Charles Frost -- Rangefinder Collection

Contents:

How I got started
Collection Criteria
Looking For
Collection list

The first rangefinder I used was my father's Contax IIA (with Sonnar 50/2 and Sonnar 85/2), which was really nice, but it doesn't meet the collection criteria. In Army Cadets I had the Corps' Olympus 35SP that I used for three years. Unfortunately I had to turn it in when I left for college. In 1977 I bought an Olympus 35RD and used it extensively for 15 years, even during my military field training I always had it with me, safely tucked inside my gas mask for quick action. Sadly it was damaged one day when a careless driver hit my camera bag with an army truck. Olympus said they couldn't fix it so I put it away. It still looks OK but the lens is seized. In the mid-90's I picked up a couple of Canons, and used them occasionally for concert photos and other events where I had to be really quiet. I also found a few Yashicas, Konicas and Minoltas, the common ones, in pawn shops and camera stores. Then in 2000 I got onto the eBay bandwagon and my purchases really took off. The more I bought the more I discovered I didn't have. I learned about brands I didn't even know existed, which surprised me because I used to hang around camera stores a lot. Perhaps some of them were never marketed in North America. I also found several store brands that were made by major manufacturers. Also I find it interesting that there are some major brands that are not going to make it into the collection, such as Nikon and Pentax. Originally I thought only one hundred cameras would fit my criteria, but now I have over one hundred fifty, with maybe a dozen to go. When I finally get them all I'll be able to rest!. But first I would like to make a much nicer web page with more data and photos of each camera. That's yet another project waiting labour (when I retire in 2012).

My collection criteria:

* 35mm full frame
* coincidence rangefinder (no AF, no zone, etc)
* Japanese manufacture
* post WWII (may be irrelevant since I have not encountered pre-WWII cameras with fast lenses)
* fixed focal length, non-interchangeable lens
* f/2.0 or faster lens
* no built-in flash

Notes:
may or may not be working
may or may not have case and other accessories
may be silver or black
store brand versions of name brands OK

Looking for:

Anything that meets the criteria that I don't already have, such as:
Canonet QL19 in black
Konica (Electronic) Auto SE w/ Hexanon 38/1.8
Mamiya Magazine with the f/2 lens
Minolta ALE, Minolta AL2, Minolta V3, Minolta Hi-Matic (original model with 45/2.0)
Ricoh 35L
Royal 35P
Taron VR
Wards 501 (tbc)
Yashica YK

Note that some of the above come in various versions, often with slower lenses than I am looking for.

With apologies to those who would like to be shooting with these fine cameras, here is the current collection: (the count is 154)

Aires 35-III (H Coral 45/1.9)
Aires 35-IIIC (H Coral 45/1.9)
Aires 35-IIIL (H Coral 45/1.9)
Aires 35-IIIS (H Coral 45/1.9)
Aires Viscount (H Coral 45/1.9)
Amica 3 (Tosicor 45/1.8) (Boots brand)
Amica Eyelux (Amicor 45/1.8)
Beauty Canter (Canter-S 45/1.9)
Beauty Lightomatic (Beauty-S F.C. 45/1.9)
Beauty Lightomatic II (Biokor-S 45/1.9))
Beauty Lite III (Biokor-S F.C. 45/1.9)
Beauty LM (Beauty-S F.C. 45/1.9)
Beauty Super L (Canter-S F.C. 45/1.9)
Beauty Super II (Canter-S F.C. 45/2.0)
Bell & Howell Canonet 17 (Canon Lens SE 45/1.7)
Bell & Howell Canonet 19 (Canon Lens SE 45/1.9)
Burstein-Applebee - B/A "Auto EE 1.8 Nichimen Supernar 45/1.8
Canon Canonet (Canon Lens SE 45/1.9)
Canon Canonet QL19 (Canon Lens 45/1.9)
Canon Canonet QL19E (Canon Lens 45/1.9)
Canon Canonet QL19 G-III (Canon Lens 45/1.9)
Canon Canonet QL17 (Canon Lens 40/1.7) (black)
Canon Canonet QL17 (Canon Lens SE 45/1.7)
Canon Canonet QL17 G-III (Canon Lens 40/1.7)
Canon Canonet QL17 G-III (Canon Lens 40/1.7) Brass
Cavalier EE Auto 35 (Peerotar 45/1.8)
Focal (K-Mart) ES Auto (C.C Focal 40/1.7)
Fujica V2 (Fujinon 45/1.8)
Fujica 35-EE (Fujinon 45/1.9)
Fujica 35-ML (Fujinon 45/1.9)
Fujica 35-SE (Fujinon 45/1.9)
Fujica Compact Deluxe (Fujinon 45/1.8)
Graflex Century 35NE (Prominar 45/2.0)
Graphic 35 Jet (Optar 50/2.0) crank-advance
Graphic 35 Jet (Optar 50/2.0) gas-advance
Graphic Century 35NE (/2.0)
Kallo (Prominar 45/1.8)
Konair 35 (TKC C. Super Color Sygmar 45/1.9)
Konica S (Hexanon 48/1.8)
Konica S (Hexanon 48/2.0)
Konica S II (Hexanon 48/2.0)
Konica Auto SE (Hexanon 38/1.8)
Konica Auto S3 (Hexanon 38/1.8)
Konica Auto S2 (Hexanon 45/1.8)
Konica Auto S (Hexanon 47/1.9)
Konica Auto S1.6 (Hexanon 45/1.6)
Konica IIA (Hexanon 48/2.0)
Konica III (Hexanon 48/2.0)
Konica IIIA (Hexanon 48/2.0)
Konica IIIM (Hexanon 50/1.8)
Konica Electron (Hexanon 45/1.8)
Lord 5D (Okaya Optic Highkor 40/1.9)
Mamiya/Sekor Super Deluxe (Mamiya-Kominar 48/2.0)
Mamiya/Sekor Super Deluxe (Mamiya-Kominar 48/1.7)
Mamiya/Sekor Super Deluxe (Mamiya-Kominar 48/1.5)
Mamiya Metra 2 (Mamiya-Sekor F.C. 48/1.9)
Mamiya 35 (Mamiya-Sekor 48/2.0)
Mamiya 35 Ruby (Mamiya-Kominar 48/2.0)
Mamiya unknown (Mamiya-Sekor F.C. 48/1.9)
Mansfield Skylark V (Cimenar 45/1.9)
Mansfield Skylark E (Tominor 45/1.9)
Minolta Hi-Matic 11 (Rokkor-PF 45/1.7)
Minolta Hi-Matic 9 (Rokkor-PF 45/1.7)
Minolta Hi-Matic 7 (Rokkor-PF 45/1.8)
Minolta Hi-Matic 7S (Rokkor-PF 45/1.8) (silver)
Minolta Hi-Matic 7S (Rokkor-PF 45/1.8) (black)
Minolta Hi-Matic 7SII (Rokkor 40/1.7)
Minolta Hi-Matic E (Rokkor-QF 40/1.7)
Minolta Hi-Matic ES (Rokkor-QF 40/1.7) (Kresge)
Minolta Electro-Shot (Rokkor-QF 40/1.8)
Minolta AL (Rokkor-PF 45/2.0)
Minolta Minoltina AL-S (Rokkor-QF 40/1.8)
Minolta V2 (Rokkor-PF 45/2.0)
Neoca S (Zunow 45/1.8)
Olympus Wide-S (H.Zuiko-W 35/2.0)
Olympus 35-S (G. Zuiko 42/1.8)
Olympus 35-S II (G. Zuiko 42/1.8)
Olympus 35DC (F. Zuiko 40/1.7)
Olympus 35LE (G. Zuiko 42/1.7)
Olympus 35LC (G. Zuiko 42/1.7)
Olympus 35RD (F. Zuiko 40/1.7)
Olympus 35SP (G. Zuiko 42/1.7)
Olympus 35SPN (G. Zuiko 42/1.7)
Olympus 35UC (G. Zuiko 42/1.7) bought from Rich Silfer over a year ago but he hasn't delivered yet... Anyone in touch with this guy?
Petri Racer (C.C Petri 45/1.8)
Petri Super K (A.C. Petri Orikkor 45/1.9)
Petri Super K (A.C. Petri Orikkor 45/1.9) different version
Petri 7 (Petri 45/1.8) Green-O-Matic
Petri 7s (Petri Amber C. 45/1.8) Circle-Eye System
Petri 7sII (Amber C. 45/1.8) Circle-Eye System
Petri ES AUTO (C.C Petri 40/1.7)
Petri E.Bn (A.C. Petri Orikkor 45/1.9)
Petri Computor II (C.C Petri 40/1.7)
Petri DeJUR (A.C. Petri Orikkor 45/1.9)
Petri Automate (A.C. Petri Orikkor 45/1.9)
Revue 400SE (Revuenon 40/1.7)
Ricoh 35 electronic (Color Rikenon 40/1.8)
Ricoh 35 L (S-Kominar 48/2.0)
Ricoh 519M (Rikenon 45/1.9)
Ricoh 520M CdS (Rikenon 48/2.0)
Ricoh 520M (S Kominar 48/2.0)
Ricoh Super Shot Electronic (Rikenon 43/1.7)
Sears ES 35 (Rikenon 43/1.7)
Sears RF5 (Rikenon 48/2.0)
Sears RF7 (Rikenon 48/2.0)
Sears Auto RF35 (Sears 45/1.8)
Supra V18 (Taronar 45/1.8)
Taron 35-III (aka MX) (Taronar C. 45/1.9)
Taron Auto EE (Taronar 45/1.8)
Taron Auto EL (Tosicor 45/1.8)
Taron Electro 1000 (Tosicor 45/1.8)
Taron Eye (Taronar F.C. 45/1.8)
Taron Eyemax (Taronar 45/1.8)
Taron Marquis (Taronar 45/1.8)
Taron Robin (Taronar F.C. 45/1.9)
Taron V18 (Taronar F.C. 45/1.8)
Taron VL (Taronar F.C. 45/1.8)
Topcon 35-L (Topcor 44/2.0)
Topcon 35-S (Topcor 44/2.0)
Tower 18A (Mamiya-Sekor F.C. 48/1.9)
Tower 18B (Mamiya-Kominar 48/2.0)
Tower 20B (Mamiya-Sekor 48/1.7)
Varicon SL 35 (Canter-S F.C. 45/1.9)
Viceroy Auto 35 (Vicar 45/1.8)
Vivitar 35ES (Vivitar 40/1.7)
Walz 35-S (S Kominar 48/1.9)
Walz Envoy 35 (S Kominar 48/1.9)
Walz Envoy M-35 (S Kominar 48/1.9)
Walz Electric 18 (S Kominar 45/1.8)
Wards am550 (Hexar 47/1.9)
Wards am551 (Hexar 45/1.8)
Wards ep504 (Hexanon 38/1.8)
Yashica Electro 35 (Yashinon-DX 45/1.7)
Yashica Electro 35 G (Yashinon-DX 45/1.7)
Yashica Electro 35 GS (Color-Yashinon DX 45/1.7)
Yashica Electro 35 GSN (Color Yashinon DX 45/1.7)
Yashica Electro 35 GT (Color-Yashinon DX 45/1.7)
Yashica Electro 35 GTN (Color-Yashinon DX 45/1.7)
Yashica Electro 35 GX (Color-Yashinon DX 40/1.7)
Yashica Electro 35 GX (Color-Yashinon DX 40/1.7) black
Yashica Electro 35 GL (Color-Yashinon DX 40/1.7)
Yashica Electro 35 PROFESSIONAL (Yashinon-DX 45/1.7)
Yashica Electro 35 CC (Color-Yashinon DX 35/1.8)
Yashica Electro 35 CCN (Color-Yashinon DX 35/1.8)
Yashica EE (Yashinon 45/1.9)
Yashica Lynx-14 (Yashinon-DX 45/1.4)
Yashica Lynx-14E IC (Yashinon-DX 45/1.4)
Yashica LYNX-1000 (Yashinon 45/1.8)
Yashica LYNX-5000 (Yashinon 45/1.8)
Yashica Lynx-5000E (IC) (Yashinon 45/1.8)
Yashica M (Minister I) (Yashinon 45/1.9)
Yashica 35 (Yashinon 45/1.9)
Yashica 35 YL (Yashinon 45/1.8)

A few of the above I have in both silver and in black.

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