David Murphy
Veteran
Peter can you or anyone else here tell me what this "TE" marking on my Canon P means? Is this something special special? Apparently Google searches indicate there are at least a handful of other P's with such a marking.
Canon P mystery
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xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
If it is not some ones initials, I would guess TE means tax exempt similar to the EP marking on cameras sold in PX stores.
David Murphy
Veteran
Thanks, that's the best theory I've heard yet. It is unlikely to be someones initials since about three of these "TE" marked P's (to my knowledge) have been reported to exist.
pdek
"Dekkam" as was
TE marking not done by Canon
TE marking not done by Canon
Thanks for the question. I don't know the answer. But I can say that the typeface used for the "TE" is not one of Canon's normal ones.
I don't believe that "TE" stands for "tax exempt", simply because such a usage has never been recorded elsewhere.
My best guess is that the three Ps in question were part of a batch acquired by some sort of organization whose initials may have been "TE", and that these markings were applied simply to specify ownership. They were put on the accessory shoe because this part is easy to remove, engrave, and reinstall, and there's no danger of defacing the rest of the camera by mistake.
But who knows for sure?
Peter D
TE marking not done by Canon
David Murphy said:Peter can you or anyone else here tell me what this "TE" marking on my Canon P means? Is this something special special? Apparently Google searches indicate there are at least a handful of other P's with such a marking.
Thanks for the question. I don't know the answer. But I can say that the typeface used for the "TE" is not one of Canon's normal ones.
I don't believe that "TE" stands for "tax exempt", simply because such a usage has never been recorded elsewhere.
My best guess is that the three Ps in question were part of a batch acquired by some sort of organization whose initials may have been "TE", and that these markings were applied simply to specify ownership. They were put on the accessory shoe because this part is easy to remove, engrave, and reinstall, and there's no danger of defacing the rest of the camera by mistake.
But who knows for sure?
Peter D
jmilkins
Digited User
Intriguing. David do you know if the other TE Ps were close in serial number to yours? That might add weight to a "fleet" theory of company bought cameras...
pdek
"Dekkam" as was
I don't have any such list myself; my answer is just a sort of semi-informed conclusion. Peter D
CanonRFinder
Well-known
HI Peter,
I have recorded four [TE] cameras #769864, # 771684, #773019 & #773139. I agree with your summation that it would be some company that used a number of cameras such as a newspaper group. Peter K
I have recorded four [TE] cameras #769864, # 771684, #773019 & #773139. I agree with your summation that it would be some company that used a number of cameras such as a newspaper group. Peter K
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raid
Dad Photographer
I have found online TE Canon P cameras with serial numbers starting with 773XXX which suggests a batch or group of cameras set aside for TE engravings.
Terao
Kiloran
My TE marked P is 766168
qwu_us
Member
I saw a canon P with black paint has TE mark on it. The TE mark was painted over. This is likely one of "fake" black canon Ps. it seems to suggest that TE was engraved in the factory.
raid
Dad Photographer
Not necessarily so; maybe TE stands for some company name, and at one stage the camera was painted black by someone.
qwu_us
Member
Raid,
My ignorance. I did not know that people paint their canon P black all the time.
My ignorance. I did not know that people paint their canon P black all the time.
raid
Dad Photographer
I have such a black painted Canon P. You can tell that it was painted black later on. The original Black Paint P is rather expensive.
Bill58
Native Texan
Adding more to the mystery, the "TE" company must've been in the Western world as I can't imagine a Japanese company putting English alphabet letters on their "fleet".
qwu_us
Member
While we are talking about engraved canon P, I am wondering anyone here has a canon P with cherry blossom on the top.
januaryman
"Flim? You want flim?"
I recall reading somewhere that TE was Tax Exempt for military. Can't recall WHERE I read that, but, for what it's worth...
dexdog
Veteran
IIRC, those are supposed to be cameras issued to the Japanese military, and are quite the collector's item.
elgreco
Member
Hi David,
See here for some more details : http://canoncamera.ifrance.com/index.htm
See section "special markings / engravings"
Pictures are mainly from a japanese seller named jiri_e.
In addition : I have seen a Canon P marked TE serial 774054 sold yesterday (item 290316688178 on the auction site) and the original documents stands that the camera and its accessories have been bought in Tokyo in 1963. The mistery is not yet solved...:bang:
Sorry 😉
ioannis
See here for some more details : http://canoncamera.ifrance.com/index.htm
See section "special markings / engravings"
Pictures are mainly from a japanese seller named jiri_e.
In addition : I have seen a Canon P marked TE serial 774054 sold yesterday (item 290316688178 on the auction site) and the original documents stands that the camera and its accessories have been bought in Tokyo in 1963. The mistery is not yet solved...:bang:
Sorry 😉
ioannis
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qwu_us
Member
Just saw another TE Canon P on sale from Japanese Yahoo.
qwu_us
Member
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