Photographica Pages

An online guide to collectable cameras and related stuff


Meguro Kogaku Co. Ltd (Melcon)

Meguro Kogaku Co. Ltd. was founded in the early 1950s to develop and produce the Melcon, a Leica copy with an opening back. Its founder/designer was a former employee of Kogaku Seiki (which eventually became Nicca) and had worked on the Nippon. The company received some help from Nippon Kogaku (Nikon) and a major camera distributor in Tokyo.

In July 1955 they released the Melcon. But the market was moving away from the dated designs they were able to produce. In 1957 they released the Melcon II. It appears that Meguro Kogaku Co. Ltd. Failed in early 1958.


Melcon Leica Copies