Konica Auto SE?

I can't say anything from my experience. I'd skip it and go for either Konica Auto S or S2 because:
- SE looks like fully AE camera, basically it's P&S with manual focus (GN scale is for flash use). If electrical part doesn't work, I couldn't use it in manual mode.
- while I like clean top, advancing doesn't look very natural, but I may be wrong. In this layout (film goes backwards) I like thumbwheel on lower left corner.....Oh, it has mechanical motordrive. While it can be fun, it is another potential point of failure. I hope it's not loud like Metallica on tour.
- No DOF scale but as it's fully AE you can't directly control DOF so it would be useless anyway.

Lens could be similar to that in Auto S3, doesn't it?

I must admit it's interesting artefact, but personally I wouldn't reach for it. If you would save and use it, I'd sleep better knowing someone has done good to world.
 
I wasn't even close to thinking about buying it. I have far too
many "project cameras" as it is.

I was just interested in the model and its features and if anyone
had experience with it.
 
Never seen one i real life; they are quite rare. Motor driven, fully automatic (CdS based). First Konica to boast a standard hot shoe, and probably (?) the first to use the guide number flash dial (almost similar to the one seen on the C35s). Scale focus 38/1.8 - not sure about the number of lens elements - could be an early version of the 4-elements 38/2.8 later on the C35s or similar to the lens on the S3? Shutter speeds between 1/15 and 1/500.

Would be an nice display piece in my Konica collection, but most likely a price of 80 Aussie $ or more (40 & P&P alone to Denmark - ouch) + Danish taxes close to 100% - think I'll pass on this one 😀
 
Konica's rare shelf-queen

Konica's rare shelf-queen

The Auto SE was an expensive camera in its day, but a commercial failure offered for about a year in the US. Unique features included a spring-wound drive to provide automatic film winding, SEIKO ES electronic shutter, first Konica with a hot shoe, the great 38mm f1.8 lens later used in the Auto S3, and a built-in lens hood.

The spring wind could only accommodate 20 frame advances but in 1967 you could buy 35mm cartridges with 20 exposures.
The Auto SE used the odd MR-50 1.35v mercury cell and while there is a modern alkaline equivalent it is a higher voltage (1.55v) which would require recalibration or a very expensive converter (about $50 with post) that employs silver oxide 357 cells. The battery situation by itself should give you pause.

Camera techs have advised me that the Auto SE was very difficult to work on (read expensive to repair). More importantly there are no spares available with no workarounds possible. The camera used numerous film resistor strips with wipers for the electronics. Over the years the film resistor go open, fracture, or change resistance making a properly working Auto SE an extraordinarily rare bird indeed. If you can pick one up for about $10 as a shelf-queen conversation piece; go for it. Otherwise, keep walking. You'd be a lot better served by a durable Auto S3 or Auto S2 that provide great results reliably.

If your objective is to yield a working camera, the purchase price for an Auto SE would likely constitute a very small down payment on the final price. In my view the Auto SE is an answer to a question that few will ever ask.
 
As I see it; not knowing about a camera and being curious is a very good reason to buy one but the price has to be right and, as there are millions of them all out there, I mean dirt cheap.

By dirt cheap I mean the price of coffee for two as at that level I don't mind binning the things. And if they seem to work I buy the manual and read it before putting a film in. You can have a lot of fun and learn a bit doing this.

The only problem comes when you decide that you like the camera enough to keep it and discover how difficult and expensive it is to buy the OEM* lens cap...

Regards, David

* A good example is the Leningrad I bought years ago, got repaired by one of the few experts (long retired), and even found an English manual but I still haven't found a 42mm slip on ZOMZ logo lens cap.
 
Last edited:
davidde1000 said:
I did a little write up on this gem if anyone wants to take a look.

https://davidde.com/2021/06/26/the-konica-auto-se-electronic/
Click to expand...

That's a very informative and well done write up, thanks! I have two of these in a drawer, both with electronic failure. I wish there was a way to revive them, but with electronics from the sixties and no schematics available that's not going to happen. I love the design of the SE, so clean and elegant. The Electron is also a very elegant design.
 
Thanks! Have you talked to Konica repairperson Greg Weber? If he is not working on Auto SEs these days, he may have a copy of the service manual.

Kai-san said:
That's a very informative and well done write up, thanks! I have two of these in a drawer, both with electronic failure. I wish there was a way to revive them, but with electronics from the sixties and no schematics available that's not going to happen. I love the design of the SE, so clean and elegant. The Electron is also a very elegant design.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the tip! I was not aware of Mr. Weber, but I found his webpage. Maybe he could turn my two defective SEs into one working SE! 🙂
 
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