Camex Six — 6×4.5 Folding Camera, ca. 1952–1955, Zuiko 7.5cm f/3.5, Patel India Export

The Camex Six is the Indian-market identity applied to the Olympus Six — a compact folding 6×4.5 cm roll-film camera produced by Takatino Optical (Tokyo), the manufacturer that would become Olympus Optical Co. Distributed in India through Patel India Ltd via the CAMEX trading network, these cameras were rebranded for the subcontinent: the standard Olympus wordmark is absent from the top plate, replaced by a lens-shaped emblem bearing the letters "S M," almost certainly a retailer or distributor badge applied for this specific market. This example, dating to approximately 1952–1955 based on lens serial number 39854 and body serial number 41366, represents the mid-production iteration of the model, featuring the self-erecting strut-type bellows design and a Zuiko 75mm f/3.5 lens — one of the most highly regarded Tessar-type formulas fitted to budget-to-mid-range Japanese folders of that era.

The camera uses 120 roll film to produce 6×4.5 cm negatives — a format that balances portability with generous medium-format image quality. The base plate is engraved with body serial number 41366. CAMEX was a trading company that distributed Japanese photographic goods into various overseas markets during the early post-war decade; the Patel India Ltd association identifies this camera's specific destination as the Indian subcontinent, making it a genuinely uncommon variant rarely encountered in European collections. The "Camex Six" designation, rather than "Olympus Six," would have been the name under which this camera was sold across the counter in India.

The original tan leather ever-ready case reinforces this provenance: the embossed "CAMEX / Patel India Ltd" inscription appears on the front panel, and the case is in notably fine condition — supple leather with honest age-related patina rather than the heavy wear often seen on surviving examples of this age. The adjustable shoulder strap is present and intact.

The Zuiko 75mm f/3.5 lens is in excellent optical condition — the glass is clear with no haze, fungus, or cleaning marks visible, a genuinely positive finding for a lens of this vintage. It is mounted in a leaf shutter offering speeds from approximately 1 second to 1/500 sec plus Bulb, with a self-timer. The shutter speed ring is engraved: B, 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500. The bellows appear supple with no obvious pinholes visible in the images, though a proper light-check is always advisable before loading film.

Material: Die-cast aluminium top and base plates, black enamel body, leather bellows, original tan/brown leather ever-ready case with embossed "S M" lens-shaped logo on front, shoulder strap