Canon Canodate E-N (1973)
At 32,000 yen, it wasn't cheap for 1973 - but that red "E" promised something new.
Overview
The Canon Canodate E-N is a 35mm compact camera with a built-in date-imprinting function. It was part of Canon's early push into consumer-friendly automation. It shares its lineage with the original Canodate E, introduced in December 1970, and the E-N arrived as a minor update three years later in 1973. The "N" stands for "New." It fits within the broader Canonet series of rangefinder cameras, but it treats date-stamping as a core feature rather than just optical performance.
The Canodate E-N cost 32,000 yen at launch, up from its predecessor's 27,300 yen. A dedicated case added another 2,500 yen. The camera runs on a PX640 battery, which powered the electronics needed to imprint the date at the moment of exposure. That was a novelty at the time. Users could log when a photo was taken without relying on memory or handwritten notes.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Canon |
| Original Price | 32,000 yen |
| Original Price (case) | 2,500 yen |
| Battery type | PX640 |
Key Features
Date Imprinting at Moment of Exposure
The defining trait of the Canodate E-N is its ability to imprint the date directly onto the film frame during exposure. This feature, while seemingly simple today, was a meaningful step toward photographic accountability and organization in the early 1970s. It catered to travelers, families, and professionals who needed to keep track of when images were captured, eliminating guesswork during later review.
Red "E" Nameplate Designation
The most noticeable update from the original Canodate E is the red-tinted "E" in the nameplate, a small cosmetic change. The body material isn't explicitly documented for the E-N. The change in lettering color suggests Canon used visual cues to mark the model iteration without overhauling the chassis. That fits the trend of minor annual updates common in Japanese consumer electronics of the era.
QL Quick Load Film System
The QL ("Quick Load") system is tied directly to later models like the Datematic. It simplified film loading by reducing the number of steps needed to thread the leader, which minimized the risk of exposure errors. The fact sheet does not confirm QL was implemented in the E-N itself. It is mentioned in the context of the Datematic, a direct successor. Whether the E-N fully incorporated QL or merely preceded it remains unclear.
Historical Context
The Canodate E-N emerged in 1973 as a follow-up to the original Canodate E, which debuted in December 1970. It was a minor revision rather than a complete redesign, focused on branding and internal refinements. By November 1974, it was replaced by the lighter, more compact Datematic camera.
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