Rare Mystery SLR.

[tunalegs]

If the USPS doesn't screw up, I should be in possession of an extremely rare SLR tomorrow. Japanese manufacture, introduced circa 1958 (1958 is the year given on the internet from a couple of sources, but I'm not entirely sure it's 100% correct). Rather advanced for its time with a fixed pentaprism, instant return mirror, bayonet lens mount, and fully automatic aperture operation.

Oddly, two Japanese cameras were introduced in 1958 with these features, neither from a large company. One is famous for its rarity. The other is rather more obscure because of it. I've been looking for over five years for an example; Indeed, a couple years go I even contacted Japan Camera Hunter, and he was unable to locate one for sale in Japan at the time.

Who thinks they can guess what it is?

 

[David Murphy]

Is it the legendary Zunow SLR?

 

[Coopersounds]

Zunow reflex?

 

[tunalegs]

It's not a Zunow. 🙂
I wish it were, (although I would have paid a lot more had it been) but somehow this forgotten oddball is more appealing to me.

 

[farlymac]

Yashica Pentamatic

PF

 

[tunalegs]

Yashica Pentamatic

PF

Much rarer than that.

 

[Swift1]

Miranda A?

 

[Tim Murphy]

Miranda A?

 

[Coopersounds]

tokiwa firstflex 35?

 

[farlymac]

I was a year late on the Pentamatic (1959), so the only other one I can think of is the Orion Miranda T.

PF

 

[Chubberino]

pentax k1000

 

[Swift1]

Rather advanced for its time with a fixed pentaprism, instant return mirror, bayonet lens mount, and fully automatic aperture operation.

This would point towards the Minolta SR-2... but is it all that rare...?

 

[Crazy Fedya]

Tokiwa Seiki Pentaflex?

 

[tunalegs]

tokiwa firstflex 35?

Ding Ding Ding! Give the man a cigar.

Not so glamorous as a Zunow, but strangely cutting edge for what it was.

I've got what is only the third example I've seen come up for sale since 2009 (and one of the other two was missing its Tokinon lens).

 

[Chubberino]

There's one on eBay for $400. Is it really that rare?

 

[Coopersounds]

cool. hope it turns out to be all you hope it is.

 

[Shac]

There's one on eBay for $400. Is it really that rare?

The 2 I found on the bay were going for $3,338.52 and $4,050.02 sp $400 would seem like a steal😱

Good for you tunalegs

 

[tunalegs]

There's one on eBay for $400. Is it really that rare?

Yes.

For example, In my collection I have a Cee-Ay 35, a camera that was produced for less than a year, production estimated to be maybe as high as 8,000 units (and possibly maybe only about half that). That camera is already less common than many cameras described on this forum as being rare. I have one, and I have seen them show up on ebay on average about once every year. I've been watching ebay for a Firstflex 35 for over five years, (and sporadically even earlier than that) and only three have shown up in that period of time - including the $400 one.

The 2 I found on the bay were going for $3,338.52 and $4,050.02 sp $400 would seem like a steal😱

Good for you tunalegs

Those are an earlier model, which strangely enough, I have seen more frequently than the 1958 version. Although still rather sporadically. One showed up on ebay about three years ago in Brazil. A waist level finder version showed up last year in the U.S., and this year two more pentaprism versions showed up, one in Europe and one in Japan.

Apparently a revised version on the 1958 model appeared in the early 1960s, but this one is even more uncommon, I've never seen one for sale, and they appear to have only been sold in Europe.

cool. hope it turns out to be all you hope it is.

Thanks. I don't have very high expectations, but I felt it would go along well with my collection of early SLRs, and its specifications and rarity made it intriguing to me.

 

[nhchen]

Is that the one with the exakta mount lens and only one or two shutter speeds? I found one a few years ago for about $30 or so on eBay, but never used it.
Nathan

 

[tunalegs]

Is that the one with the exakta mount lens and only one or two shutter speeds? I found one a few years ago for about $30 or so on eBay, but never used it.
Nathan

Was it located in Australia? That might explain how it escaped my notice. I don't think they were ever sold in the U.S. so I watched ebay Canada and UK, where I know they had been sold. I paid more for shipping from England than I did for the camera itself, I had feared a bidding war because the last one I saw, without lens, ended up going for rather a lot of money. In this case, rarity does not = $$$, there were only two others bidding against me.

If you dig it out, note the serial number. Known serial numbers from lowest to highest cover a span of less than 3000 units, assuming consecutive numbering.