Could the Vivitar be the longest production run of a film camera?

[rbsinto]

And it's still in production with two known badges -- Nikon and Vivitar! As long as there is film, there will be a market for a "student camera" (though I take exception to this positioning... That camera was so very simple and zen to shoot... And took great pics!)
Cosina has the world-wide film "student camera" market to itself. Kobayashi san is one smart cookie.

Cameras don't take great pictures. Photographers do.

Well he did after the dies for the Pentax K1000 body became so worn out that they could no longer be used to produce it.

 

[charjohncarter]

Freestyle had them in their catalog a few years ago. Maybe they still do.

Actually, what more do you need?

 

[NickTrop]

The K1000 was better made -- or was it? Holding the two side-by-side in a camera shop decades ago, I prefered the ergonomics of the Cosina. It was lighter, and while not "built like a tank" it is still being used over 25 years after purchase in "nearly new" condition. AFAIK the Pentax max shutter speed was 1000, the Cosina was 2000. Also, I prefer the simple + * - exposure system to "chasing the needle". I both agree and disagree with your comment about "the camera". Of course, it's the photographer taking the pics, but gear certainly has something to do with it -- especially the lens. However, the degree this is a factor is overstated.

 

[NickTrop]

Freestyle had them in their catalog a few years ago. Maybe they still do.

Actually, what more do you need?

Nothing, really. I shot that camera for years and years with just a 50. Didn't even bother with other lenses. I kinda miss those days.

 

[Archlich]

The C1 chassis continued to work its way into the Zeiss Ikon. The Cosina-made rangefinders are quiet enough after whatever tweaks they made to the design - and of course none of them has the mirror to slap.

 

[Taipei-metro]

same camera


2,

3,
above 3 took from flickr.com, please click picture to go to original author

and my Ricoh, same camera, shot w my canon dslr, canon 18-55

by taipeimetro


by taipeimetro

Yes, the Vivitar 3800 is the most hansome one!

 

[Dante_Stella]

Everyone and his uncle took that basic Cosina body and had it re-branded and equipped with their particular lensmount: Canon T60, Yashica FX-3, FX-3 Super, and Super 2000, the Nikon FM-10 and FE-10, the Olympus OM-2000, Konica TC-X, various Vivitar models, Phoenix and a few others that I can't remember or find.

Unless that Cosina has a plastic chassis, it's not a Konica TC-X, which also takes a AAA battery, shutter-priority AE, and a shutter speed dial coaxial with the winding lever. The Konica seems to have been a one-off plastic fantastic.

Dante

 

[Taipei-metro]

A couple of years ago, you can buy these brand new from Map Camera, Tokyo,
Kenko KF M1, KF 2N
My First Film Camera Kenko KF-2N by CaDs, on Flickr

But these could be made in China...
video of 2n
https://youtu.be/X0wUSF-OAls

 

[Particular]

I'd like to see a Vivitar/Yashica/Kenko/Phoenix/Canon/Konica/Olympus/Nikon/etc. parts mash-up resulting in a working camera. Not sure what mount it should have though.

 

[Ranchu]

Now I'm thinking of a rangefinder K1000.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Perhaps we need a thread about all the different variations on a basic body/chassis...

Then we could drag in the Leica, Minolta, Olympus, Panasonic variations on a P&S theme.

Regards, David

 

[rybolt]

The Whack the Bottom Method works sometimes but if you have one of these that it doesn't work with you can do this:
Remove the base.
Gently move the film advance lever. You will see that one lever is impeding it's movement. With a thin, flat screwdriver move that lever just enough to let the film advance lever complete the travel. This resets the camera in many instances. I've sold literally hundreds of those cameras to schools and fixed almost as many using this technique. It takes 2 minutes and works about 75% of the time.

 

[rbsinto]

The K1000 was better made -- or was it? Holding the two side-by-side in a camera shop decades ago, I prefered the ergonomics of the Cosina. It was lighter, and while not "built like a tank" it is still being used over 25 years after purchase in "nearly new" condition. AFAIK the Pentax max shutter speed was 1000, the Cosina was 2000. Also, I prefer the simple + * - exposure system to "chasing the needle". I both agree and disagree with your comment about "the camera". Of course, it's the photographer taking the pics, but gear certainly has something to do with it -- especially the lens. However, the degree this is a factor is overstated.

I'm also a fan of the +o- exposure system, which is why I love my F2AS and FM-2 viewfinder displays.
I really can't speak to which of the two cameras was better made as I've never used either, but agree that the Cosina (and it's various incarnations) usually had more useful features than the K1000.

As for the gear business, for me its the lens, but even more so what's between the ears that are the two most important bits of gear.
Bodies? Fancy light-tight, film holding boxes, that are equipped with a number of useful features that aid in the taking of photos.