Konica C35 Series

Those who know me well (photographically speaking), would be very surprised to find a Konica C35 series camera in my collection, for they are the most unlikely candidates for a space on my shelf. This is because I have rather strict criteria by which I judge those cameras that I would want badly enough to own, and the Konica C35 series is lacking in three features I normally won't live without: it doesn't have a ratcheted film wind lever, it has no over- or under-exposure shutter lock and, most damning of all, it has no manual exposure control to speak of.

And yet, I happily own, and use, two of these cameras, a beautiful black C35, and a later silver C35A with matching Konica X-14 manual flash unit. The fact of the matter is that these cameras are sleek, small and light, they look like what I envision a classic compact 35mm camera as being, and they are simply as fun a camera to use as any I've ever had. Even more important to me, these cameras had the unique Konica Auto Up CA close up lens accessory built for them, an automatic parallax compensating lens arrangement that allowed you to focus using the rangefinder and automatically compensate for parallax error all the way down to 20 inches…the only camera of its type that I know of that had this wonderful accessory (Konica also made the 49mm Auto Up 3 version to fit their highly successful Auto S3 and C35FD cameras; the 46mm Auto Up CA is strictly for the C35, C35A and C35V - it is not compatible with the Konica Auto S3 or C35FD cameras or vice versa; a 55mm No. 1 version was also made specifically for the venerable Konica Auto S-2 camera as well, identical in concept excepting that is screwed directly into the filter mount on the lens, not needing a clamping set screw as the other two models did); a photograph of one with it's original leatherette zipper case is shown below. These were by no means cheap little afterthought accessories: beautifully milled from metal, with real optical grade glass both in the lens mount and the viewfinder frame, they made the little Konica C35 series a class act. The assembly simply slips onto the end of the lens barrel, where a set screw clamps it into place; focusing through the rangefinder allows you to work within a range of 50cm to 100cm ((20 to 40 inches); it's even threaded to accept a filtre in combination with the close-up lens unit. When you consider that the vast majority of compact 35mm rangefinder cameras had a close focus limit of 3 feet, you can probably easily understand why I truly wish that Olympus and Canon had followed the Konica lead on this one. Perhaps surprisingly to some, these cameras produce wonderfully sharp, contrasty pictures.

The Konica C35 first came out around 1968, and was designed to be an inexpensive, easy to use camera for the masses; this does not imply in any way that the camera is "cheap" in terms of quality as it's all metal construction has allowed large numbers of them to survive the years gracefully: it is not unusual to see them in excellent to mint condition on eBay in the $40 - $80 price range. On the other hand, they weren't built for combat, so a modicum of care is suggested, as it would be for any fine photographic instrument. Because they were intended to be inexpensive, and thus, more readily accessible, some features later considered "standard" on other compact 35mm rangefinder classics were left off.

As mentioned previously, there is no exposure lock: this means that the camera will trip the shutter when the shutter release button is pressed regardless of whether there is enough light for a photograph or not; in addition, it also means that it is possible to shoot pictures with the lens cap on…ask me how I know this…

The film advance lever is not ratcheted; on the other hand, it is a sturdy, short throw lever that fully winds the film to the next shot in just over a 180 degree arc. The lever actually tucks in nicely on the top deck, fully flush with the back of the camera, leaving a very streamlined little package that is less likely to snag in a camera case or large pocket. On the other hand, once you've got the lever out and wind the first shot, it comes to rest in a classic "standoff" position that lends itself well to rapid wind and shoot sequences. When finished for the day, you can push the lever gently back to it's flush position, something I rather appreciate on this little camera.

There is no manual override of exposure control to speak of: the lens opening and shutter speed are programmed and chosen entirely by the camera. Commendably, Konica provides a full information viewfinder that shows both the shutter speed and the aperture selected in a vertical scale on the right side of the viewfinder, indicated by a floating black needle pointer. The top and bottom ends of the yellow scale have shaded red areas to indicate over- and under-exposure zones respectively, but as I've noted earlier, this doesn't stop you from firing the shutter: it simply requires you to pay attention when the needle wanders into these zones. The lower edge of the viewfinder will also pop up a small, bent arrow lightning symbol indicating that the flashmatic guide number system is engaged for automatic exposure with flash once a guide number has been selected and set on the function ring. Remarkable in this camera is the inclusion of a B for "bulb" time setting: when selected, the lens aperture defaults to F/2.8 and the shutter will remain open for long time exposures for as long as you hold the shutter release button down. The mechanical Copal shutter provided speeds range from a low of 1/30^th of a second up to an action stopping (and oddly numbered, for the day) 1/650^th of a second, while lens apertures ran from F/2.8 down to (an also unusually numbered, for the day) F/14. When the battery that powers the exposure meter and programmed setting selection dies, the shutter defaults to a mechanical 1/30^th of a second while the aperture defaults to F/2.8. Like most of the cameras of this type, there is no switch to turn off power to the exposure meter when not shooting: the camera relies on you, the shooter, to keep the lens cap on when not shooting in order to conserve battery power.

The lens is a wide 38mm Hexanon F/2.8 optic, and takes 46mm thread size filters; it focuses from a respectable 3.3' to infinity. Very much like the Olympus 35 RC, the CdS photocell is mounted in the lens barrel itself, although in the 12 o'clock position over the lens, providing automatic filtre exposure compensation; the ISO film speed setting window (marked in the old ASA and DIN scales) is at the 6 o'clock position. Setting the ISO film speed is identical in procedure to that of the Olympus 35 RC (and was similar to a number of compact 35mm rangefinders of the time): depress the heavily knurled (ridged) plastic ring surrounding the lens glass firmly, while rotating either left or right to set the ISO film speed from 25 up to 400. The ring clicks into place as the proper number lines up in the window.

The rangefinder is crisp, with the dual image lining up smartly, while the viewfinder is bright and the bright frame lines inside are easily seen. The lens barrel is deeply ridged for a good grip when quickly focusing; another nice touch is a molded plastic "thumb slip" for quick focusing, although I confess I tend to ignore it and just use the focusing ring in the traditional manner. The lens barrel has a deeply engraved index mark on it, easily visible; focus markings of 3.5, 5, 7, 15 feet and infinity are clear (there are no equivalent metric markings).

The function ring between the focus ring and the body of the camera allows you to set Bulb or Auto exposure modes, as well as guide numbers for the flashmatic flash exposure system. A small, spring loaded silver stud protrudes from the bottom of this ring; pressing down and holding this button unlocks the ring for rotation. The B(ulb) and Auto markings should be lined up with the main index mark on the lens barrel; guide numbers should be selected by lining them up with a smaller index mark just under a bent arrow lightning symbol (for flash). If, when selecting guide numbers (which are marked as 45, 90, and 180 in feet, with intermediate settings - again, like the focusing marks, no metric equivalents are provided) you find that you can't turn the ring far enough, simply move the focusing ring back to the Infinity setting and you should be able to easily set any of the marked guide numbers. Both the guide number and the Auto settings have click stop positions. Setting a guide number will, of course, disengage the CdS exposure system, and the proper lens opening for flash photography will be selected automatically based on the turning of the focusing ring: simply focus properly on your subject and it will be properly exposed (providing, of course, that it is within the proper range for flash photography based on the speed of the film you're using). The shutter automatically synchs with flash at 1/25^th of a second when the flashmatic system is engaged.

The shutter button on the top deck is thoughtfully threaded for a universal cable release, and evidences no play or slop at all: it is crisp and smooth in releasing near the bottom of its stroke. A sturdy hot shoe contact for flash is mounted in the centre of the deck, with the rewind knob on the far left end. The rewind knob also doubles as the film chamber back cover release: simply pull gently up on the rewind knob until the back pops open. On the left side of the camera is a standard PC synch contact, while the bottom deck has a coin slotted circular battery cover for the PX675 equivalent battery, a tripod mounting socket, and the universal rewind button (press to release the clutch before rewinding the film back into it's cassette: the button pops back out when the film door is opened again). To the left of the lens as you look at the front of the camera is a small silver self-timer lever: swinging it 90 degrees down to a horizontal position sets it for a mechanically timed, approximately 10 second delay - it can not be overridden once the shutter button has been tripped and the timer cycle started. The self timer lever is positioned a little bit to closely to the lens barrel for my taste: you have to pick at it a bit with your fingertip or use a fingernail to get hold of it. The later Konica Auto S3 angled the lever out a bit more from the lens barrel, making it much easier to set and use.

My overall impression on the first test roll I ran through it? It was small, light, felt good in the hand and was very easy to use: I quickly forgot what I was doing and allowed myself to concentrate on composition more than the technical side, and as a result, I enjoyed that afternoon's shooting a bit more than usual, I think. The Konica also allowed me to shoot one or two pictures with the lens cap on, which made me appreciate the exposure shutter lock on my other cameras that much more. My overriding impression, reinforced when I saw the beautiful quality of the photos that came from it, was that this is an extremely fun little camera to work with, and a great one for beginning photographers.

The only C35 cameras I've seen were in a lovely black finish; I don't know whether silver models were available.

The Konica C35A (for Automatic) is hard to distinguish from it's predecessor, the C35 until you look closely. There is a small metal nameplate set above the self timer lever with the word "Automatic" embossed on it, the "thumb slip" on the focusing ring is convex instead of concave, the markings on the lens barrel are slightly different, and the camera body itself seems to be just a wee bit thicker than the original C35. The C35A does not seem to be a significantly changed or improved camera in comparison with the C35, but rather, a more modernized version by the time it came out in the very early '70's. The feature set, function and layout is virtually identical with only these minor changes:

The C35A was made in large quantities, and is seen more often than any of the other C35 series models. It was available in both a silver or a black finish. In addition to the matching X-14 flash that was made for it (it could be used on any other camera as well), Konica provided the Auto Up close up lens and even an elegant, Ikelite ® underwater housing for divers. The X-14 electronic flash unit (later followed by the slightly larger, and more powerful X-20 flash unit of virtually identical styling) was a compact, straight forward little manual unit smaller than a pack of cigarettes. Powered by a pair of AA size batteries, it recycles fairly quickly at about 5 - 6 seconds on a fresh set. An easy to use chart on the back of the unit tells you the guide number (in feet) for a range of ISO film speeds from 25 to 1600, and provides the operating distance range for each of those settings as well. An orange neon "ready" light and a sliding On/Off switch are the remaining points on the rear of the unit. I found the unit to be handy, compact and easy to use, and more than powerful enough for the majority

of flash photography I would do with this camera. The X-14 connects solely via a hot shoe contact on the camera itself: no PC synch cord is provided. The C35A was available in both black and silver finishes.

The C35V was available in both black or silver finishes as well. Introduced at the same time as the C35A, it was designed to be the most economical, and thus, affordable camera of the series. As the photograph shows, the camera is distinguished more by what it lacks in terms of features that have been stripped out of it; however, it’s important to note that the body casting, lens, and the quality of manufacture are identical with the other models in the series. The C35V lacks a self-timer, as well as the flashmatic guide number system for automatic flash photography. Most noticeable of all is the lack of rangefinder focusing: the camera is zone and scale focusing only. The zones are delineated by pictogram symbols engraved on the focusing ring, with feet (no metric, again) markings for 3, 5 and 10 under each pictogram, and the Infinity symbol at the far end. Interestingly, while the camera lacks a rangefinder, the bottom left corner of the viewfinder (as viewed from the front of the camera, lens on) has a small, triangular window within the viewfinder mask. It appears to be a clever little prism or mirror arrangement that reflects the focus ring markings up into the viewfinder so that you can quickly focus with the camera to your eye. The function ring on this camera is marked in orange click stops for apertures ranging from F/2.8 down to F/16, along with an “Auto” setting; there is no ring lock mechanism. The "Auto" setting is self-explanatory: set to this position, the camera automatically sets the proper aperture and shutter speed, as does the C35 and C35A; however, when set to one of the marked F/stops, the little lighning symbol for flash setting appears in the viewfinder. The shutter is now set to flash synch speed, and the user manually selects the aperture appropriate for the flash to subject distance for the flash unit they are using. The C35V can be identified by the metal “V” nameplate on the body front, where the self-timer lever would normally be on a C35A model.

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