Konica Auto S2 - First impressions

[ruben]

Perhaps it wll be rather boring for many members and guests, as this camera is well known among RFF. Nevertheless I cannot stop myself from writing the following love poem, to my new Konica Auto S2.

I have even not finished a roll and I am already in love with this full featured camera, about whose sharp lens a lot have been already said.

"Why is this camera so big ?", I asked not long ago at RFF. After opening the top casting to clean the viewfinder optics it become very obvious. No effort has been invested by Konica designers to exploit all that empty space left out there. Just as simple as that. Yet, a great effort was invested in making a camera with great basic features, some of them taken to perfection.

As a point of reference I will take two other competitors: the Olympus SP and the Canonet GIII. In fact, the Minolta 7s should be present, but mine was given long time ago to an ex-friend who became so much in love with it that it seems he prefered the camera to my friendship.

THE LIKES
a) Coupled rangefinder. This means mooving framelines according to metered distance, thus eliminating automatically parallax problems for close focus shots. What a pleasure! Not only a pleasure, and accurate framed images but fast shooting too !!

Ask me about a fixed lens rangefinder for street photography, and I will say Konica Auto s2.

b) Another feature enabling fast shooting is the focusing handle, present too both at the Oly and the GIII. Once you get used to (and I am) you focus and shoot like with a machine gun.

c) But both the Oly and the GIII have rather cranky (grrrrr) shutter speeds rings. Here the Konica shines. Both the shutter and f/stop rings are so smoooooth...

d) The viewfinder came quite clouded, but once cleaned it becomes the antithesys of the Kievs. With the Kievs you have a dim viewfinder but a strongly bright yellow patch. The Konica bears a rather dim yellow (greenish) patch but a very sharp and contrasty viewing window. Another pleasure !

e) Size and weight. 750 grams for both body and lens is not the last word of technology, but not proper of the Filinstones too. In fact both the Oly and the GIII are only 100~150 grams less heavy, while much smaller. The Koni big size on the other hand makes the camera very much grippable, easy to handle from the first moment. But, obviously this is not the camera you will pick when carrying a lot of gear besides.

f) Cds cell meter and Auto exposure. The s2 sports a cds cell meter, which I cannot speak too much about since the one in my sample although mooving is not consistent nor quick. Provided a sample in which the cell meter works, you have a shutter priority (again fast shooting first) auto exposure, with readings of the consequent f/stop both at the viewfinder and at a special window over the top casting, enabling discreet meterings towards people at close range. "Exposure lock" via depressing half way the shutter.


g) Shutter noise. Quite in the low noise league, and for sure not that punch on your face like with the Oly. But somehow my feeling is that here the Koni designers went lazy too. And they added sin to crime, by making an amateur-appealing unique feature - a kind of deliberate ratcher noise while you moove the winding handle....

h) Price. Ho guys and girls, perhaps this is the only great camera in which you are almost paid for to buy. I paid u$d 30 for an Exc+ model. Can you believe it, a coupled rangefinder shutter priority auto-manual with above the average optics = just $30 incl case ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

i) On top of it: depht of field scale, with infra red mark.

Please relieve those sellers from this burden, take one home.

THE DISLIKES
a) What the hell is that "built in hood", described in the manual as being of the "push out" type ? I look at the camera and see no hood, but a slight protrusion of the filter compound, about some half of a centimeter. Can this be the hood ? Nahh ... If yes it should "push out". Therefore I push and push until I jam that black compound, breaking the plastic pin fixing the compound and one of the wires of the cell meter... Fortunately, even with the loosen compound the camera continues to operate as a fully manual one. I believe from some pics, my sample arrived without the hood. Beware.

b) I disliked too the chromish look of such a big camera. A camera of this size should have been designed either black, or with a black optional body. Black reduces apparent size. Chrome biggens it. Even if it was not the fashion by the sixties, camera size had to be taken into account.

Otherwise, very promising camera !

Kindly post your Konica Auto S2, until I may post mine.

[Duncan Ross]

Not every model had an extendable hood, some (including my old S2) didn't. I eventually got rid of mine just because it was too big to justify; base-to-base it is virtually identical in size to my wife's Praktica MTL5. The lens was very good though the transport was a bit harsh.

[vrgard]

I agree that the Konica Auto S2 is a very nice camera. Not small, which is why I don't lug it around with me regularly, but takes very nice, sharp pics. And I really like the exposure meter's display on the top of the camera since, as you said, it allows one to set the camera discreetly and then quietly raise it to one's eye to actually take the shot - perfect for candid/street photography. I also like the "grippiness" of the body covering. That covering combined with the size of the camera makes for a very easy camera to handle, particularly if you have large hands. As for the built-in hood, I didn't realize that some came without the hood. Mine has the hood and it's very clearly a slide-out arrangement from the fixed lens body. Oh, and the leather everready case is also very nice - a surprise if one is used to the cheap, disintegrating case that typically comes with the Canonet. Again, an all around nice camera that I highly recommend, particularly at it's typical price point.

[jrong]

It's an excellent camera indeed and I have 2 in my collection! But in my humble opinion, the Yashica Electro 35 has the edge over it. Maybe I just prefer it's smaller diamond rangefinder spot and the way it feels in my hand....

The S2 also makes a shockingly loud shutter sound compared to the Electro....if you haven't yet, give the Electro a try, it can be found for amazingly low prices on eBay.

[filmgoerjuan]

I love my Konica Auto S2, a lovely CLA'd version from greyhoundman: Konica Auto S2 Flickr set

[Wayne R. Scott]

Here are some samples from my Konica Auto S2 from this morning.









Wayne

[jody]

I also love the S2 and feel it has an edge over the Yashica electro being fully mechanical if needed and better built.

[kzim56]

The Auto S2 was my first rangefinder and started me down this slippery slope. The meter died last year but I carry on with sunny 16. The photo of the satellite truck is Kodak 400UC. The girls are on cheap dollar store 200 ISO something or other.

Karl

[Jeremy Z]

ruben: How do you feel about this camera after many months of ownership, and presumably, many rolls of flim?

Does the lens live up to expectations? How is the contrast? How is the flare? How is mechanical & electrical reliability? What battery do you use? Did you get used to the noisy, ratchety film advance, or do you still consider it a sin? I briefly had an Olympus 35SP. AWESOME film advance, awesome lens, but the meter was out of whack. I also have a Canonet GIII, which I like a lot, but not for manual exposure and the film advance feels cheap, even if it isn't.

I bought one from greyhoundman because I like the high-spec lens of my Yashica GS, but miss metered manual exposure mode and auto-exposure lock. (it has to have ONE of them...) At least that's the reason I give myself and my wife, hehehe.

[Bill58]

I used mine over the weekend and it's great. BTW--the Kanto/ C.R.I.S. adapter and non-Mercury recommended battery were right on the spot exposure-wise.

[ndnbrunei]

The Auto S2 is a beautiful camera. It is a fine example of the commitment to quality that was the hallmark of the Japanese RF cameras of the day, right down to the leather case.

It is built like a sherman tank, and, as someone on another site has desribed similar cameras, you could defend yourself with it in a tight spot and still go on to take excellent photos.

I received mine earlier this year and it needs a CLA but don't we all as we get on a bit? Once this has been attended to I look forward to giving it lots of use.

[Bill58]

S2 Story/ image--On Sunday, My G/F and I went to a park in Korea w/ a lot of public art. One, a stainless steel "doughnut" about 9 ft. O.D. caught my eye. I asked G/F to go around the back and peek thru the hole so I could take her pic. She willingly complied, but encountered a couple of "frightening" difficulties: First problem was the granite base ledge was only about 6 in. and second problem was the "doughnut" was surprisingly not anchored and quite easily moved/ rolled! The image captures her just as she discovers her predicament and literally freezes in fear (immediately behind her is a deep lake). Being a photographer first and a gentleman second, I just had to catch her in the "critical moment." I thereupon helped her safely down.

Here it is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wrs111445/471285948/

p.s. She's OK and still speaking to me. I apologize for the Nikon FM2 in her hand.

[ChrisPlatt]

Originally Posted by ndnbrunei

The Auto S2 is a beautiful camera. It is a fine example of the commitment to quality that was the hallmark of the Japanese RF cameras of the day, right down to the leather case.

It is built like a sherman tank, and, as someone on another site has desribed similar cameras, you could defend yourself with it in a tight spot and still go on to take excellent photos.

I think the cold shoe gives it away as being from the time
right before build quality and finish began to go downhill...

Chris

[raid]

I like the all manual possibilities with the S2. The lens is very sharp, as all users of S2 cameras have talked about here and other websites.

Raid

[Jeremy Z]

Bill, I have to say, that is quite a pretty little hand strap & extended shutter release on your FM2...

The things we have to do to get women into photography.

I wonder, if I bought one of those blue-clad Canonets if my wife would feel like accessorizing with it?

[Bill58]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Z

Bill, I have to say, that is quite a pretty little hand strap & extended shutter release on your FM2...

The things we have to do to get women into photography.

I wonder, if I bought one of those blue-clad Canonets if my wife would feel like accessorizing with it?

Jeremy;

Your wife would like it even better IF you put some diamonds all around it. The handstrap is Korean-made and the shutter release is Tom A's. I even put her name in English (red also) on the back w/ a Dymo labeler. As you can imagine, that gets a lot of stares/ comments

Bill

[kellymjones]

I just made the realization the other day while shooting my Konica Auto S2 that having the shutter speed ring and aperture ring on the barrel of the lens next to each other can be very beneficial. Since my meter is broken, I have to manually set the shutter speed and aperture according to sunny 16 rules. If I move both the shutter and aperture rings at the same time in the same direction, my exposure is the same, which allows for some creativity with depth of field without re-calculating. For instance, if set my camera to 1/250 f8 and move both rings simultaneously to the left 2 clicks, then my camera is now set to 1/60 f16, which is the same exposure. Cool!

[raid]

Ruben,

I will add my own new photo results with my Konica S2 to your thread here, since we are praising the same camera.

I used Fuji 800 with Tungsten light, so the colors may be off a little.


Raid

[fidget]

Nice pictures, Raid. Following a period of non-use, I managed to free up the shutter speed ring on mine (it was an easy job). Although it has been for sale here before I had fixed it, I thought that I would try it again, now it's not for sale.
It's very fast to use and pretty sharp too.
In order to play with my own camera, I had to provide my grandson with one to play with......start em young!

[raid]

Originally Posted by fidget

Nice pictures, Raid. Following a period of non-use, I managed to free up the shutter speed ring on mine (it was an easy job). Although it has been for sale here before I had fixed it, I thought that I would try it again, now it's not for sale.
It's very fast to use and pretty sharp too.
In order to play with my own camera, I had to provide my grandson with one to play with......start em young!

Thanks.
Which camera is your grandson holding in his hands?
I liked the S2 a lot for allowing me to over ride the program setting and forhaving such a sharp lens. I have just gotten the Auto S repaired.Maybe I could compare the lenses of the S, S2, and the S3.

Raid

[fidget]

He carried it for a couple of hours, pointing it at me when I pointed mine at him (trying to get a few amusing shots). It's a Konica C35, dead meter. Interestingly, he didn't drop it once, but I dropped it onto the floor 5 mins after he went home, iIblame the exhaustion. And no, I didn't put film in for him, he will have to be three for that!

[Terrence]

there are 2 on the bay with quite attractive price!

http://cgi.ebay.com/KONICA-AUTO-S-2-...QQcmdZViewItem

&

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Konica-A...QQcmdZViewItem

[Mr_Flibble]

I bought one on impulse about 2 months ago. The shutter was stuck and it took a bit of CLA to clear it. It appears to be working great now, though I have to tweak the rangefinder a bit before it's ready for it's first roll of film.

After reading all of your comments concerning this camera I'm eager to try it out!

[raid]

Using the S2 resulted in excessive GAS for me. After just a few months, I now have seven different Konica RF cameras. The lenses are superb and the camera built is rock solid. If this line of Konica cameras only had exchangeable lenses, then it would have been more efficient for travel and so on.

[conradyiu]

Which would you pick within S, S2 and S3?