Asahiflex | Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Asahi Optical Company, Asahiflex IIa with a Takumar f3.5 50mm lens. Japan’s first 35mm SLR film camera. Notice the film-like look of this image using a vintage lens.

The Asahiflex IIa (first image above) was photographed with a 1959 Auto-Takumar f/3.5 35mm lens mounted via an adapter on my Fujifilm X-T2.

On the left, Nicca 3-S 35mm rangefinder camera (1954) and on the right, the Asahiflex IIa (1955). Note the similarity between the two. Both used interchangeable lenses, but the Asahiflex allowed for direct through-the-lens viewing via the pop-up viewing hood.

The Asahiflex uses 37mm screw-in lenses, and the Nicca uses 39mm screw-in lenses, just like a Leica camera from the same period.

Expensive for the mid-1950s but not overly so.

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