Canon Celebrates 50 Years of SLR Innovation
Canon is celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the introduction of their first SLR – the Canonflex.
Introduced in May of 1959, the 35mm focal-plane shutter SLR camera used a high-quality, breechlock lens mount. The lens flange ring was turned to lock the lens onto the camera flange’s bayonet lugs. The lens flange and camera flange did not rub against each other like today’s lens mounts.
The camera used Super-Canomatic lenses which had a fast, fully-automatic diaphragm. A 130-degree winding trigger at the camera bottom enabled quick film advance. An external selenium exposure meter could also be attached.
The top-class 35mm camera market gradually shifted from rangefinder cameras to single-lens reflex cameras. The major reason was that SLRs could handle close-ups, photomicrography, duplication work, and other applications without being constrained by the limits of rangefinder camera lenses. When Canon introduced the Canonflex, there were already eight SLR models on the market.
The cost of the Canonflex in 1959 was 59,500 Yen (US$ 643). Quite a bit if money in those days!
Canonflex Specifications
- Type: 35mm focal-plane shutter single-lens reflex camera
- Negative Size: 24 x 36 mm
- Normal Lens: Canon R50mm f/1.8
- Lens Mount R mount: Dedicated bayonet (spigot) mount (inner dia. 48 mm) with three outer lugs
- Shutter: Two-axis, horizontal-travel focal-plane shutter with cloth curtains
- Shutter Speed: X, B, 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, and 1/1000 sec
- Timer: Built-in self-timer and shutter button lock
- Flash Sync: FP- and X-sync (automatic-switching sync contacts, X-sync speed of 1/55 sec)
- Viewfinder: Interchangeable eye-level pentaprism. 0.9x magnification, 92% vertical coverage, 94% horizontal coverage. Split-image rangefinder (diffraction grating)
- Exposure Meter: Aperture-reading selenium photocell coupled to the shutter speed dial. Metering range (at ISO 100) switchable between EV 10 – 19 (high) and EV 4 – 13 (low)
- Film Loading & Advance: After opening camera back, insertion onto spool. Advances with camera-bottom trigger. (130 single stroke)
- Frame Counter: Counts up. Resets automatically when camera back is opened. 1.5x loupe provided
- Film Rewind: Collapsible crank
- Dimensions & Weight: 145 x 100 x 49 mm, 940 g (body)
Want one for your collection? Try eBay:
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US $29.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Mar-14-2010 15:48:55 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
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