16 TRAILER WHEELS

The Miranda Model A Replaced The Original 1955 Miranda Model T In 1957, And - Wash My Mouth With Soap - Is A Far More Useable And Better Spec'd Camera. However, We Can't Deny The Miranda T's Place In History - It Was After All, The First Japanese 35mm SLR With A Pentaprism, And Is Therefore Highly Prized Especially By Japanese Collectors. So Don't Be Suprised If You Have To Fork Out Over $1,000 In US Greenbacks For A Nice One!

The 'New' Model Miranda A That Replaced The Model T, Had An Exakta-Style Outrigger Auto-Diaphragm Lens Plus Lever Wind And Crank Rewind, Which While Commonplace Later On SLRS, Were State-Of-The-Art 50 Years Ago. Its Biggest Drawback Was That It Still Lacked An Instant Return Mirror, Something That Was Rectified Within 12 Months By The Miranda B Model Of 1958 Which Replaced The 'A'.

Asahi Had Patented This Design For Their Asahiflex in 1954, So Presumably Some Protracted Contractual Wheeling-And-Dealing Was Involved Which had Delayed Its Incorporation In The Model A. I'm Only Second-Guessing Here, Because It's Not The Sort Of Thing That Either Company Would Have Wanted To Become Public Knowledge.

Its Shiny-Chrome Finish f1.9 5 cm Y-Series PAD Soligor Miranda Lens Is IMHO, The Classiest-Looking Of All Standard 5cm/50mm Miranda Lenses. The Original Box Was A Nice Acquisition Too - Possibly The Only One Still Known To Exist, And a Work Of Art In Itself With Ruby Velvety Material Profiled Around The Camera. I Also Found Quite A Rarity In That Oval JCII Certificate, Hiding Under the Velvet. These Oval Certificates Were Shortly Replaced By Small Gold-coloured Stickers Attached To The Cameras. The Camera Itself Has A Body S/No Of 571005, Indicating It Was Just The Fifth Model A Ever Made. I'm Very Proud Of The Whole Outfit - It's The Jewel In My Miranda Collection.

The Model A Came Standard With That Lovely F1.9 PAD Soligor And Pentaprism, And Cost US$259.95 - Quite A Lot Of Dosh In 1957. It Wasn't Sold In Britain Because Of The Embargo On Japanese Camera Imports, Which Was Shortly To Be Lifted. I'm uncertain about it having been sold here in Australia, although I do know the later Model B was definately sold here for A Pnds 99-10-0d.

May 22, 2009 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles sit in rings of salt to protect the vehicle from local insect and plant life after being cleaned by Marines with Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and inspection by Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan in preparation for Exercise Talisman Saber. Exercise Talisman Saber 2009 is a joint Australian and United States military exercise, focusing on operational and tactical interoperability through a high end, medium intensity scenario involving live, virtual and constructive forces. AQIS's import and export inspection and certification is essential to maintaining Australia's highly favorable animal, plant and human health status and access to export markets. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Brian Nichols).