Konica Auto S (1963–1966)
A 35mm coupled rangefinder camera with a fixed 47mm f/1.9 Hexanon lens and built-in CdS exposure meter, produced by Konica from 1963 to 1966.
Overview
The Konica Auto S is a 35mm rangefinder camera made by Konishiroku (later Konica) from 1963 to 1965? It belongs to Konica’s S-series of fixed-lens rangefinders, which later included the Auto S2 and Auto S3. Konica marketed it as an advanced compact for enthusiasts. It has a fast 47mm f/1.9 Hexanon lens and one of the first automatic exposure systems built around a cadmium sulfide (CdS) metering cell. It takes 135 film at a 24x36mm frame size and has a coupled brightline rangefinder for manual focusing. The body-mounted CdS meter runs on a PX625 battery and shows exposure information with a needle in the viewfinder.
Specifications
| Type | 35mm coupled rangefinder camera |
| Film Format | 35mm (135 cartridge), 24x36mm frame |
| Lens | 47mm f/1.9 Hexanon (5 elements in 4 groups?) |
| Shutter | Copal SVA ten-speed shutter; 1 – 1/500 second, B |
| Metering | Built-in CdS exposure meter with PX625 battery, hi-lo sensitivity switch |
| Viewfinder | Brightline viewfinder with coupled rangefinder patch |
| Production Years | 1963–1966 |
| Original Price | £49.15.8 (UK, June 1965) |
Context
The Konica Auto S was the first in Konica’s S-series of rangefinder cameras and one of the earliest 35mm cameras with automatic exposure via a CdS meter. The Auto S2 and Auto S3 followed it and refined its design and metering. Konica positioned it as a premium compact. It competed with other high-end rangefinders of the early 1960s and offered more automation than many of them.
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