Help dating Sakura Konipan SS film

I just bought a Leica IIIF from a local auction site. By serial number it is made around 1955.

 

Inside the camera was a film canister labeled "Sakura Film Konipan SS", no hints to process, ISO or age.

A Google search tells me it is a black and white film @ ASA 100, apparently available in the late 60's judging by the expiry date of this example: No.724 SAKURA FILM KONIPAN SS 期限切れ「中古」の落札価格｜フィルム｜ヤフオク！ 落札相場- オークファン（aucfan.com）

 

The age of the roll is probably indicative of the last time the camera was used, and I'd be interested to know for how long this film may have been sold on the european market.

My interest in photography started in the mid 70's and I only recall Sakura selling color film in Denmark at that time.

 

Did anyone on photo.net use black and white Sakura Konipan SS in the 70's?

 

When I google, the first result is this page:

Konica film - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia

(The second result is your question here!)

 

ISO 200 according to camera-wiki.org, and, "In 1987, the Sakura brand was discontinued worldwide"

When I google, the first result is this page:

Konica film - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia

(The second result is your question here!)

 

ISO 200 according to camera-wiki.org, and, "In 1987, the Sakura brand was discontinued worldwide"

I noticed that as well, but the photos I linked to of boxes of Konipan SS are labeled ASA 100, so I think Wiki is wrong there.

When Sakura was discontinued in '87 it had a different logo, as far as I recall, closer to the Konica film that followed, so I am guessing that this particular canister is much earlier.

Just found this.

Mid 80's Sakura brand had a similar "K" as in Konica. It can be seen in the first image on this page:

konica-sakura-film - chensiu's Konica Hexanon AR Lenses

Scrolling down a bit, it appears that this logo was already in use in the late 70's

 

The cartridge in my camera pre-dates this logo, which leads me to think that my camera haven't seen use for more than 45 years

Just keep in mind that dating the canister doesn't definitively confirm when the camera was last used. The canister could arguably have been inserted into the camera last week.

"In 1987, the Sakura brand was discontinued worldwide"

I can't believe that's true.

Sakura lived on as Konica, and I'm pretty sure I was shooting some freshly-bought Konica 100 colour neg - since I really liked the way it scanned - after the turn of the Millenium.

 

In the UK, there was no sign of Sakura's B&W Konipan on sale in the shops in the 1960s and '70s. Nor advertised in any of the Photo magazines of that time.

Edited February 13, 2021 by rodeo_joe|1

Well, yes, Konica (and indeed later Konica Minolta) film was available until the mid to late "noughties". What the page says is that the Sakura brand was discontinued in 1987. Now I don't know if that's true or not (indeed I'd never heard of Sakura before yesterday), but, well, Konica-branded film is not Sakura-branded film ;-)

I can't believe that's true.

Sakura lived on as Konica, and I'm pretty sure I was shooting some freshly-bought Konica 100 colour neg - since I really liked the way it scanned - after the turn of the Millenium.

 

In the UK, there was no sign of Sakura's B&W Konipan on sale in the shops in the 1960s and '70s. Nor advertised in any of the Photo magazines of that time.

I used a bit of SakuraColor and Konica film in the 80's and 90's - but, like you, I have no recollection of Sakura BW.

When my interest in photography started in the 70's, I went to the library every weekend and had the Librarians bring me archived Danish photo magazines from the early 50's and forward, and I don't recall having seen any ads for Sakura BW film.

but, well, Konica-branded film is not Sakura-branded film ;-)

No, not exactly, but I'm pretty sure the small print on the Konica boxes said 'manufactured by Sakura' or at least mentioned Sakura somewhere.

 

Not that it matters much now.