Canon Canonet Junior (1963)

Name: Canon Canonet Junior
Brand: Canon

A simplified, auto-exposure rangefinder camera introduced as the more accessible sibling to the original Canonet.

Overview

The Canon Canonet Junior is a rangefinder camera Canon released in April 1963, two years after the original Canonet. It's part of the Canonet series, but it has no coupled rangefinder. You focus by zone, using preset distance settings. It was built for entry-level photographers, with automatic exposure that was uncommon at the time. The viewfinder shows focus symbols for common shooting scenarios - mountains, groups, or portraits - plus a meter needle showing the shutter speed the camera selected. The body is simple to operate but solid, and it feels heavy for its compact size. Canon marketed it as "The Simpler More Automatic Canonet."

Specifications

Lens	40mm f/2.8 optic
Film speed range	ASA 10 to 200
Shutter	Made by Seikosha
Weight	About 60 grams less than the Canonet (comparative only)
Dimensions	Slightly smaller and a little thinner than the Canonet (comparative only)
Viewfinder	Shows focus setting symbols for Mountains, a group of people, or a single person's head and shoulders. At the bottom is a meter needle indicating the shutter speed selected by the camera.
Focusing	Zone focusing using a distance scale on the lens, with detents at useful distances. No rangefinder or split image confirmation.
Exposure modes	In Auto setting, both aperture and shutter speed are automatically set. Off Automatic, only the aperture can be set. The camera works in manual or aperture priority mode. Shutter speed is selected by the camera at all times and cannot be set by the user.
Light meter	Selenium cell light meter wrapped around the lens.

Design

The Canonet Junior drops the coupled rangefinder, which simplifies the design for automatic operation. The film advance lever and rewind crank sit on top of the camera. The shutter is a Seikosha, made by Hattori Tokei-ten, a company that began manufacturing camera shutters in 1930. The body feels heavy for its size, which points to solid construction.

Context

Canon released the Canonet Junior as a more accessible alternative to the original Canonet. It was designed to be simpler and more automatic, aimed at novice photographers in an era when most cameras required full manual control. In the USA it was sold under license as the Bell & Howell Canonet 28, a convenient, entry-level 35mm camera.

Market

Shutters in the Canonet Junior can freeze up from hardened lubricant. The recommended fix is a solvent bath. Camera mechanics are complex, so this repair is not advised for inexperienced users.