Konica T (1961–1963)
The Konica T was the world's first Japanese production 35mm SLR with a leaf shutter. Konica introduced it in 1961 and built it until 1963. It was their answer to the fixed-lens rangefinders of the day and the Retina series of leaf-shutter SLRs. It cost $129.95 with case in 1961, roughly $1,090 in today's money, and it was aimed at the enthusiast who wanted SLR versatility without the bulk of a focal-plane body.
Mechanically, the T is an odd hybrid. It's a fixed-lens SLR built around a 48mm f/2 Konica Hexanon lens with apertures from f/2 to f/16. The shutter is a Seiko-sha SLV leaf shutter running from Bulb to 1/500th. Because it's a leaf shutter, it gives full flash sync at every speed, which focal-plane cameras of the era couldn't do. The body looks almost identical to the Konica S2 rangefinder, except for the prism rising from the top plate.
The T has no meter at all. Exposure is entirely manual, and the controls are scattered. Aperture lives on the lens, shutter speeds are on the front of the body, and ASA is on the back, so you have to open the camera to change it. The viewfinder shows eight fixed shutter speeds (1/500 down to 1/4 plus B) and the aperture setting, but the speed values shown may not reach 1/500 in low light. The display simply doesn't show what isn't usable. One source describes the T as a stripped-down version of the Auto-Reflex without the meter, and the camera can be cocked to fire half-frame exposures, which anticipates the Auto-Reflex's half-frame capability.
Film loading uses Konica's "Insta-Grip" system. Owners who have shot the T speak warmly of it. One reviewer on Emulsive called it "a wonderful camera to shoot with," and said a roll through the T "makes me feel good." In practice, you'll be metering with an app or external meter, converting to aperture priority, then adjusting for shutter speed. The shutter must be cocked before the film advance will work, which confuses first-time users.
Surviving documentation is thin on the T's later life. There's no record of common failure points beyond one interrupted repair project, and no current market pricing has been tracked. Expect a purely mechanical camera with no battery dependence and a lens that benefits from a UV filter. The author of one source used a 55mm example, though that may have been on a different body.
- Type: Fixed-lens 35mm SLR, leaf shutter
- Lens: 48mm f/2 Konica Hexanon, f/2–f/16
- Shutter: Seiko-sha SLV, Bulb to 1/500, full flash sync
- Metering: None
- Film loading: Konica "Insta-Grip"
- Production: 1961–1963
- Original price: $129.95 with case (1961)
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