Canon S-1

[brobbins]

Hi Peter,

I saw this interesting camera on Ebay: http://tiny.cc/CanonS1. I was wondering if you had a view as to whether the camera was a Canon S or a Canon S-1, and if in your view the difference is meaningful. I am a user, not a collector, but I am interested in the history of these cameras.

Thanks,
Brett

 

[harry01562]

I'm not Peter, but I believe I can answer the question. The camera is a postwar issue, and clearly an S-I. This is indicated by the standard lens, which is the correct 50/3.5, and especially by the serial number. All of this is detailed in the indispensible Dechert book, which is easily found by a Google search for "Canon Rangefinder Cameras Dechert". It frequently appears on eBay, and has gone through a least 2 printings. The publisher, Hove Photo Books, is not defunct.

The other books on the history of Canon and its' cameras are more difficult to find. A couple of excellent ones are written in Japanese, and one is almost impossible to obtain, therefore quite pricey. Peter Kitchingman is planning on a series of 3 books (lenses, accessories, cameras), but only the 1st is well on the way to release. I believe the one on cameras is the last to be done, and is probably several years away.

The camera offered is possibly cheap at the $3000 price, but the current US economy prevents me from even thinking about a purchase. As mentioned in the description, it is probably recovered, but that isn't a major issue with these cameras, and won't have a major effect on price.

Harry