Neoca 2S1955

History

Neoca Co. was a small Japanese camera manufacturer active in the mid-1950s. The company produced at minimum two principal rangefinder models — the 1S and the 2S — before ceasing camera production, likely by the early 1960s when consolidation in the Japanese camera industry squeezed out smaller firms that could not compete with Olympus, Canon, Nikon, and Yashica on scale or distribution. The Neoca 1S preceded the 2S and is distinguished by the absence of (or different provision for) flash synchronization. Both models used fixed-focus or close-focus coupled rangefinder optics in the 45mm normal field of view that was standard for Japanese compacts of the era rather than the 50mm then common in German-influenced designs.

Documentary records of Neoca Co.'s full history and production volumes are sparse in English-language sources.

Why It Matters

The Neoca 2S is significant primarily as an artifact of the breadth of Japanese camera manufacturing in the 1950s. At peak activity, dozens of Japanese firms produced 35mm cameras for domestic consumption and export — Neoca among them. Most of these companies did not survive into the 1970s; only the largest and most innovative firms (Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Minolta, Pentax) remained dominant. The Neoca 2S documents the competitive lower tier of that ecosystem.

Optically, the Neokor or Neonon 45mm f/2.8 is a workmanlike Tessar-type lens. Stopped down to f/5.6–8 it delivers adequate sharpness across the frame with the characteristic moderately smooth rendering of postwar Japanese glass. Wide open at f/2.8 it is soft at the edges with modest vignetting — typical of this lens class. For shooters seeking a low-cost, fully mechanical Japanese rangefinder, the Neoca 2S offers the same functional profile as better-known alternatives (Olympus 35, Petri 7) at a lower price driven by lower collector recognition.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• No documented professional or notable artistic use is on record for this specific model.
• Used primarily by Japanese domestic consumers and export-market amateur photographers in the mid to late 1950s.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Neoca 2S — primary reference for specifications and model variants
• Camera-Wiki: Neoca — manufacturer overview