Canon RFs in Australia

[Turves]

I am interested to find out about Canon RangeFinder cameras in Australia.
Sorry to the overseas RFF its not a nationalist thing.

How did they get here, somebodys father, or ebay?

I found my first Canon in a junk shop in Footscray, the shops gone now. I dropped in and asked the lady running the place if she had any old cameras, she brought out an old suit case full of leather cases.

One of the first ones I picked up was a Canon turned out to be an S-11. The covering has shrunk, the lens is loose and the shutter needs to be replaced. But it shines up well. I quickly put the strap over my shoulder and looked through the rest which were less beautiful. Besides i had just been made redundant and had to conserve my dollars.

Later I got another job, bought some lenses and another Canon. Got a Canon 'P' from jiri in Japan on ebay. It has the traditional shutter wrinkle and I am hunting for lenses.

But I wonder how this Canon S-11 got to Australia. Was it a service man or a business man in Japan? Was someone selling them in Melbourne in the early 1950s? The ebay one is a no brainer it caught a jumbo jet to Australia.

I imagine that others have a better story of how their Canon got here, more verifiable. I would be interested to hear your story.

Or why how is it that you love the Canons over other rangefinders. Is it because you can afford it and not a Nikon S1! Or is it about the style or a long attachment with Canon cameras in general?

 

[airds]

Ask Peter, he knows everything else 🙂

http://www.canonrangefinder.servehttp.com/

and of course read his book
http://rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86539

 

[CanonRFinder]

Hi,

Most early Canon RF cameras came down to OZ or NZ via the Australian and New Zealand military personnel/units who were attached to the British Occupation forces after the cessation of WWII and the surrender of Japan in September/October 1945.

Some of these BCOF (British Commonwealth Occupation Forces) units were attached or designated areas close to some of the camera making factories and Seiki Kogaku was one of them. This is one reason why there have been a number of NS and J-II cameras turning up here in OZ and NZ. I do have an interesting article that appeared in the NZ camera collector’s club magazine "De Ja Vue" about this subject.

Some time ago I purchased from a camera shop in Sydney a very early J-II with the first commercial 5cm f/3.5 Serenar #8011 attached. I have also purchased at least three S-II models from the Photographic Trader (an OZ camera mag with great articles on early cameras).

I am not sure but I think that the first Canon RF camera to officially come into OZ was the IVSB in 1956 with the agent being H Bleakly Photographic P/L based in Sydney.

Most if not all early Canon cameras found in OZ have had no military markings so I guess they were purchased direct from the factory or an outlet in Tokyo or Korea.

Again I am not sure but the US Military tax free PX stores were for the use of the US Military personnel only.

This is one area I will have to do some more research. Peter

 

[Turves]

Thanks Peter that sounds a bit like the S-11 that I have (we communicated on it back in 2009). It has no MIOJ details on the base plate but old enough to have been brought to Australia by somebodys father stationed in Japan.

As I recieved your book last monday I will have to examine the lens and see which one it is. The book is quite beautiful and the content contains extraordinary detail.

I expected a few more posters on this thread, but maybe there is not as many Canon Rangefinder owners and users out there around Australia. I did find another Canon RF user when I created a thread in the one on Books regarding your book.

So thanks again and for signing number 188.

 

[Never Satisfied]

Hi Turves, my Canon P and most of my lenses came from far away places sourced from eBay, but my first RF lens being a Canon 50mm f1.8 I bought at the Camberwell Camera market years ago from an old Asian dude who had just closed down his shop, it was NOS with a genuine filter, I still have it.
The Camera replair guy at the Camera Exchange in Lonsdale Street, worked for Canon Aust in the 70's, he's a great recource.
Andrew.

 

[Bill Snell]

This from Popular Photography November 1957. Bleakley's also sold IV-s2 for 133/10/-
Ausie pounds. Canon Guides were on sale in 1956 as was the IV-S2. Regards.

 

[jmilkins]

My P (no wrinkles) and 50/1.4 and case came from ebay, but was bought locally from a family whose grandfather had had it "forever". The other items were international auctions (one b/c of the RFF "heads Up" thread) or KEH.

My copy of Peter's book is #185, and it will likely arrive tomorrow. Can't wait!

 

[Turves]

Pounds

Pounds

This from Popular Photography November 1957. Bleakley's also sold IV-s2 for 133/10/-
Ausie pounds. Canon Guides were on sale in 1956 as was the IV-S2. Regards.

Thanks Bill thats a great old advertisement. Thats a lot in pounds in those days. That was the year before I was born, my old man could never have afforded something like that on a railway mans wage.

They would have been a pretty exclusive item to buy locally. No wonder service men grabbed them when they could if based in Japan.