Konica EE-Matic Deluxe 2 lens question

[Greyscale]

I received a Wards rf450/Konica EE-Matic Deluxe 2 a couple of days ago, and I'm not certain if it is complete or not. The lens has two front elements in front of the shutter and aperture, but no rear element behind the aperture. This doesn't look normal to me, but not much about this odd little camera does look like anything that I am familiar with.

There are threads in the rear of the lens assembly that looks like something should be screwed into it, but the aperture is open to the air through the back of the camera. It just looks wrong to me.

 

[fotobiblios]

The lens should be the very competent 3 group, 4 element Tessar-type Hexanon 40f2.8

 

[Greyscale]

It is a 2.8 42mm on the Deluxe 2, and apparently missing that third (rear) group, then. What a shame, it seems like quite a nice camera otherwise.

I will shelf it and see if a junker comes up on auction, so I can make it complete in the future. Everything else seems in working order on it. It is a really pretty camera.

 

[Greyscale]

I'm really curious if this lens could be a triplet lens with all three elements in front of the shutter. I wish I had a known working example that I could compare it to. If anyone reading this has this camera, could they please peek in the back and tell me what they see?

 

[Greyscale]

Nope, no such luck. Wishful thinking. Hard to find much info on this, but found some spec info on an Italian site:
"lens Konica "Hexanon" four elements in three groups with 42mm focal length"

 

[estudleon]

I had this cam. The last element is loosed. If you like it, good. But if you are looking to first class konica RF (and there are, of course) you may watch: IIIS; AUTO S; S2; S1,6; The S3 has an oustanding lens, but it´s a horse of different kind.

The tessar type konica is a very good lens. But the EE matics were the bottom line of konica RF cams.

Good luck.

 

[Greyscale]

Thanks. I suppose some previous owner must have removed it, maybe there was a fungus issue, there was one small spot of fungus on the periphery of the front element. I bought this camera as part of a lot, I was very happy with the other camera in the lot (a beauty of a Hi-Matic E) so no great loss if I don't get this one working. I do have a KAS2, and like it very much. I also previously owned a C35 Automatic, which I thought was a fantastic little cameras. I also have several Konica P&S cameras, which are also very good, Konica has never disappointed me.

 

[Brian Levy]

Why not run a roll of cheap film through it and view the results. That will answer your question.

 

[ludoo]

Put a piece of frosted adhesive tape in the back, acting like a ground glass. Then put the camera on B, lock the shutter open, and check if things are in focus as they should.