How to Pronounce that Camera Brand

Photography has long been a global marketplace, with Germany and Japan as dominant, long-time suppliers. Beyond sharing a wondrous industrial ability to manufacture precision optical devices, these two countries both have languages with sometimes difficult word pronunciation rules which elude many English speakers, particularly Americans like me.

So I though the list below might be of use. Please don't assume this is the final "word" on how to say certain brand names in their native language. I found this text in a folder from some old internet text file copies. The  attribution at the end states this text comes from an editor at Modern Photography around 1974. That would explain the inclusion of some brand names that were briefly popular during that time (for instance: Ehrenreich Photo-Optical company; the US distributor of Nikon).

Please don't send me a note arguing about the way to say any of these brand names. I'm not sure I agree, either. I mean, take a look at what's listed for Voigtlander. My mouth still hurts. Enjoy.

Accura - AH kyoo ruh
Adox - AY docks
Aetna - etna
Agfa - AHG fuh
Aires - EYE ress
Angenieux - ahn jhen YEW
Asahi - AH sa hee
Atoron - AH toe run
Baia - bah EE ah
Beaulieu - bowl YEW
Berthiot - bear tee YO
Beseler - BESS ler
Bewi - BEE wee
Bilora - bee LAU ra
Bolex - BO lecks
Braun - brown
Bronica - bu RON i ca
Brovira - bro VIE ruh
Canon - cannon
Capro - CAP ro
Carena - kuh REE nuh
Cinovid - SEE no vid
Contarex - CON ta recks
Copal - CO pah ru
Cosina - co SHEE na
Dacora - dah CO ruh
De Jur - duh Jhoor
Eclair - ay Clare
Edixa - eh DICK suh
Eumig - OY mig
Exakta - egg ZOCK tuh
Ehrenreich - AY ren reyesh
Fujica - FOO jee kuh
Fuji - FOO jee
Gevaert - GAY vart
Gitzo - JIT so
Gossen - GAH sin
Hasselblad - HAH sill blahd
Heitz - heights
Hektor - HECK tore
Heurtier - ER tee ay
Hexanon - heh KSA non
Hologon - ho lah GOAN
Horizont - go rih ZONT
Icarex - EE kar ecks
Ihagee - ee HAH gay
Jena - YAY nuh
Kako - KAH ko
Kilar - KEE lahr
Kindermann - KIN der mahn
Kodak - co DAK
Komura - KO mu ra
Konica - KO nee ca
Kowa - KO wa
Leica - LIE kuh
Leicina - lie SEE nuh
Leitz - lights
Liesegang - LEE zuh gahng
Linhof - LIN hof
Lubitel - LOO bih tsill
Mamiya - MA mee yah
Marubeni - mah roo BEH nee
Meopta - may OP tuh
Miida - mee EE da
Minolta - mi no ROO ta
Minox - MIH nocks
Miranda - mee Rahn duh
Mirrotach - mir ro TATCH
Multimage - mult ee MAHJ
Nikkor - nih KO roo
Nikkormat - nih ko ru MAH toe
Nikon - NIH kone
Nizo - NIT so
Norita - NO ree ta
Olympus - o LIM pus
Omega - o MAY guh
Mmnica - OM nih kuh
Opemus - o PAY muss
Optima - op TEE muh
Orwo - OR vo
Paillard - PIE yare
Pentax - pen TOCK soo
Pentacon - PEN tuh kahn
Petri - pe TO ri
Photomic - fo TAH mick
Perkeo - PEAR kee o
Planar - PLAH nahr
Pradovit - prah doe VIT
Praktica - prack TEE kuh
Praktisix - PRACK ti six
Regula - re GOO luh
Ricoh - ree CO
Rodenstock - RO den shtock
Rokkor - ro KAW roo
Rokunar - RO koo nar
Rolleiflex - RO lie flecks
Rowi - RO wee
Sakura - sa KOO ra
Samigon - SAH me gahn
Sankyo - sahn KYO
Schneider - SHNEYE der
Sekonica - say KO nih koo
Sekor - say KO roo
Sinar - SEE nar
Soligor - SO lee gore
Sonnar - so Nahr
Spiratone - SPY ra tone
Steinheil - SHTINE highl
Summicron - SOO mih crahn
Summilux - SOO mih looks
Susis - SOO see
Switar - SWEE tar
Takumar - TAH ku mah
Tamron - ta MU ron
Technika - tek NEE kuh
Telesar - TEL eh sahr
Telyt - tay LIT
Tessar - TEH sahr
Tessina - teh SEE nuh
Topcon - TO poo kon
Toshiba - TO shee ba
Ultima - OOL tee muh
Visoflex - VEE zo flecks
Vivitar - VIH vee tahr
Voigtlander - FAWCHT lahn der
Wratten - RAH tin
Xenar - ZEE nahr
Xenon - ZEE non
Yashica - YAH she Ka
Yashinon - YAH she known
Zeiss Ikon - tsice EE cone
Zenit - zeh NEAT
Zorki - ZOR kee
Zuiko - zoo ee KOH

Adapted from pp. 16, 76, June 1974, Modern Photography, David Miller.