Kowa - first automatic diaphragm?

<p>The latest camera in my collection is a Kowa E.<br>

I've been reading the user manual, and found this claims the camera featured "the world's first instantaneous return diaphragm" (meaning it automatically closes and re-opens when the shutter is tripped).<br>

I was just wondering if anyone had insights into this. Was the 1961 Kowa really the first camera to do this?</p>

<p>It's a dubious claim, <strong>John;</strong> I've read this before and raised an eyebrow. Obviously, the earlier pressure activated diaphragms (PADs) as used on the Exaktas, Exas and early Mirandas pre-date the Kowa E, and my Miranda A has the 50mm Soligor f/1.9, a fully-auto lens dating from 1958. I'm sure there must be others, the Nikon F in 1959, for example.</p>

<p><strong>Rick</strong> - that's exactly what I thought, but I'm not in my era here (I was 2 when the Kowa was born), so I thought I'd ask. I just love these old manuals with their spelling mistakes, clumsy grammar, and fantastic boasts. They hark back to a bygone age when things were not so polished as today, and it's quite charming.</p>

<p>To further examine this claim: this Kowa has a leaf shutter. A leaf shutter goes through more activations than a conventional cloth/ horizontal metal or a vertical cloth or metal shutter. It could be possible that the claim may hold true for leaf shutters. If one thinks about it, the leaf shutters actually work much harder with more opening and closing as the shutter and iris are the one and only combined device with the mirror acting as a blind.</p>

Probably right, Paul. I can't think of any others.

<p><strong>Paul</strong> - an interesting twist. Yes I'd forgotten it's got a leaf shutter while the others are FP.</p>

Praktica FX-3, possibly?

<p>As did the Nikkors for the Nikon F in 1959.</p>

<p>Zunov 35mm SLR - 1958? Wish I had one!</p>

<p>Woops. Correction: Zunow</p>

<p>Canonflex 35mm SLR apparently edged out Nikon F by one month during 1959 with its early auto diaphragm Super-Canomatic lens (but not to become a popular camera model or lens).</p>

<p>One could say the original Zeiss Contarex was earlier with auto diaphragm than the Canonflex or Nikon F but apparently consumers couldn't see them in stores until early 1960. What a beast.<br>

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Fully auto diaphragm lenses on some cameras does not mean a lot in a practical sense unless the cameras feature instant return mirrors. Pentacon for example did not have a true / fully instant return mirror camera until its VF model of 1964. Although a Praktica FX-2 featured auto diaphragm capability via actuating pin inside the body, the camera itself blacked out its viewfinder until its shutter was cocked again and the mirror dropped down. I have a similar situation with my Minolta SR-2 using Auto MC lenses but maybe something is wrong with the camera (?).</p>

<p>With the FX-2: I should have indicated 'actuating mechanism' not pin. M42 lenses had the pin.<br>

Oh well, auto diaphragm lenses were at least a step in the right direction for more convenient operation.</p>

<p>I think on the Contarex the lenses are not fully auto, but stop down on shutter release, but only reopen when the camera is wound on. Some of them were preset too (250mm). Please correct me if I am wrong.</p>

<p>I have an original focal plane type 35mm SLR Contarex (not the much more popular Contaflex series with the lens shutter and black out viewfinder) and it works fully auto. Supposedly that first model was introduced to the press in 1958 but took awhile to get to consumers.<br>

The Contarex meets all the criteria that an over engineered, way too bulky, heavy, full featured and expensive camera that Germany was well known for....like some of their WWII tanks that the Russian tanks ran circles around. Not necessarily a fair stereotype across the board since the early Praktica SLR's in comparison were of rather humble origins, far more affordable and very manageable in size.<br>

Apparently by the time Germans got around to designing small body 35mm SLR's to meet the Asian competition it was time to move production elsewhere or close shop all together.</p>

<p>The first Zeiss Ikon Contaflex introduced in late 1953 featured automatic stop down of the lens aperture to the pre-selected f stop. The lens remained stopped down until the camera was wound on, at which point the lens shutter would open and the mirror would descend for reflex viewing through its wide open 45mm f/2.8 Zeiss Tessar lens.</p>