder worked.. Note that the shutter speed selector is a lens dial, and the lever on the right of the lens barrel is a shutter tensioner.
Figure 3 - The Beauty 16 added all the features expected of a typical 35mm viewfinder camera of 1949. In the second image you should be able to make-out the focus dial marking "3" at the front of the lens barrel and the aperture selector towards the rear.
​
All images have been sourced from the Internet.
Figure 4 - Three Beauty 16s were listed on eBay in February 2024 by the same seller.
The images are all of he same camera, which rings alarm bells for me. They were still available as of July 2024, but with no price reduction. They never sold and were eventually withdrawn.