Konica I

<p>What do you call a pre Konica II? Anyway, I saw a nice one yesterday and it was MIOJ. Didn't ask the price but I probably should have. But, I was trying to be good and I do have a Konica II:-)</p>

<p>Probably a Konica "I", possibly made from 1948 in occupied Japan. See:<br>

http://elekm.net/pages/cameras/konica-i.htm</p>

<p>Though some sources suggest there was one other model, generally referred to as the "Konica", which may have overlapped this model, being produced from 1946-52. See:</p>

<p>http://www.konica-collector.com/rangefinder/rangefinder_old.htm</p>

<p>The early Konicas are nice little rangefinders if you don't mind being restricted to a single lens. I have a Konica III of which I am quite fond.</p>

<p>The history of the Konica I (properly called just Konica, but conventionally called Konica I nowadays to distinguish it from its successors) is made reasonably clear by the Camerapedia article on the series:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Konica_(I),_II_and_III_series">http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Konica_(I),_II_and_III_series</a></p>

<p>The pictures labeled "Konica" and "Konica I" at the konica-collector page that Rick referenced look to me like just different revisions of the same model. Aside from the shutter/lens assembly and the non-original red leather, they look pretty much identical.</p>

<p>What restraint. I can't walk by an old rangefinder without feeling all gooey inside.<g></p>

<p>Based on the Camerapedia writeup I would say that it was a Konica I Type B or C but I don't recall whether it was a 2.8 or 3.5. And, yeah, I know that gooey feeling. There was also an early Japanese 6x6 folder....</p>

Here's my Konica I page:

 

http://basepath.com/Photography/KonicaRF.php

 

--Marc