Happy SUNday! – Back to 1959

September 7, 2025September 12, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Three “new” cameras from 1959.
The Asahi Pentax H2 shown here in its Honeywell Heiland badges, the Canon Canonflex, and the Yashica Pentamatic ’35’. All three made their debuts that year, although the Yashica more formally in March 1960. The Asahi is the 4th pentaprism 35mm SLR after their original in 1957. The Canon and Yashica were their first-ever SLRs. The Asahi Pentax more or less set the standard for what a compact 35mm SLR would look like for the next decade. Not pictured with this trio is the Nikon F, which was also released that year.

Three gems from the late 1950s. These were the standard lenses that would have been attached as part of a ‘kit’.

This one is a beast! It’s about the same size and weight as the Canon F-1, which was released much later in March 1971.

Of the three, I think the Yashica has the cleanest design and looks the most modern for the time period.

It takes two hands to handle the Canon. The Canon’s lens is radioactive. Not quite enough to heat your dinner (I hope).

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Comments are always welcome; I’ve learned a great deal from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by. While there, visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios, hosted on Etsy). – Chris Whelan

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, is this blog’s property and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

A true first for Canon Camera Company – 1959

September 6, 2025September 6, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Canon Canonflex

Canon’s first 35mm SLR. This one is likely from late 1959 as the serial number is just below 6,000. If you have a chance to get your hands on one, you’ll see straight away that the build quality is top-notch. This one is in mint condition and, except for the slowest speeds, operates like new. The Canon Super-Canomatic R 50mm f/1.8 lens is crystal clear. It’s also an <E.P> marked body. It shares lots of DNA with my early F-1 from August 1971, which is also <E.P> marked.

Canon’s first 35mm SLR. Released in May 1959.

Although modern and advanced for 1959, it didn’t catch on. Sales were reported as being disappointing. It’s reported that just shy of 18,000 were sold.

My camera’s serial number indicates it was number 5,998 in the first production run. The prism is removable, just like the 1971 Canon F-1.

The film advance lever was mounted on the bottom. Unusual but not unheard of for the period. The <E.P> mark was somewhat common in the 1950s, especially on Canon’s rangefinder cameras.

It looks just like any modern Canon film camera through the 1980s.

A snip from the instruction book from January 1960.

It’s claimed that you could shoot and advance up to 3 frames per second!

Shared DNA. The Canonflex on the left and my Canon F-1 (1971) on the right.

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An elegant machine designed to capture light on film.

September 5, 2025September 5, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

From 1959. An Asahi Optical Company H2. Shown here with its North American market distributors’ engravings. No self-timer, accessory shoe, or light meter. A clean machine.

The Asahi Pentax ‘Original’ or just ‘AP’ as it came to be referred to. From 1957. Asahi’s first 35mm SLR with an eye-level pentaprism.

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Mamiya Classics

August 12, 2025August 12, 2025Chris and Carol 2 Comments

Mamiyaflex C2 and Mamiya 23 Standard
Mamiya’s big boys! (not pictured is the RB67 and 645 family)
I have the 6×9 back on the 23. The standard lens is the Mamiya-Sekor f3.5 90mm with a Sekosha-S shutter.
The 23 is an affordable option for 6×9 format, and of course, the Mamiyaflex C2 is one of the best early TLRs.
As pictured, the C2 weighs 1,596 grams, and the Standard weighs 1,999 grams without film.
I enjoy the 6×9 format and regret selling my Fujica GW-690.
The Standard’s date code is ‘FD’, which indicates that it was made in April 1966.
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Nikon L35AF Brochure – 1983

July 22, 2025July 22, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Nikon’s little gem of a compact point-and-shoot 35mm film camera.

If you can get your hands on a lovely, near-mint model, go for it! The lens, the autofocus, and the autoexposure can’t be beat.

Mine, but it just sold in my Etsy shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com.

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Canon F-1 Family

June 30, 2025June 30, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My original Canon F-1 from 1978 is on the upper left (with the motor drive)—the Canon O.D. F-1 is my most recent acquisition.

With their original instruction booklets.

With an early Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 chrome nose lens.

OD F-1. A limited edition olive drab version from early 1978.

My earliest model. The serial number indicates that this camera was in the first 20,000 built in 1971. It also has the <E.P> mark.

It’s one of my favorite 35mm SLRs in my collection.

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Happy SUNday! – I take an old friend out for a photowalk.

June 29, 2025June 29, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The Nikon L35AF was Nikon’s first 35mm autofocus camera. Its reputation is top-notch, which is the name it is known by in Japan – Picaichi. No swooping lines here, just a solidly built gem from the 1980s.

The Nikon features a super-sharp f/2.8 35mm lens.

Loaded with fresh Fujifilm 200. Not my favorite since Fuji dropped the better versions, but it’s still colorful and contrasty.

They came in two models. The first was an ISO 400, and the updated one was ISO 1000. This is the latter ISO 1000 one.

I just added this very nice, unused Canon CPS Think Tank camera bag to my Etsy camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Comments are always welcome; I’ve learned quite a bit from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by. While there, visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios, hosted on Etsy). – Chris Whelan

Asahiflex IIa – one of the original 35mm SLRs

June 19, 2025June 19, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

From Japan, released in 1955. The Asahiflex IIa was one of Japan’s first 35mm SLR cameras.

The Asahiflex IIa with a gorgeous Asahi-Kogaku Takumar f/3.5 50mm lens.

The Asahiflex had interchangeable screw-in lenses.

The Asahiflex IIa and a Nicca 3-S. The Nicca is from 1956.

This is a Leica IIIg from 1956. It was made in Germany and features a sharp Leica Summaron f/3.5 3.5cm lens.

It’s a great camera to add to any early 35mm camera collection, and there are plenty still available to collect.

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wordless wednesday

June 18, 2025June 18, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

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Contax Classic – 137 MD Quartz

April 8, 2025April 8, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

50th Anniversary Edition (1932-1982). It will be in my camera shop soon.

It can be used as a fully automatic exposure camera (just focus and shoot).

It will include all of the original paperwork and, as a bonus, both the English and Japanese user’s manuals and sales brochures. Watch my shop.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Comments are always welcomed, as I’ve learned quite a bit from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by, and while you’re at it, feel free to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios hosted by Etsy). – Chris Whelan

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Yashica cameras and so much more!

Category Classic Film Cameras

Happy SUNday! – Back to 1959

A true first for Canon Camera Company – 1959

An elegant machine designed to capture light on film.

Mamiya Classics

Nikon L35AF Brochure – 1983

Canon F-1 Family

Happy SUNday! – I take an old friend out for a photowalk.

Asahiflex IIa – one of the original 35mm SLRs

wordless wednesday

Contax Classic – 137 MD Quartz