Canon P mystery [Archive] - Rangefinderforum.com

David Murphy

01-04-2008, 19:51

xayraa33

01-04-2008, 20:11

If it is not some ones initials, I would guess TE means tax exempt similar to the EP marking on cameras sold in PX stores.

David Murphy

01-05-2008, 02:10

Thanks, that's the best theory I've heard yet. It is unlikely to be someones initials since about three of these "TE" marked P's (to my knowledge) have been reported to exist.

pdek

01-09-2008, 10:21

Peter can you or anyone else here tell me what this "TE" marking on my Canon P means? Is this something special special? Apparently Google searches indicate there are at least a handful of other P's with such a marking.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t161/wanchaiboy/p5.jpg

Thanks for the question. I don't know the answer. But I can say that the typeface used for the "TE" is not one of Canon's normal ones.
I don't believe that "TE" stands for "tax exempt", simply because such a usage has never been recorded elsewhere.
My best guess is that the three Ps in question were part of a batch acquired by some sort of organization whose initials may have been "TE", and that these markings were applied simply to specify ownership. They were put on the accessory shoe because this part is easy to remove, engrave, and reinstall, and there's no danger of defacing the rest of the camera by mistake.
But who knows for sure?
Peter D

jmilkins

03-21-2008, 20:09

Intriguing. David do you know if the other TE Ps were close in serial number to yours? That might add weight to a "fleet" theory of company bought cameras...

pdek

03-22-2008, 13:40

I don't have any such list myself; my answer is just a sort of semi-informed conclusion. Peter D

CanonRFinder

03-25-2008, 03:57

HI Peter,

I have recorded four [TE] cameras #769864, # 771684, #773019 & #773139. I agree with your summation that it would be some company that used a number of cameras such as a newspaper group. Peter K

raid

08-05-2008, 21:21

I have found online TE Canon P cameras with serial numbers starting with 773XXX which suggests a batch or group of cameras set aside for TE engravings.

Terao

08-05-2008, 23:38

My TE marked P is 766168

qwu_us

05-10-2009, 07:24

I saw a canon P with black paint has TE mark on it. The TE mark was painted over. This is likely one of "fake" black canon Ps. it seems to suggest that TE was engraved in the factory.

raid

05-10-2009, 07:40

Not necessarily so; maybe TE stands for some company name, and at one stage the camera was painted black by someone.

qwu_us

05-10-2009, 14:52

Raid,
My ignorance. I did not know that people paint their canon P black all the time.

raid

05-10-2009, 15:36

Raid,
My ignorance. I did not know that people paint their canon P black all the time.

I have such a black painted Canon P. You can tell that it was painted black later on. The original Black Paint P is rather expensive.

Bill58

05-11-2009, 15:45

Adding more to the mystery, the "TE" company must've been in the Western world as I can't imagine a Japanese company putting English alphabet letters on their "fleet".

qwu_us

05-13-2009, 07:57

While we are talking about engraved canon P, I am wondering anyone here has a canon P with cherry blossom on the top.

januaryman

05-15-2009, 04:14

I recall reading somewhere that TE was Tax Exempt for military. Can't recall WHERE I read that, but, for what it's worth...

dexdog

05-15-2009, 04:22

While we are talking about engraved canon P, I am wondering anyone here has a canon P with cherry blossom on the top.

IIRC, those are supposed to be cameras issued to the Japanese military, and are quite the collector's item.

elgreco

05-16-2009, 22:47

Hi David,
See here for some more details : http://canoncamera.ifrance.com/index.htm
See section "special markings / engravings"
Pictures are mainly from a japanese seller named jiri_e.
In addition : I have seen a Canon P marked TE serial 774054 sold yesterday (item 290316688178 on the auction site) and the original documents stands that the camera and its accessories have been bought in Tokyo in 1963. The mistery is not yet solved...:bang:
Sorry ;)
ioannis

qwu_us

07-12-2009, 08:06

Just saw another TE Canon P on sale from Japanese Yahoo.http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/C:%5CDocuments%20and%20Settings%5Cqwu%5CMy%20Docum ents%5Ccanon%5Canothertecanonp.jpg

qwu_us

07-12-2009, 08:07

Here is the link

http://page18.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w40085911

NIKON KIU

07-12-2009, 08:50

I have to go with the Tax Exempt theory.
All the Nikons that are engraved T on the rewind were thought to have been sold in Tax exempt stores such as airport shops.

Kiu

mr_phillip

07-12-2009, 09:12

My understanding has always been that the TE marking is the final form of the Central Purchasing Office markings and was used, for a short time only, after the CPO and EP diamond marks. Were that the case, then it makes plenty of sense that it'd stand for Tax Exempt.

qwu_us

07-12-2009, 09:31

Thank Nikon Liu for the information on Nikon engraved with T.
There was an article on Nikon Historical Society Journal #53 page 8 (Sep 1996 issue) about those engraved Nikons. I am wondering anyone can share the article with us.

qwu_us

07-12-2009, 19:54

Here are some links about "T" engraved Nikon
http://www.destoutz.ch/nikon_f_t_bodies.html

http://www.destoutz.ch/typ_rewind-knobs_engraved.html