Any Chinon users out there?

[p.giannakis]

Hi guys,

I came across a Chinon CG-5 camera in a car boot sale which i got for a fiver (!) and i was so pleasantly surprised by the good quality of this camera. In my view they are very underrated cameras.

I was wondering, are there any Chinon users out there? What is your experience using these cameras?

 

[leicapixie]

i have a Chinon SLR.Don't know which model as paint faded away..
It has full manual speeds and a setting, where camera picks speed to aperture set. Says flash synch is 60 with symbol, but metal vertical shutter synch at 125th. Allows double exposure with same position lever, as on Nikon F3. i wrote on another query, this camera may have been used by counterfeiters, to make "Fake Nikon F3".
Very quite and smooth. K-mount accepts all my lenses. I wanted the 50mm Ricoh. The whole kit was $10.
Kodak bought the plant. In spite of name, it is Japanese.
Highly recommended.A real nice camera.

 

[wblynch]

...Kodak bought the plant...

Ah, so that explains the demise of Chinon

 

[JMQ]

I had a Chinon last night, and it's made of Cabernet Franc....yum...

 

[farlymac]

A friend of mine bought a Chinon many moons ago, and he was always harping about how he needed to get a different brand, a Canon or a Minolta. I asked him why, and he said that he couldn't get as good a photo as I could with my Nikons.

So one day I took him out on a little photo safari around town, and gave him a few pointers. After that, he quit complaining about the camera, because he started taking better photos. Probably still has it after all these years.

PF

 

[c.poulton]

I have a Chinon CE4 - my fathers old camera. Somewhat beat up and the focusing screen is damaged, however it works fine and paired with the Chinon 50mm f/1.7 (an underrated lens IMHO), makes quite a good walk-around camera.

Some shots taken with the Chinon here...

 

[johannielscom]

Had a Chinon Memotron CE-II.

Google it, really. Great camera.

M42 mount. Had fully electronic shutter to 1/2000th, both AE (also stepless intermittent speeds, like 1/1443th if necessary😱) and manual. Open aperture metering and focusing with ALL M42 lenses. Mirror lock up. Exposure comp too.

Also, black paint over brass, of strikingly similar quality to the black paint M3 I once owned.

I've backed out of M42 when simplifying my kit, or I would still have it. Built like a brick, tougher than a nail😎 so usable as a hammer😀

 

[leicapixie]

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2150557#post2150557

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2150557#post2150557

Unlike the M-42 ones, my Chinon all plastic.. well mostly.
My lens is a Ricoh 50mm. Great lens. I bought rig as my Pentax 50mm K-mount (made in China, all plastic mount) lost use of helicoid..That's why i stay with older cameras..and lenses.

The Ricoh is light, very nice to view thru finder.

 

[paulfish4570]

i got a cm-5 off the bay for $9.56 as a k-mount backup to my ME super. seals, bumper look brand new. meter is dead on, and the cam feels good in my hands. very nice viewfinder. the plasticky 50/1.9 is OK, maybe better than OK, but the pentax 50/1.4 will ride there usually ...

 

[shadowfox]

Sure, I use a Chinon CE-4s as the body for use with Pentax K mount lenses.
It's a solid camera with a distinct short-angle throw film advance lever.

 

[Thardy]

I have a Chinon SLR that I purchased in 1988 while in school. I needed to make to slides for a presentation. It should still work if I put new batteries in it.

 

[David Murphy]

I've owned both their lenses and bodies and I liked them - good buys, although they often need some servicing due to their age.