Arco Shashin Kogyo K.K.

Est. 1946

Arco Shashin Kogyo K.K.

Arco Shashin Kogyo K.K., also known as Arco Photo Industries Co., Ltd., was a Japanese camera, lens, and photographic accessory manufacturer active during the post-war period. The company began in Tokyo as Asaka Seikō in 1946 and adopted the Arco name in 1949. Arco is best known for the Arco 35 series of compact folding 35mm rangefinder cameras, but it also produced aftermarket lenses and accessories for several camera systems.

For LeicaLensList, Arco is relevant because the company produced confirmed Leica screw mount, LTM, and M39 rangefinder lenses. Important Leica-compatible Arco lenses include the Colinar 8.5cm f/2, Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8, Tele-Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8, and Tele-Snowva 13.5cm f/3.8. These lenses place Arco within the early post-war Japanese Leica-compatible lens market, alongside other smaller makers such as Sun Optical, Kyoei, Komura, Tanaka, and Nicca-related suppliers.

History

Founding / Early Years

Arco was founded in May 1946 under the name Asaka Seikō. The company was established by Kato Shigeru and Asami Katsuzo, with the name Asaka formed from parts of the founders’ surnames. Its earliest activity was not camera manufacturing, but mechanical production. The company made various mechanical parts and later moved into photographic accessories such as tripods.

In July 1949, the company changed its name to Arco Shashin Kogyo K.K.. During this early period, Arco made camera accessories, filters, rangefinders, close-up attachments, tripods, and related photographic equipment. This accessory background is important because Arco’s later camera and lens products grew out of a small specialist engineering company rather than a large established optical manufacturer.

Camera Development

Arco’s involvement in camera development began early. Company president Kato Shigeru reportedly asked designer Abe Masao to work on a camera project in 1947. The initial idea was an ambitious 6×6 single-lens reflex camera with a focal-plane shutter, interchangeable lenses, and interchangeable backs. A patent was filed in 1950, but the project was considered too difficult for a small company and was abandoned.

Abe Masao later developed the Arco 35, a compact 35mm folding rangefinder camera. The folding design allowed close focusing down to approximately 35 cm, a feature that reflected Arco’s interest in close-up accessories and practical photographic tools. The Arco 35 was announced in late 1952 and delivered in early 1953.

Arco 35 Rangefinder Period

The Arco 35 became the company’s most important camera. It was a compact Japanese 35mm rangefinder with a collapsible bellows body and a fixed Colinar 5cm f/2.8 lens. The camera was unusual because it combined a folding design with close focusing and a high-quality five-element lens.

The Arco 35 range expanded in the mid-1950s. The Arco 35 Junior offered a simpler and cheaper model with a 5cm f/3.5 lens. The Arco 35 Automat added more advanced handling, including lever advance and a bright-frame finder. The Arco 35 Automat D later used a faster Arco 5cm f/2.4 lens.

Although the Arco 35 cameras are not Leica mount cameras, they are important because their fixed Colinar and Arco lenses were developed alongside Arco’s interchangeable aftermarket lenses for Leica screw mount and other systems.

Leica Screw Mount Lens Production

During the early 1950s, Arco also produced aftermarket lenses in Leica screw mount, Exakta mount, and M42 screw mount. These lenses were sold under names such as Colinar, Tele-Colinar, and Snowva. The Leica screw mount lenses are the most relevant products for LeicaLensList.

Known Arco Leica-compatible lenses include the Colinar 8.5cm f/2, a fast short telephoto lens, and the Colinar / Tele-Colinar / Tele-Snowva 13.5cm f/3.8, a longer telephoto lens for Leica screw mount rangefinder cameras. The 13.5cm f/3.8 lenses are the most commonly encountered Arco LTM lenses today, often marked Arco Tokyo and supplied in chrome rangefinder-coupled M39 mounts.

Movie Cameras and Closure

From 1955, Arco began moving toward 8mm movie camera production. This shift followed a period when Japanese manufacturers were exploring the growing consumer movie camera market. The first Arco Eight movie camera was released in October 1956, followed by additional 8mm models, many with three-lens turret designs.

The shift to movie cameras did not secure the company’s long-term survival. Sales of still cameras stopped around late 1957, and Arco failed to become a major player in the movie camera market. The company went bankrupt in late 1960 and closed in January 1961. Its collapse is historically connected with the collapse of Zunow, another ambitious but short-lived Japanese camera and lens maker.

Product Lines

Leica Screw Mount Lenses

Arco’s most important product line for LeicaLensList is its group of Leica screw mount, LTM, and M39 lenses. These lenses were made for Leica-compatible rangefinder cameras and were sold under names such as Colinar, Tele-Colinar, and Tele-Snowva.

Important Leica-compatible examples include the Colinar 8.5cm f/2 and the Colinar / Tele-Colinar / Tele-Snowva 13.5cm f/3.8. These lenses are rare and should be documented carefully, especially because Arco also made lenses and optical accessories for non-Leica systems.

Colinar Lenses

The Colinar name was used on both Arco fixed-lens cameras and aftermarket interchangeable lenses. The Arco 35 used a five-element Colinar 5cm f/2.8, while the Arco 35 Junior used a simpler Colinar 5cm f/3.5. In Leica screw mount, the Colinar name appears on telephoto lenses such as the Colinar 8.5cm f/2 and Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8.

Tele-Colinar and Tele-Snowva Lenses

The Tele-Colinar and Tele-Snowva names are associated with Arco’s longer telephoto lenses. The most important LeicaLensList example is the 13.5cm f/3.8 lens in Leica screw mount. These lenses are often found in chrome finish and are valued today as uncommon Japanese LTM telephoto lenses.

Arco 35 Cameras

The Arco 35 series consisted of compact folding 35mm rangefinder cameras. Important models include the Arco 35, Arco 35 Junior, Arco 35 Automat, and Arco 35 Automat D. These cameras used fixed lenses and are not Leica mount bodies, but they are important to Arco’s identity and to the development of the company’s Colinar lens family.

Photographic Accessories

Before and during its camera production period, Arco made photographic accessories including tripods, filters, auxiliary rangefinders, close-up attachments, viewfinders, and bellows. The Apro close-up attachment and View-Arco accessory finder are examples of the company’s interest in specialized camera accessories.

8mm Movie Cameras

Arco moved into 8mm movie camera production in the second half of the 1950s. The Arco Eight and later turret-style movie cameras were part of this shift. These products are outside the LeicaLensList scope, but they explain the company’s final business direction before bankruptcy.

Technical Characteristics

Feature Description
Company Type Japanese camera, lens, and photographic accessory manufacturer.
Original Name Asaka Seikō.
Later Name Arco Shashin Kogyo K.K., also rendered as Arco Photo Industries Co., Ltd.
Founders Kato Shigeru and Asami Katsuzo.
Historic Base Tokyo, Japan.
Main Products Folding 35mm rangefinder cameras, Leica screw mount lenses, Exakta lenses, M42 lenses, photographic accessories, and 8mm movie cameras.
LeicaLensList Relevance Confirmed Leica screw mount, LTM, and M39 rangefinder lenses under the Colinar, Tele-Colinar, and Tele-Snowva names.
Important Leica-Compatible Lenses Colinar 8.5cm f/2, Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8, Tele-Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8, Tele-Snowva 13.5cm f/3.8.
Camera Lines Arco 35, Arco 35 Junior, Arco 35 Automat, Arco 35 Automat D.
Lens Mounts Leica screw mount, Exakta mount, M42 screw mount, and fixed mounts on Arco 35 cameras.
Rangefinder Coupling Present on confirmed Leica screw mount rangefinder lenses.
Optical Character Early post-war Japanese rendering, mechanical simplicity, moderate contrast, and collector-oriented rarity.
Collector Caution Arco made products for multiple systems, so LeicaLensList entries should only include confirmed LTM/M39 or Leica-compatible examples.
Closure Bankrupt in late 1960, closed in January 1961.
Related Historical Context Early Japanese Leica-compatible lens market, post-war Japanese camera industry, and Zunow-era specialist camera manufacturing.

Market Reception

Arco is a small but historically interesting make in the post-war Japanese camera industry. The company never reached the scale of Canon, Nikon, Minolta, or Tokyo Kogaku, but its products show the creativity and ambition of smaller Japanese manufacturers during the early 1950s. The Arco 35 cameras are remembered for their compact folding design, close-focusing capability, and unusual accessories.

Among Leica screw mount collectors, Arco is valued mainly for rarity. The Tele-Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8 and related Colinar / Tele-Snowva versions are uncommon Japanese LTM telephoto lenses. They are not usually discussed as high-volume professional lenses, but they are important for collectors who focus on early Japanese Leica-compatible optics, non-Leitz LTM lenses, and unusual post-war rangefinder equipment.

For LeicaLensList, Arco should be included as a valid make. Its confirmed Leica screw mount lens production, connection to the early Japanese aftermarket lens market, and rare Colinar/Snowva telephoto lenses make it directly relevant. However, Arco should be documented with care, because many of its best-known cameras were fixed-lens Arco 35 models and many of its later products were 8mm movie cameras, not Leica-system equipment.

Sources

Lenses (1)

Filters 1 results
Make Model Price Focal Length Aperture Release year Diameter (mm) Length (mm) Weight (g) Min focus distance Elements Groups Filter diameter (mm) MountModel number(s)Actions
Arco Shashin Kogyo K.K.Anastigmat Tele-Snowva 135mm f/3.8 LTM€1271353.81957———————LTMColinar 13.5cm f/3.8, Tele-Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8, Tele-Snowva 13.5cm f/3.8