Konica (Konishiroku) camera company
This is a Koni-Omega Rapid, a medium format rangefinder press camera that shoots 6cm x 7cm images on 120 and 220 roll film. The Koni-Omega Rapid is the successor to the original Omega 120 made by Simmon Bros Inc in 1954, which itself was based off an earlier military camera…
This is a Konica FS, a 35mm single lens reflex camera made by Konishiroku Photo Industries, Ltd in Tokyo, Japan between 1961 and 1964. The Konica FS was the follow-up to the poor selling, but highly innovative Konica F from 1960. It was a simpler camera without an exposure meter…
This is a Konica Z-Up 80RC Limited, a fully automatic “bridge” camera made by Konica of Japan starting in 1989. This camera was the top model in Konica’s long line of Z-Up cameras all featuring zoom lenses in fully featured point and shoot cameras. There were several variants of the…
This is a Konica Auto S1.6, a 35mm rangefinder camera made by Konishiroku Photo Industries starting in 1967. The Auto S1.6 is a revised version of the earlier Auto S2 with a slightly faster 7-element f/1.6 lens, an improved shutter, and a flash hot shoe. It was the final model…
This is a Konica Auto-Reflex, a 35mm SLR camera produced by Konica of Japan starting in 1965. This model was the first in Konica’s long lived Autoreflex series and is the only one with a hyphenated name. It is also the only model that can seamlessly switch between shooting full…
I love prototypes! The promise of seeing concept models featuring designs or technologies that never came to be is very appealing as it offers a glimpse into what could have been. My recent post about a 53 page booklet from the Eastman Kodak company showed off some prototypes of cameras…
What is it? This is a Konica III, a 35mm rangefinder made by Konishiroku Photo Industries in Japan between the years of 1956 to 1958. As the name suggests, this camera is a third in a series of compact, solid bodied, 35mm rangefinder cameras made by Konishiroku. The entire Konica…
This is the Konica AiBORG super-zoom point and shoot camera. It was introduced in September 1991 as the world’s first moving frame auto focus camera. Loaded with many buttons, a large LCD screen, and a joystick, it was a very ambitious camera boasting a wide array of features and shooting modes…
What is it? This is a Wards am551 rangefinder camera sold by the Montgomery Wards chain of department stores. This camera is a rebadged Konica Auto S2 which was a very nice Japanese rangefinder of the mid 60s. Back in those days, it was common for major American department stores…
