"Miranda" sold in the UK
by the Dixons Photo Chain
"Miranda" sold in the UK |
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They keep popping up on eBay, and lots of folks write in, so let's get some basic information about the range of products with the "MIRANDA" brand name appearing after the demise of Miranda Camera Co., Japan. My direct experience was seeing these cameras, lenses and accessories marketed through the Dixons chain of stores in the UK in the late 1980's. The SLR cameras were badge engineered "Cosina" reflexes in at least three configurations, all using the Pentax K mount. Accessory lenses were also offered in a range of fixed mounts, and other accessories such as flash guns were available. I've even heard of binoculars with this brand name. My information is sketchy to say the least, so please let me know more data which can help collectors. Apparently these products were also marketed using the "Miranda" branding by other distributors in Europe. |
| The basic SLR model is the MS-1. It is a manual, copal square shutter Chinon with full
aperture LED metering, standard Pentax K mount. Standard lens on this model was a 50mm f2.0 lens also marked "Miranda". Other models offered were MS-3, Memotron and Computron. These offered aperture preferred automation and accessories such as a motor drive. A complete Memotron kit is illustrated below. The site http://gusp.infogroup.it/photo/kbody.html has a list of all the K-mount bodies of this time from various manufacturers and brand names. |
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This is a typical example of the accessory lenses offered under the brand name
"Miranda", in this case a 28mm lens with a fixed Olympus mount. Lens focal
length is designated in green lettering, Other lettering in white. Focus ring is
rubberized. If anyone has a catalog from Dixons or other suppliers of these lenses, it would be appreciated - relevant information for those collecting Miranda Camera Co. products compared to these later products using the name for brand identification in distribution. |
| This illustration, "MIRANDA FM-X" is from another enthusiast visiting this site. It looks to be one of the early fully automatic cameras just preceding the start of auto focus point and shoot cameras. It has auto wind, plastic body, built in flash. I'm sure I have seen it under other names, and there are very probably other variants in the same range. More information would also be appeciated. |  |
| Accessories
Another product group was a wide range of flashguns; this is a Miranda CB100. Well, I've seen this exact unit some years previously under the label "Hanimex", model PRO 550. The actual flash is an economy "hammerhead" unit, relatively simple in automatic mode but from my experience, capable of surprisingly hard service. Pity that the only "Miranda" one I have found doesn't actually work. |
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