Looking for a Chinon CEII or CE-3

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squirrel$$$bandit

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I recently got a CE-4 for nine dollars, and it's quite amazing--an incredibly compact camera! I would love a screwmount one--so if anyone has one of these that they are itching to unload, please let me know. It'd make a good companion to the Spot F I've been shooting with.
 
If you want a bargain, look for the GAF version on eBay, they go much lower (same Chinon camera, different logo).

The Alpa version brings crazy high prices.
 
M. Valdemar said:
If you want a bargain, look for the GAF version on eBay, they go much lower (same Chinon camera, different logo).

The Alpa version brings crazy high prices.
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Do you know what the model number is on the GAF? There is actually a CEII I'm watching right now, but the lowest bid price is $60 and it comes with a huge crappy zoom.

I've read that the Alpa version has a metal top plate...
 
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I just acquired a CE which is the model before the CE-II. It is much much bigger than my CM-3, which is the manual metering version of the CE-3. The CM-3 is just a tad smaller than a Spotmatic but feels heavier. The CE is a monster compared to a Spotmatic. Feels more like a Nikkormat.

The difference between the CE and CE-II is very slight. The later model has an internal eyepiece blind and an exposure memory button that locks rather than requiring constant finger pressure. Otherwise it seems to be the same body. The CE has a metal top. However the Alpa model (CE-II version) has a different shape.

I think the GAF version is called an LE-S. There is also a Sears version. I think it is called an ES-2000. One or the other appears on e-Bay at least once a month. I acquired mine from a seller in Great Britain.
 
You're right. I forgot about the Sears version. That one goes very cheap too.

pshinkaw said:
I just acquired a CE which is the model before the CE-II. It is much much bigger than my CM-3, which is the manual metering version of the CE-3. The CM-3 is just a tad smaller than a Spotmatic but feels heavier. The CE is a monster compared to a Spotmatic. Feels more like a Nikkormat.

The difference between the CE and CE-II is very slight. The later model has an internal eyepiece blind and an exposure memory button that locks rather than requiring constant finger pressure. Otherwise it seems to be the same body. The CE has a metal top. However the Alpa model (CE-II version) has a different shape.

I think the GAF version is called an LE-S. There is also a Sears version. I think it is called an ES-2000. One or the other appears on e-Bay at least once a month. I acquired mine from a seller in Great Britain.
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Ah, so the CEII is larger than the Spotmatic? That's no good, I'd just get an ESII in that case. I assume the CE-3 is the same size as the CE-4, I suppose that's the one I'm after.
 
My CE body (top deck to bottom plate) is a taller than my original Spotmatic and my Spotmatic IIa. The manuals say that the Spotmatic body is only 2 mm shorter, but that is a pentaprism top to baseplate measurement. The CE body weighs 760 grams while the Spotmatic IIa weighs 622 grams. The Spotmatic has a cloth shutter and it is a lot queiter. On the other hand the CE has higher shutter speeds and has automatic exposure.

Oh yes, if it matters, the CE has a an easy to use double exposure switch that turns itself off.
 
mabelsound said:
Ah, so the CEII is larger than the Spotmatic? That's no good, I'd just get an ESII in that case. I assume the CE-3 is the same size as the CE-4, I suppose that's the one I'm after.
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Do you have to have AE? if not, get the CM-3, it has a simple meter, way smaller than the CEII and just like any other similar Chinons, it beats any "Spottie" in lens compatibilities (and IMHO in everything else), wait until you experience the strangely short throw of the film advance. You'll get addicted :)
 
What is there with the CE-II?
It was my father's main camera for years and I got to use it quite a lot.
Quite a nice cam... until you take a meter reading. Then you have to push down the trigger with huge force, which has the double effect of shaking the camera (unless on a tripod) and darkening the viewfinder just when you do not want it.

With my first paycheck I bought a used SRT-303... I love preselection!
(I don't see how stop-down metering could work better on any M42 camera, by the way.)

No polemics intended, just curious to know what is so enjoyable in that particular camera!

PS: Down the road, I also owned a Leica M5 which has a similar metering issue built in: when you depress the trigger, you move the cell arm and the lightmeter goes wrong. But at least the viewfinder remained clear (much more so than any SLR) and you did not have to use a tripod to get a clear shot!!!
 
Actually the Minolta XD7 tried to give the best of both worlds: continuous light metering at full aperture (and with a very good focusing screen), and stop-down metering just before the picture is actually taken.

This made it worse than useless for me, as it entailed a 2/10 sec lag between trigger press and shutter actuation... :s
 
shadowfox said:
Do you have to have AE? if not, get the CM-3, it has a simple meter, way smaller than the CEII and just like any other similar Chinons, it beats any "Spottie" in lens compatibilities (and IMHO in everything else), wait until you experience the strangely short throw of the film advance. You'll get addicted :)
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Yeah AE is kind of the point...otherwise I'll shoot with my F, which I really love the feel of. The CM-3 is really better?
 
mabelsound said:
Yeah AE is kind of the point...otherwise I'll shoot with my F, which I really love the feel of. The CM-3 is really better?
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In that case, get a genuine, Pentax-made M42-to-K mount adapter. Then start hunting for Chinon CE-4s (make sure it's the 's' version with 1/2000th max shutter speed).

It's one of the best AE camera that vintage, just feels right and performs even better.
 
shadowfox said:
In that case, get a genuine, Pentax-made M42-to-K mount adapter. Then start hunting for Chinon CE-4s (make sure it's the 's' version with 1/2000th max shutter speed).

It's one of the best AE camera that vintage, just feels right and performs even better.
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I have both the adapter and the CE-4! The problem is that I have to use the SMC Tak screwmounts in stop-down mode...auto doesn't seem to work. I assumed the CE-3 was just like the CE-4 except screwmount, and auto mode for screwmount lenses. But perhaps I'm wrong about that.

I'd just go ahead and be perfectly satisfied with this arrangement were it not for the fact that these cameras are so damned cheap. I got the CE-4 for nine dollars.

If the CE-4 is simply a superior camera to the CE-3, I'll stick with it.
 
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I'm not familiar with these other Chinons, but my '80s CM-5 has been reliable for hundreds of rolls over the past 20 years I've owned it. It has a mechanical shutter, so the batteries are only for the meter, however, the batteries (2xLR44/SR44,A76, 1/3N, etc.), last years.

If Leica could ever make a camera with this reliable rewind, short advance, and long battery life, they'd really be on to something :D
 
ampguy said:
If Leica could ever make a camera with this reliable rewind, short advance, and long battery life, they'd really be on to something :D
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Ted, I'm glad you notice the short-throw advance lever too :)
Isn't that something?

I lamented the fact that Chinon gave up on producing cameras (and lenses), they have good designers and they don't skimp on quality.

But nowadays all I got is laughter when I showed them the Chinons, a guy genuinely thought it's a copy of Canon made in China... (sigh...)

I have a 28mm/2.8 Chinon lens coming this week, it's dirt cheap and from what I read about it, it's darn good.
 
I have three CM-3 bodies. One works, one is for parts and the other is a repair project. I'm not crazy about them. I just found them cheap and then needed parts.

The transition from 3 to 4 was essentially the M42 mount transition to K-mount. I think they are basically the same camera. Their weak spot is the film advance/shutter cocking mechanism. When they came out, power autowinders were the big marketing feature. All of my bodies had a missing power winder attachment cap. That measn they were used with winders. I think the winders caused excessive wear in the advance gearing. My two non-functioning bodies both have advance gear problems, one with possibly stripped gears and the other with a shutter that won't cock consistently and properly.

The Copal metal shutters are also louder than the Pentax cloth shutters, if that makes a difference.

I think Chinon still exists as Kodak's Japan operation. The Kodak digital cameras are made by the Chinon operations that Kodak purchased years ago.
 
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