Konica

This is the Konica FP, an SLR produced between 1963 and 1966 in Japan. It marked the first time that Konica used Copal Square shutter. The shutter design, metal blades and quick operation was touted as being highly reliable as it avoided many of the environmental pitfalls that could befall cloth curtains. The square shutter was used by many other manufacturers including Canon, Leica, and Minolta.

This camera was picked up on an excursion to the Frederick/Hagerstown area of Maryland. I visited the first Washington Monument (image at left) and hit up a couple of antiques malls in the course of a morning. It’s hard to pass on an SLR at a good price, and the FP was no exception. I expected this to be a typical 1960s SLR, but have been pleasantly surprised at how much I have enjoyed shooting with it. At first, I couldn’t put my finger on why but think that it comes down to build quality, which is excellent, and how well-balanced the Hexanon 52mm f1.8 lens is on the body.

The instruction manual can be found here.

The FP is a hefty camera, weighing in at 760g, but at no point during my photo walk was there evidence of hand fatigue, something I have come across with cameras 100g lighter than the FP.

This particular camera was a bargain buy, due in large part to the slight damage on the top of the finder housing. This in no way impacts use of the camera and everything works as it should.

Sample images taken on Wolfen 100, stand-developed 30 min. in HC110.