Smallest classic film SLR

[littleearth]

A mere curiosity since I really like small cameras !

I came across a cheap Konica TC-X recently, apparently built by Cosina and was surprised by how light (380g without battery) and tiny it is (130 x 84 x 45mm). Sounds like an interesting combo when paired with the pancake 40mm f1.8.

According to camerapedia "It was the first SLR to use a body completely cast of plastic, and the first camera to use the, then-new, DX encoding for film sensitivity."

Could it be the smallest 35mm film SLR ?

For comparison :
Olympus OM-1 (136 × 83× 50mm)
Pentax MX (135.8 × 82.5 × 49.3mm)
Nikon EM (135 × 86 x 54mm)
Contax 139 (135 x 85.5 x 50 mm)
Pentax ME (131 x 82.5 x 49.5mm)

 

[largedrink]

The Olympus Pen FT comes close:
127 x 69.5 x 62.5mm 600grams (with F1.8 standard lens)

 

[vagab0nd]

The Lomo Konstructor measures 127 x 75 x 51 without a lens and with the WLF collapsed, but it probably doesn't count as a "classic" SLR.

 

[CliveC]

According to the internets, the Canon T60 has the following dimensions: 136 x 86 x 46.5mm. It has a weight, including battery, of 365g. The camera was also built by Cosina. So a slight bit bigger, but also lighter.

Most FD lenses tend to unbalance the thing though.

 

[Colin Corneau]

What no Pentax MX with 40mm pancake lens? One of the tiniest if not the most.

The half-frames, I'd forgotten about! Would the Pentax 110 models count?

 

[CliveC]

What no Pentax MX with 40mm pancake lens? One of the tiniest if not the most.

The half-frames, I'd forgotten about! Would the Pentax 110 models count?

I say no. OP asked for smallest 35mm SLRs. The Olympus FT shouldn't really either, being half frame, but I guess it still uses 35mm film.

 

[MrFujicaman]

The Vivitar "XC" series-XC-2, XC-3 and XC-4 were roughly the same size as the Olympus OM-1

 

[Pál_K]

I was thinking of the Tessina, but it's a very small TLR and takes 35mm film, but it's image area is not 24x36mm

 

[littleearth]

According to the internets, the Canon T60 has the following dimensions: 136 x 86 x 46.5mm. It has a weight, including battery, of 365g. The camera was also built by Cosina. So a slight bit bigger, but also lighter.

Most FD lenses tend to unbalance the thing though.

Nice one ! Another tiny Cosina body. The last FD 50mm f1.8 is also very light and almost a pancake.

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

What no Pentax MX with 40mm pancake lens? One of the tiniest if not the most.

Pentax ME and ME Super were both smaller than the MX. So was the Pentax *ist, but that's not really a 'classic' SLR.

MX - 136 x 82.5 x 49.5 mm - 495 g
ME - 131 x 82.5 x 49.5 mm - 460 g
ME Super - 131.5 x 82.5 x 49.5 mm - 445 g
*ist - 122 x 84 x 63.5 mm - 335 g

 

[delible]

Smallest classic film SLR

OP asks: "Could it be the smallest 35mm film SLR ?"

Minolta Maxxum 5 = 127x87x60.5 mm weighing 334.5 gr.

 

[jsrockit]

I came across a cheap Konica TC-X recently, apparently built by Cosina and was surprised by how light (380g without battery) and tiny it is (130 x 84 x 45mm). Sounds like an interesting combo when paired with the pancake 40mm f1.8.

Sure does... very cool.

 

[littleearth]

OP asks: "Could it be the smallest 35mm film SLR ?"

Minolta Maxxum 5 = 127x87x60.5 mm weighing 334.5 gr.

If we consider the more modern plastic AF bodies, they are indeed the smallest/lightest, although thicker because of the grips.
The Pentax *ist is probably the smallest at 122 x 84 x 63.5mm and 335g.