The Konica C35 was introduced in 1968 and marketed as "The grab shot camera". It was to be one of the first of a new breed of small, semi automatic rangefinder cameras that where to be popularised by Konica, Ricoh and Olympus.
Featuring a 38mm f2.8 lens, a copal shutter, built in CDS metering and a shutter speed range of 1/30 to 1/650 of a second, this little bundle was a very advanced and capable camera. This was also reflected by its 1968 launch price of £42.15.0!
A very expensive item in its day.
The Konica rangefinders remained popular in various incarnations until the mid to late 80's when SLRs and autofocus compacts really started to become affordable.
As time has moved on though, the little Konica has achieved a somewhat cult status due to the fantastic imaging capabilities of this little camera.
These advanced capabilities are not a new discovery. In the 60's and 70's Konica and several third party manufacturer's made additional items for the camera to increase it range of use.
Konica marketed close focus devices that where coupled to the rangefinder, a series of flash guns (the more powerful X-20 shown in the picture) and even fully submersible under water cases, the Konica Marine.
The Konica Marine C35was a fully fledged underwater housing, not just a simple splash proof case, the housing was water proof to 44 yards and could support the use of an external finder, grip and flash.
Our unit has been modified to replace the original Konica underwater flash (which was a bulb or very low power electric unit) with a professional Oceanic strobe, This is a fully sealed unit with a much greater output and consequently further range than the original, but it does however remain period to the camera.
In this configuration the C35 makes a fantastic beach camera and can quickly and easily be used both underwater and in the surf, and with the casing removed is ideal for street and landscape photography both day and night, essentially this is a great travel camera for those holiday snaps.
Several images within our landscape galleries have been taken with this camera and the results it delivers are amazing, even now its best suited to what it was made for, grabbing shots, and is perfect to replicate the popular "street" photography scene of the 60's and 70's.