Leica New Canon Rangefinder Site, plus a few extras...

Brian

Product of the Fifties
Larry Huffman is in the process of setting up a new Canon Rangefinder Site, also has some other lenses and cameras from other makers as well. Larry has some Minolta Chiyoko lenses, very little about them on the Internet.

The website is:


Larry is open to feedback on the information on the site.

I need to Email him that the Minolta Chiyoko is reputed to be a 5 element in three group 3-1-1 design, not a 1-2-2-1...


I'm taking the above site's word on that: MY Minolta Chiyoko 85/2.8 is perfect, and I'm not taking it apart to find out if that is a front triplet. Minolta lenses tend to have some unique layouts.

Peter Kitchingman took his website down, canonrangefinder.com. I am very happy to see Larry establish this one.

For those that have never visited Peter Kitchingman's site, "Wayback Machine" it here:


Or- you can buy his new book on Canon Rangefinders. Well worth it, my 2017 Christmas Present.

The Canon Camera Museum is here-



Someday... When I am retired and have time... I'll put more stuff up on camerageekgear, my Daughter's Web project last Semester.


Knowing the subtle differences in these lenses can help to find the really rare lenses that pretty much look like most of the others. I got the above lens for $50, could tell the difference from visiting sites and having the references.
 
I was updating the Minolta-35 page ( Minolta Rangefinder Cameras 1947-1959 ) and was struck by the sales figures. Using the Hans P. Rajner "Leica Copies" book, I calculated that the total Minolta-35 sales 1947-1959 was about 392,000 cameras. Canon's strongly successful IVSB introduced in 1952 sold about 35,000 units. The very successful Canon P of 1958 sold 87,000 units. The Nikon M (introduced 1950) 1,643 units, Nikon S (introduced 1951), 36,746 units, Nikon S2 (introduced 1952) 56,715 units, Nikon SP (introduced 1957) 22,348 units for a grand total of 117,452 Nikon rangefinders. In spite of the large Minolta-35 sales, you often have to go to the Japanese market to find the best selection of Minolta cameras, fairly good innovators in their time. Larry
 
It turned out that the seller, camerawest , did not have the lens in stock and refunded my money. They asked if I wanted a 135/4.5 Hektor or Canon 135/3.5 instead: those lenses sell for about 1/2th of this one. To really make it look like bait-and-switch, they put the Minolta lens back up on Ebay for the same price originally advertised. I asked them about this: told me that they do not cancel the Ebay auction just because a lens is not in stock. Do not buy from camerawest is the lesson here.

Minolta 13.5cm f4.0 Tele Rokkor, Finder 3564 | eBay


There is one for $90- needs the filter ring straightened, I have the tools.
 
I was updating the Minolta-35 page ( Minolta Rangefinder Cameras 1947-1959 ) and was struck by the sales figures. Using the Hans P. Rajner "Leica Copies" book, I calculated that the total Minolta-35 sales 1947-1959 was about 392,000 cameras. Canon's strongly successful IVSB introduced in 1952 sold about 35,000 units. The very successful Canon P of 1958 sold 87,000 units. The Nikon M (introduced 1950) 1,643 units, Nikon S (introduced 1951), 36,746 units, Nikon S2 (introduced 1952) 56,715 units, Nikon SP (introduced 1957) 22,348 units for a grand total of 117,452 Nikon rangefinders. In spite of the large Minolta-35 sales, you often have to go to the Japanese market to find the best selection of Minolta cameras, fairly good innovators in their time. Larry
Estimate by Rajner of 400,000 Minolta-35 units sold emerges as incorrect - don't know how he calculated, but correct number seems 90,000 to 100,000 units - not bad, but not 4X. And the Nikon figures cover a series of progressively improving finely crafted rangefinders which have become legend, until they made the switch to SLR - such a wise Nikon decision.
 
Wow, Brian, I would think that camerawest makes their money from sales to camera knowledgeable people and for future sales, not wise to do bait-and-switch. Their explanation to you was 'not sincere' to say the least.

"Don't cancel an eBay auction because camera is not in stock" (!) almost a direct description of 'bait and switch'
 
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