Throwback Edit Version: I edited this in May 2025, checked the links and converted it to the new WordPress blocks format if needed.
That is a long name for this amazing camera. I almost passed this one by as I have never heard of the maker, so glad I didn’t. BUT the sticker on the front made me take a second look, 10cm macro. Seriously, that couldn’t be true, 10cm?? What camera from the past or present has a 10cm minimum focal length? I thought it must be a translation error.
I had to try it. Once I got it home and took a closer look, I found it was no mistake.
I put in a CR123 battery and tried out the buttons. On top is a macro button which moves the lens and changes the settings. Inside the viewfinder are two guides for the different focal lengths. The “U” guide is really small. Holy moly, this might just be a stunning camera. But who is “macromax” and where does this camera come from….and does it actually work?
There is very little on the net, just a few “for sale” posts in the past, with varying prices. The main manufacturer seems to be a company called Goko, which specialises in microscopes. On their historical products page, they make this claim…
“These were the world-first and only camera series that provided 10-cm close-up shooting and 3x zoom in a single machine without attachments, which had not then been achieved by any SLR or compact camera….The Japanese Camera Industry Institute (JCII) selected our Z3000 as one of their Historical Japanese Cameras of 2000.”
Impressive, especially as it was over 15 years ago.
But did mine work? I decided to test the camera under a variety of conditions. I knew of a statue in a dark place that would make a great subject. It was in a building in a park, an opposite kind of environment. Off I trotted. Oh, and I took it to Mount Fuji, because I can 🙂
Yes! This camera is AWESOME! It really does have macro at 10cm, I was practically touching that statue. It is just so sharp. If you ever see one of these, buy it. Why are Goko not making cameras anymore? Why are they not more well known?
Great looking images of Fuji. Looks like a pretty cool camera.
Thank you, I have only ever seen this one example of this camera. If I find any more I will snatch them up.
You know from the right angle, the lens and the two viewfinder windows makes a ‘Mickey’.
Yes it does look like Mickey, now I like it more.