Yoshihisa Maitani
Yoshihisa Maitani ( Japanese 米 谷 美 久 , Maitani Yoshihisa ; born January 8, 1933 in Kagawa Prefecture , † July 30, 2009 in Hachiōji ) was a Japanese camera designer.
He mainly worked for the camera manufacturer Olympus . His developments included the company's PEN series. He built his first camera at the age of 10. At the age of 16 he already had four patents . After studying at Waseda University , he switched to the camera development department at Olympus. Almost three years later the PEN camera came onto the market, of which a total of over 17 million copies were sold. In 1972 he created the Olympus OM mirror reflex system (O = Olympus, M = Maitani). The Olympus XA, which followed in 1979, was the first camera to win the highest Japanese award for industrial design. Maitani's career went from camera developer to Olympus CEO. In 1996 he retired, but was still available to the company as a consultant.
In 1980 he received the Nihon Shashin Kyōkai ( 日本 写真 協会 , English The Photographic Society of Japan ). The PMA inducted him into the Hall of Fame in 1994 .
He was married to Keiko Maitani ( 黙 祷 敬 子 ). On July 30, 2009, he died of respiratory failure in a hospital in Hachiōji .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b 米 谷 美 久 さ ん （ま い た に ・ よ し ひ さ ＝ 元 オ リ ン パ ス ス 光学 工業 〈現 オ リ ン パ ス〉 常務） . In: Doshin web. Hokkaidō Shimbun , July 31, 2009, accessed August 16, 2009 .
- ↑ 過去 の 受 賞 者 . 社 団 法人 日本 写真 協会 , accessed on August 16, 2009 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Maitani, Yoshihisa |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 米 谷 美 久 (Japanese) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Japanese photo camera designer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 8, 1933 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Kagawa Prefecture |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 30, 2009 |
| Place of death | Hachiōji |