Konica Auto S1.6 (1967)
The Konica Auto S1.6 is a 35mm rangefinder camera that debuted in 1967. It was Konica's entry in the large-aperture rangefinder race of the mid-to-late sixties. It was a revised, upgraded version of the popular Auto S2, and the two were sold side by side for a short time. The big change was the lens: a fixed Hexanon 45mm f/1.6 with seven elements in five groups, replacing the slower optic on the S2. That f/1.6 maximum aperture was fast for the era, and the lens earned a reputation for excellent rendering. The camera also got an improved Copal SVA shutter (B, 1 sec. to 1/500 sec.) and a flash hot shoe that the earlier model lacked.
Production was short. The S1.6 was offered for only about two years, which makes it the scarcer member of the Auto S family. Repairers should know the rangefinder is adjusted at two places, with a screw typically holding down the rangefinder mirror. One period repair write-up ends with: "Ahh…it feels good having another camera working."
Some things the record doesn't have. There is no confirmed original retail price. One source suggests the f/1.6 model sold for $20 more than the S2, likely landing around $119.50, but that's not verified. There are no dimensions or weight, and no battery or exposure-system details beyond the Copal shutter. One Italian museum lists a production year of 1978, which contradicts the 1967 debut documented elsewhere. The 1967 date is better supported.
- Lens: Hexanon 45mm f/1.6, 7 elements in 5 groups
- Shutter: Copal SVA automatic, B, 1 sec. to 1/500 sec.
- Focusing range: 0.9m to infinity
- Filter thread: 55mm
- Film: 35mm
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