Chinon Auto 2001 (1987)

Name: Chinon Auto 2001
Brand: Chinon

At the flick of a sliding lens cover, it powers up like a forgotten robot ready to shoot.

Overview

Chinon sold it as a compact, easy-to-use camera for casual photographers. It is one of the mid-to-late 1980s autofocus fixed-lens compacts that put convenience ahead of manual control. The body is rectangular, with a sliding lens cover. Expose the lens and the camera powers up, cover it and the camera powers down. Owners note this as a simple, effective power saver. The lens is a newly designed 35mm f/2.8 with four elements in four groups, a standard field of view for everyday snapshots. The camera handles film winding and exposure automatically, so the user has very little to do.

Autofocus is an active infrared system with a range from 33 inches to infinity, a common method for budget cameras of the era. There is a cancelable auto focus memory lock. Focus on an off-center subject, lock, reframe, then shoot. The viewfinder is an inverted Galilean type with an integrated autofocus frame, giving basic framing and focus confirmation. Film speed is set automatically via DX coding, supporting ISO 50 to 1600, so the user never has to set it.

The Auto 2001 has drawn quiet attention from collectors and film shooters who like its clean design and simplicity. It sits in the transition between fully manual SLRs and the fully automated point-and-shoots that would dominate the 1990s.

Specifications

Manufacturer	Chinon
Model	Auto 2001
Camera Type	35mm camera
Picture Size	24 x 36 mm
Lens	Chinon 35mm f/2.8
Lens Construction	4 elements in 4 groups
Aperture Range	f/2.8 to f/18
Focusing System	Automatic active infrared focusing system from 33" to infinity
Focus Feature	cancelable auto focus memory lock; allows subject to be positioned
Finder	Inversed galilean finder with AF frame
Film Winding	Automatic
Film Speed Settings	50-1600 DX ISO
Battery Life	About 5 years if yearly 12 rolls of 24 exposure films are taken with 50% flash pictures

Key Features

Sliding Lens Cover with Auto Power Control

The sliding lens cover doubles as the power switch. Retract the cover and the camera powers on and is ready to shoot. Close it and the camera shuts down. That removes the need for a separate power button and saves battery life.

Cancelable Auto Focus Memory Lock

The infrared autofocus system has a memory lock that the user can cancel. This allows focus-and-recompose: lock focus on an off-center subject, then reframe the shot. It is basic by modern standards, but it gave more creative control than was usual in entry-level autofocus cameras of the time.

DX-Coded ISO 50–1600 Film Compatibility

The camera reads film speed automatically via DX coding, from ISO 50 to 1600. That range covers varied lighting without manual adjustments, indoors or out, with commonly available film stocks.

Historical Context

The Chinon Auto 2001 is closely related to the Kodak VR35 K14, which is documented as a rebranded and slightly modified version of the same camera. Sources indicate Chinon acted as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) for Kodak, building the technical core of the VR35 K14 under a different shell and branding. The two share internal specifications and functionality but differ in external design. This was common in the 1980s, when Japanese manufacturers often supplied hardware to Western brands.

Collectibility & Value

The Chinon Auto 2001 appears in collector valuation resources and is occasionally listed for sale on online marketplaces and forums. Listings often describe units as “for parts or not working,” and one gives “Battery Terminal Clean” as the reason for the malfunction. That suggests corrosion or poor contact may be a recurring issue. A replacement battery cover (part number 1631BOCS1018A) is available as a new spare part. It is not a high-value collectible, but it shows up in price guides and spare parts markets.