Konica F
Encyclopedia
The Konica F was the first 35 mm SLR
camera produced by Konishiroku
, released in February, 1960. It featured a built-in light metering system
to set the correct exposure
. The meter utilized a large selenium cell panel on the front of the viewfinder
prism to detect light levels. This type sensor cell generates its own small electrical current, so the metering system does not require a battery
. On the other hand, selenium cells are known to degrade over time, losing accuracy or eventually failing. Many cameras and handheld meters relied upon selenium cells at one time, but they were gradually replaced by CdS
and other types of cells that require a battery, but tend to give long-term reliability. Between 600 and 1500 total Konica Fs were produced, making it a highly sought-after camera.
Prior to the Konica F's introduction, a prototype of the camera was displayed at a photo show in Japan. At that time it was called the Koniflex 35. The Koniflex name had been used in the mid-1950s on medium format twin lens reflex cameras. A low cost Konilette 35 camera was introduced in 1959.
The Konishiroku shutter featured 1/2000 speed. This was the highest shutter speed attained to date in a 35 mm SLR camera. Typical cameras of the time commonly used 1/250 or 1/500 as maximum speeds. Some premium models used 1/1000. In late 1960, Canon released the Canonflex R2000, the second model to achieve 1/2000 shutter speed, but it still used the older, horizontally running, cloth shutter. No subsequent Konica 35 mm SLR camera ever featured faster than 1/1000 shutter speed. Most used the Copal Square variant of the shutter and many had 1/125 flash sync. There was even a Copal Square "Hi Syncho" used in the Konica T3 in the mid-1970s, known for its reliability.
The Konica F also featured a 1/125 flash sync, whereas other cameras of the time offered 1/30 to 1/60 sync.
Konishiroku had very limited means of distribution for the new camera outside Japan
. They were mostly sold by special order and through catalogs. A few years later, the company's 35 mm rangefinder cameras were sold under the Wards brand in the United States
. Montgomery Ward
was a major catalog seller of photographic equipment at that time, and many Konica items appeared in their catalogs during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The small number of Konica Fs on store shelves resulted in the model being largely unnoticed, with the Canonflex R2000 considered by many to be the first 35 mm SLR to achieve 1/2000 shutter speed, despite the Konica F preceding it by eight months.
The pentaprism was removable and could be replaced with an optional waist level finder. The focus
ing screen of the F has multiple focus aids: a fresnel focused light on a matte area, a diaprism, and a split image center spot. This wealth of focus was unusual for cameras 1960, and wasn't standard on another Konica until the mid-1970s.
There were four new Hexanon lenses offered along with the F. The normal lens was a 52 mm f1.4 with a 49 mm filter thread (a similar lens was offered later with a 55 mm thread). A wide angle
35 mm f2.0, and telephoto 85 mm f1.8 and 135 mm f2.8 lenses were also offered. The 35, 52 and 85 mm all had a linkage that juts out from the side of the lens, that inter-connects with a lever on the front of the camera, to register the lens' aperture setting with the camera's metering system. Because of this linkage interface, lenses sold with later Konica early mount cameras are not easily fitted onto the F, and vice versa, although they all share the same bayonet mount. In 1965, Konica introduced the Auto-Reflex line of cameras and lenses, which do not share the same bayonet mount as the F and its immediate successors, up to 1964's FM model.
The 135 mm Hexanon for the F had manual aperture
, but the other lenses featured what was referred to as "fully automatic" aperture in the 1960s. This is not as automated as apertures eventually became. At that time it meant the aperture diaphragm was held fully open during focusing, to make for a brighter viewfinder and render shallow depth of field
, both of which helped with focusing. Once the shutter release button was pressed, the aperture was allowed to snap down to the pre-selected setting, before the shutter opened to expose the film. Further, the aperture re-opened automatically after the shutter closed. All this happened in the instant the exposure was made, while the reflex mirror was also cycling up out of the way, then back down to the viewing position.
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
camera produced by Konishiroku
Konica
was a Japanese manufacturer of, among other products, film, film cameras, camera accessories, photographic and photo-processing equipment, photocopiers, fax machines and laser printers.- History :...
, released in February, 1960. It featured a built-in light metering system
Light meter
A light meter is a device used to measure the amount of light. In photography, a light meter is often used to determine the proper exposure for a photograph...
to set the correct exposure
Exposure (photography)
In photography, exposure is the total amount of light allowed to fall on the photographic medium during the process of taking a photograph. Exposure is measured in lux seconds, and can be computed from exposure value and scene luminance over a specified area.In photographic jargon, an exposure...
. The meter utilized a large selenium cell panel on the front of the viewfinder
Viewfinder
In photography, a viewfinder is what the photographer looks through to compose, and in many cases to focus, the picture. Most viewfinders are separate, and suffer parallax, while the single-lens reflex camera lets the viewfinder use the main optical system. Viewfinders are used in many cameras of...
prism to detect light levels. This type sensor cell generates its own small electrical current, so the metering system does not require a battery
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
. On the other hand, selenium cells are known to degrade over time, losing accuracy or eventually failing. Many cameras and handheld meters relied upon selenium cells at one time, but they were gradually replaced by CdS
Cadmium sulfide
Cadmium sulfide is the inorganic compound with the formula CdS. Cadmium sulfide is a yellow solid. It occurs in nature with two different crystal structures as the rare minerals greenockite and hawleyite, but is more prevalent as an impurity substituent in the similarly structured zinc ores...
and other types of cells that require a battery, but tend to give long-term reliability. Between 600 and 1500 total Konica Fs were produced, making it a highly sought-after camera.
Prior to the Konica F's introduction, a prototype of the camera was displayed at a photo show in Japan. At that time it was called the Koniflex 35. The Koniflex name had been used in the mid-1950s on medium format twin lens reflex cameras. A low cost Konilette 35 camera was introduced in 1959.
Features
The Konica F used a new design of Konishiroku-made shutter called the Hi Synchro (also High Synchro), the predecessor to the Copal Square shutter (descendants of which are almost universally used used in film and digital SLRs in the 21st century). Konishiroku produced a highly reliable, vertically running, metal bladed shutter. Although not a Copal shutter, the new technology was showcased in the Konica F. Contemporary cameras (and many later ones) were using horizontal running, cloth shutters and older designs that were less durable.The Konishiroku shutter featured 1/2000 speed. This was the highest shutter speed attained to date in a 35 mm SLR camera. Typical cameras of the time commonly used 1/250 or 1/500 as maximum speeds. Some premium models used 1/1000. In late 1960, Canon released the Canonflex R2000, the second model to achieve 1/2000 shutter speed, but it still used the older, horizontally running, cloth shutter. No subsequent Konica 35 mm SLR camera ever featured faster than 1/1000 shutter speed. Most used the Copal Square variant of the shutter and many had 1/125 flash sync. There was even a Copal Square "Hi Syncho" used in the Konica T3 in the mid-1970s, known for its reliability.
The Konica F also featured a 1/125 flash sync, whereas other cameras of the time offered 1/30 to 1/60 sync.
Konishiroku had very limited means of distribution for the new camera outside Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. They were mostly sold by special order and through catalogs. A few years later, the company's 35 mm rangefinder cameras were sold under the Wards brand in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
was a major catalog seller of photographic equipment at that time, and many Konica items appeared in their catalogs during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The small number of Konica Fs on store shelves resulted in the model being largely unnoticed, with the Canonflex R2000 considered by many to be the first 35 mm SLR to achieve 1/2000 shutter speed, despite the Konica F preceding it by eight months.
The pentaprism was removable and could be replaced with an optional waist level finder. The focus
Focus (optics)
In geometrical optics, a focus, also called an image point, is the point where light rays originating from a point on the object converge. Although the focus is conceptually a point, physically the focus has a spatial extent, called the blur circle. This non-ideal focusing may be caused by...
ing screen of the F has multiple focus aids: a fresnel focused light on a matte area, a diaprism, and a split image center spot. This wealth of focus was unusual for cameras 1960, and wasn't standard on another Konica until the mid-1970s.
There were four new Hexanon lenses offered along with the F. The normal lens was a 52 mm f1.4 with a 49 mm filter thread (a similar lens was offered later with a 55 mm thread). A wide angle
Wide Angle
Wide Angle is the debut studio album by British breakbeat trance producers Hybrid, and was re-released in 2000 as a double-CD edition entitled Wider Angle...
35 mm f2.0, and telephoto 85 mm f1.8 and 135 mm f2.8 lenses were also offered. The 35, 52 and 85 mm all had a linkage that juts out from the side of the lens, that inter-connects with a lever on the front of the camera, to register the lens' aperture setting with the camera's metering system. Because of this linkage interface, lenses sold with later Konica early mount cameras are not easily fitted onto the F, and vice versa, although they all share the same bayonet mount. In 1965, Konica introduced the Auto-Reflex line of cameras and lenses, which do not share the same bayonet mount as the F and its immediate successors, up to 1964's FM model.
The 135 mm Hexanon for the F had manual aperture
Aperture
In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are,...
, but the other lenses featured what was referred to as "fully automatic" aperture in the 1960s. This is not as automated as apertures eventually became. At that time it meant the aperture diaphragm was held fully open during focusing, to make for a brighter viewfinder and render shallow depth of field
Depth of field
In optics, particularly as it relates to film and photography, depth of field is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image...
, both of which helped with focusing. Once the shutter release button was pressed, the aperture was allowed to snap down to the pre-selected setting, before the shutter opened to expose the film. Further, the aperture re-opened automatically after the shutter closed. All this happened in the instant the exposure was made, while the reflex mirror was also cycling up out of the way, then back down to the viewing position.
- Category:SLR cameras