Released in 1959.Instant classic.I enjoy collecting the early Nippon Kogaku models with the ‘Fuji’ logo.Clean lines.Can it get any more recognizable than this?
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
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
Hi all! I have my last Canon Macrolite ML-1 electronic flash from my collection for sale. This one is the latest version from 1985. It will work perfectly with the Canon New F-1 as well as any of the earlier A-Series cameras. It’s in my Etsy camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com
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
My Asahi-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 lens set is shown with my Asahi Pentax 35mm SLR from 1957. The lens is from 1958. The lens is listed at 300 grams or 10.5 oz. My lens weighs 326 grams. There must be an error in the original weight, or my lens was modified by the factory after the first lenses were made.
It’s one of the first auxiliary lenses made for their new 35mm SLR camera.Asahi Optical Company’s first 35mm SLR with a pentaprism. This model was released in May 1957, and the lens followed shortly after in 1958.A snip from the instruction guide. This lens is the closest to mine in design.The earliest lens design had two chrome aperture rings.It’s shown here mounted to my Fuji X-T2 via an adapter.A test image. The equivalent focal length is about 200mm when used on a 1.5x crop sensor camera, such as the Fuji.There may be some light haze or cloudiness inside one of the lens elements, as this shot lacks contrast.Same shot with added “punch”.
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
The Canonflex was released in May 1959. It was Canon’s first 35mm SLR. The Yashica Pentamatic was Yashica’s first 35mm SLR, and it was released in March 1960. It was designed with the help of the recently acquired Nicca Camera Company in 1958. It’s safe to say that without Nicca’s help after the acquisition, the Pentamatic wouldn’t have come to market when it did.
Likely two cameras many have never seen.
As a collector of classic cameras, I appreciate these designs from the late 1950s.What makes them different keeps them the same. Both cameras feature sharp standard f/1.8 lenses. The Canomatic lens is reportedly radioactive. No evidence that the Yashica lens is also radioactive. The lens on the Yashica was made by Tomioka Optical for Yashica. The Canon lens was made by Canon.The Canon is a slightly larger camera than the Yashica. The Pentamatic is slightly more compact compared to the Canonflex. Its all-metal construction puts its weight right there with the larger Canon.Rear view. The serial number on the Canon indicates it was the 5,998th camera made. The Yashica was manufactured in August 1960 and was the 8,101st model produced up to that point in 1960.
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
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’.The most compact of the three.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).
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
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.
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
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.It still looks modern today.A classic.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.
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
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. www.ccstudio2380.com
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
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
Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris 