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  Concise History of the 35mm SLR
  How to Buy a Camera on eBay
  Single-Lens Reflex Cameras (1954 article)
  Cameras Ordered by New Price
  The 13 Most Important 35mm Film SLRs
  Disassembling a Minolta SRT201
  Japan 16, Germany 1, Game Over

Cameras By Year
  Ansco No. 4 Model C - 1905
  Kodak Vest Pocket Model B - 1925
  Argus A - 1936
  Ihagee Kiné Exakta - 1936
  Kodak Retina - 1937
  Argus C3 - 1939
  Kodak 35 RF - 1940
  Kodak Medalist II - 1946
  Leica IIIc - 1946
  Konica (I) - 1948
  Polaroid Model 95 - 1948
  Zeiss Ikon Contax S - 1949
  Nikon S - 1950
  Zeiss Ikon Contax IIa - 1950
  Canon III - 1951
  Ihagee Exa - 1951
  Ihagee Exakta Varex VX - 1951
  Praktica FX - 1952
  Zeiss Ikon Contaflex - 1953
  Ansco Anscoflex - 1954
  Asahi Asahiflex IIb/Tower 23 - 1954
  Leica M3 - 1954
  Asahi Pentax Original - 1957
  Kodak Retina Reflex - 1957
  Zeiss Ikon Contarex - 1958
  Canon Canonflex - 1959
  Nikon F - 1959
  Olympus Pen - 1959
  Praktica IV - 1959
  Minolta SR-1 - 1961
  Minolta SR-7 - 1962
  Miranda DR - 1962
  Nikon Nikkorex 35-2 - 1962
  Nikon Nikkorex F - 1962
  Taron Marquis - 1962
  Canon Dial 35 - 1963
  Kodak Instamatic 100 - 1963
  Konica FP - 1963
  Nikon Nikkorex Zoom 35 - 1963
  Olympus Pen F - 1963
  Topcon RE Super - 1963
  Asahi Pentax Spotmatic - 1964
  Leicaflex - 1964
  Topcon Auto 100 - 1964
  Konica Auto-Reflex - 1965
  Nikon Nikkormat FT - 1965
  Canon FT QL - 1966
  Canon Pellix QL - 1966
  Rollei 35 - 1966
  Kodak Instamatic Reflex - 1968
  Pentacon Praktica LLC - 1969
  Traid Fotron III - 196?
  Canon F-1 - 1971
  Olympus OM-1 - 1972
  Olympus OM-2 - 1975
  Asahi Pentax ME - 1976
  Canon AE-1 - 1976
  Konica C35 AF - 1977
  Polaroid SX-70 Sonar One Step - 1978
  Nikon EM - 1979
  Olympus OM-10 - 1979
  Olympus XA2 - 1980
  Asahi Pentax ME-F - 1981
  Canon AL-1 - 1982
  Minolta Maxxum 7000 - 1985

Cameras By Maker
  Ansco No. 4 Model C - 1905
  Ansco Anscoflex - 1954
  Argus A - 1936
  Argus C3 - 1939
  Asahi Asahiflex IIb/Tower 23 - 1954
  Asahi Pentax Original - 1957
  Asahi Pentax Spotmatic - 1964
  Asahi Pentax ME - 1976
  Asahi Pentax ME-F - 1981
  Canon III - 1951
  Canon Canonflex - 1959
  Canon Dial 35 - 1963
  Canon FT QL - 1966
  Canon Pellix QL - 1966
  Canon F-1 - 1971
  Canon AE-1 - 1976
  Canon AL-1 - 1982
  Ihagee Kiné Exakta - 1936
  Ihagee Exa - 1951
  Ihagee Exakta Varex VX - 1951
  Kodak Vest Pocket Model B - 1925
  Kodak Retina - 1937
  Kodak 35 RF - 1940
  Kodak Medalist II - 1946
  Kodak Retina Reflex - 1957
  Kodak Instamatic 100 - 1963
  Kodak Instamatic Reflex - 1968
  Konica (I) - 1948
  Konica FP - 1963
  Konica Auto-Reflex - 1965
  Konica C35 AF - 1977
  Leica IIIc - 1946
  Leica M3 - 1954
  Leicaflex - 1964
  Minolta SR-1 - 1961
  Minolta SR-7 - 1962
  Minolta Maxxum 7000 - 1985
  Miranda DR - 1962
  Nikon S - 1950
  Nikon F - 1959
  Nikon Nikkorex 35-2 - 1962
  Nikon Nikkorex F - 1962
  Nikon Nikkorex Zoom 35 - 1963
  Nikon Nikkormat FT - 1965
  Nikon EM - 1979
  Olympus Pen - 1959
  Olympus Pen F - 1963
  Olympus OM-1 - 1972
  Olympus OM-2 - 1975
  Olympus OM-10 - 1979
  Olympus XA2 - 1980
  Pentacon Praktica LLC - 1969
  Polaroid Model 95 - 1948
  Polaroid SX-70 Sonar One Step - 1978
  Praktica FX - 1952
  Praktica IV - 1959
  Rollei 35 - 1966
  Taron Marquis - 1962
  Topcon RE Super - 1963
  Topcon Auto 100 - 1964
  Traid Fotron III - 196?
  Zeiss Ikon Contax S - 1949
  Zeiss Ikon Contax IIa - 1950
  Zeiss Ikon Contaflex - 1953
  Zeiss Ikon Contarex - 1958

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Page updated
26-July-2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 Japan 16, Germany 1, Game Over                   
      

The 35mm rangefinder and SLR business was all Germany's before the war, and mostly through the 1950s, too. But by 1960 photographers wanted SLRs, and that part of the business was taken over by Japan. By 1970 Germany hardly had a camera industry at all.

As good a way as any to see this shift while it was happening it to look at the comparison chart of SLRs printed by Popular Photography in its 1961 Directory issue (click on it to see it bigger):

Click image to zoom

There are 56 SLRs listed: 34 European, 21 Japanese, and one that I can't identify (the Colorflex Deluxe). Of the 21 Japanese SLRs, 16 had instant-return mirrors, including all of the newest models from the major Japanese manufacturers. Only 5 European cameras had instant-return mirrors, and 4 of those were Swiss Alpas. The only German SLR with an instant-return mirror was the Zeiss Ikon Contarex. It sold for $450, far more than even a Nikon F. (Even at that price, the Contarex lacked an instant-reopening diaphragm.) Arguably the leading German 35mm maker, Leica, didn't even have an SLR in 1961 (not until 1964).

Think of it this way: The instant-return mirror first showed up in a widely-marketed camera in the Asahiflex IIb/Tower 23 of 1954, and 6 years later only one German camera had this essential feature, and at a ridiculously high price.

I emphasize the instant-return mirror only because it's such a dramatic differentiator. The Japanese were doing a lot of other things right, too: Reasonable prices, extensive choice of lenses, widespread distribution, outstanding quality, and heavy advertising.

The Germans lost the camera business simply because they were unable to, or refused to, compete for it.

 

 


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