Rangefinder Cameras

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Historic 35mm Rangefinder Cameras - A Selection from 1936 to 1969

The period beginning in 1930 was the transition to 35mm photography. Previously, larger image formats were dominant, using folding cameras with bellows, and with longer focal length lenses.

Beginning in 1930, and lead by the Leica and Contax compact 35mm rangefinder camera gradually displaced larger format cameras, and by 1950, the 35mm film size was king.

For 35mm photography, the rangefinder camera, again often based on the Leica designs from E. Leitz and the Contax cameras from Zeiss Icon was the dominant photographic technology.

This period also witnessed the growth of equipment and innovations from Japanese engineers and manufacturers. This was the precursor of the domance by Japan of photographic technology and innovation which persists to this day, both in film based camera, and progressively in digital imaging.

This site is intended to document this period, with interesting examples of technology, primarily from Japan, and to give the history of products and innovation. This period is one rich in new products and evolutionary improvements in 35mm rangefinder photography.

Beginning in about 1990, single lens reflex cameras and lenses emerged as the most rapidly growing photographic segment not only in professional, but also in the large amateur photographic market. This cycle favoring SLR photography continued for the remainder of the twentieth century.

Interesingly, since 2001, rangfinder cameras, featuring interchangable lenses for both film photography, and for digital photography have been progressively more important, and among serious photographers often equals the use of SLR equipment.

This site is devoted to this seminal period of 1936 to 1969, particularly in Japanese initiated technology. This is a rich and fascinating era.

Key Reference Sources:

Dechert, Peter. 1985. "Canon Rangefinder Cameras 1933-68": Hove Books Ltd, Small Dole, UK

HPR, 1994. "Leica Copies": Classic Collection Publications, London

Francke, Harald. 1991. "Canon Modern Classics": Hove Foto Books, Channel Islands

Small, Marc James. 1997. "Non-Leitz LEICA Thread-Mount Lenses": Wittig Books, Hückelhoven, Germany

Rotoloni, Robert. 1983. "The NIKON Rangefinder Camera": Hove Collectors Books, Hove, UK

Canon corporate history web site: Canon Museum

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/history/canon_story/1937_1945/1937_1945.html

Web Links for Rangefinder Cameras

http://www.imx.nl/home.html Erwin Puts Camera Site with excellent articles on Leica RF cameras and lenses and Canon SLR lenses and the history and trends of camera design.

http://www.dantestella.com/technical.html Has some interesting and thoughtful articles on Canon rangefinder and SLR cameras and lenses, as well as other rangefinder cameras and many more topics.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com is filled with interesting forum discussions on a myriad of topics

http://www.collection-appareils.com/general/html/francais.php fascinating site on many older rangefinder and folding cameras, both classics and forgotten or obscure companies and models. In both French and (often) English.

Some of the interesting old Japanese camera advertisements come from the fascinating site, with thanks:

http://www.remus.dti.ne.jp

A fascinating presentation by Katsuharu Takashima-san of the KOGAKU SEIKI's very rare, and perhaps uniqure Nippon camera, made for the Japanese Army, at the August 20, 2005 Nikon Kenkyukai Tokyo Meeting

http://akiroom.com/redbook-e/kenkyukai05b/kenkyukai200508.html

Fabulous show of Hansa Canons with supurb pictures

http://akiroom.com/redbook-e/kenkyukai06/kenkyukai200605.html