Help identifying a camera

[laskadog]

So all of a sudden I've been obsessed with owning the same camera my dad had when I as a kid. After an intense interrogation of my mother (my father passed away years ago) I have the following clues:

1- 90% sure it was a Canon
2- Relatively sure it was all black. I remember it that way as well
3- Bought in 1969 or prior
4- Of course, it was a rangefinder
5- Manual focus
6- No flash

I looked through all our albums and found a picture that someone took of my father taking a picture. I scanned it and it is a very tight crop. The picture was taken in 1973.

Any guesses? Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Dave

 

[xayraa33]

Its hard to make it out from that photo but my guess would be a black Minolta Hi matic.

 

[daveleo]

Maybe a Canon P . . . that's what it looks like.
1958-61

Black version today goes for $2500-$3500 ! !


I don't think it's a Minolta Himatic, as they were not black back then.

 

[Greyscale]

If it was a Canon, you might find it here:

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/film/chrono_1966-1975.html?lang=us

 

[laskadog]

Got to rule out the Canon P. Wasn't interchangeable lenses. Also the gray rangefinder window over the lens is a big clue. It kind of looks like the Canonet but the wrong shape.

 

[xayraa33]

Maybe a Canon P . . . that's what it looks like.
1958-61

Black version today goes for $2500-$3500 ! !


I don't think it's a Minolta Himatic, as they were not black back then.

You could have bought a black Minolta Hi Matic 7s in 1966 and later very easily.

 

[laskadog]

Yeah, I just came across one on eBay and it looks very plausible. Also my father's finger seems to be more towards the center of the camera like a Hi Matic rather than the Canonet which is in the film advance. Hmmmmm. There also seems to be some writing on the top plate close to the focus patch.

 

[Greyscale]

I don't think it is a Canon. It might be a Konica C35 or a Hi-Matic, but it looks smaller than a Hi-Matic of that vintage. A clearer view of the rangefinder window would make it easier to rule Canon out.

Here is a C35 in black:


Black Konica C35 by Greyscale3, on Flickr

 

[laskadog]

Wow the Konica C35 looks really close. Everything fits. You can see the writing on the right of the camera looks a lot like it too.

 

[xayraa33]

Yeah, I just came across one on eBay and it looks very plausible. Also my father's finger seems to be more towards the center of the camera like a Hi Matic rather than the Canonet which is in the film advance. Hmmmmm. There also seems to be some writing on the top plate close to the focus patch.

The writing is suspiciously like the old Minolta logo.

Whatever it says; it seems to end with the letters t and a.

 

[Greyscale]

Wow the Konica C35 looks really close. Everything fits. You can see the writing on the right of the camera looks a lot like it too.

Plus, the Hi-Matic 7s or 9 would be pretty heavy to sling around with one hand like that. And "Konica" sounds more like "Canon".

 

[Greyscale]

Here is a Hi-Matic 9 (same body as the 7s) for comparison.


Minolta Hi-Matic 9 by Greyscale3, on Flickr


Minolta Hi-Matic 9 by Greyscale3, on Flickr

 

[laskadog]

I just called dear old mom and when I said Konica she lit up and said it is very possible. She hadn't heard that name in a long time but it was once familiar. I think she is confusing Canon with her first SLR, a Canon AE-1. Konica C35 fits so far.

 

[xayraa33]

The writing on the camera seems to spell out the name "Minolta".

 

[laskadog]

I found a good picture and overlaid it on my picture and everything really lines up. The writing, the focus patch and the lens all fit. Take a look. It is more obvious when you move the opacity slider in PS but it fits.

 

[xayraa33]

I found a good picture and overlaid it on my picture and everything really lines up. The writing, the focus patch and the lens all fit. Take a look. It is more obvious when you move the opacity slider in PS but it fits.

By the camera's upper corner edge going to the inside corner of the angled index finger pressing the shutter button, I would say the camera is bigger than the Konica C35 .

 

[johannielscom]

By the camera's upper corner edge going to the inside corner of the angled index finger pressing the shutter button, I would say the camera is bigger than the Konica C35 .

That's what buge me too. Otherwise this would have been a good candidate:


Chinon 35EE by Mike Caine, on Flickr

Think 'Chinon' sounds even more like 'Canon' than 'Konica' does

 

[laskadog]

Indeed. The Chinon is very similar. My mother is now almost sure that it was a Konica. The mind can play tricks though so...

I'm not sure I understand Xayraa33's explanation though.

 

[agi]

Here's a photo of my black Hi Matic 7sii for comparison.

That said it could also be the Vivitar 35es which is a variant of the 7sii.


My Black Minolta Hi Matic 7sii Rangefinder by alapan (agi), on Flickr

 

[Greyscale]

The 7SII would be a good guess, but it came out 5 years after the photo was taken. All of those compact C35 clones (including the C35) were actually built by Cosina, I believe.