Konishiroku Konica III / IIIA

Konica I
Konica II Bm
Konica III
Konica III M

The three early Konica 35mm rangefinder models, named I, II and III, were made from 1946 till the mid-1960s. Although they were of the same family, each generation looked and felt different. The early Konica I was a no-frills camera, a model that emerged from the thrifty post-war Japanese industry. The second, the Konica II, featured a modern body with a stylized breastplate, similar to other models of the same era, such as the Camel II, Super Westomat, or Kalimar A.

The Konica III had aimed to align this brand with sector leaders, offering a model that included all the features a photographer would wish for, all in a reliable, well-built package, with lenses that stood proud against Germany’s best. The local opposition was mighty, from the Canon V and L lines and Nikon S models through Leica-styled Nicca, Leotax and Chiyoca, Minolta A series, and Olympus 35 line, not to mention a dozen or more short-lived rangefinder makers that promptly vanished.

The Konica III had a signature front-mounted cocking lever, a design that stood apart from the rest. A similar concept was seen later with the Adox 300, Zeiss Tenax, Ricoh Auto 35 and Zorki 10, but was not otherwise followed.

The Konica III base model had several shutter and lens combinations, which were named by the shutter type: Konica III MFX, Konica III MXL and Konica III MXL2. Note that when they are currently offered for sale, most are named just Konica III, and all the variants fetch about the same amount. The Konica IIIA  came in 1958 as an upgraded model, and the Konica IIIM added a light meter and a half-frame option. See summary table:

Konica III

The 70-year-old Konica III on my bench is evidence of Konica’s effort in this model. Body and skin are spotless; all mechanics hum and buzz as if they just came off the line. But, it has its peculiarities:

Good to know

• The film transport and shutter cocking are activated via the large front-mounted lever that falls under the left-hand index finger.
• It takes two strokes to get to the next frame. The first stroke cocks the shutter and moves the film half-frame, and the second stroke completes the frame.
• It seems that if the lever pulls halfway, it gets stuck. I don’t know if it is the unit I have, so it’s best to pull it all the way down at once.
• To open the hinged back, lift the D ring turnbuckle at the bottom, move the arrow to the ‘O’ mark, then fold the D ring back towards the ‘O’ mark and press it down. This will press the tiny bulge underneath and release the lock.
  Note that if the turnbuckle stays on ‘O’ position and the camera is set on a flat surface, the back will flip open.
  This lock was inherited from the Konica I, through the Konica II. The later Konica III models used the same lock; I have not seen it in any other camera.

The rest is straightforward:

• A large and bright viewer with a good parallax frame and a clear patch, outstanding compared to other comparable models of the era.
• The viewer is well offset to the left, having mercy on users with a prominent nose (me).
• The top features a self-reset frame counter, a cold accessory switch, and a classic pull-up/fold-out rewind button.
• A nice touch, the camera was supplied with a screwed cover on the trigger button, so the remote cable port would not collect sweat and dust.
• All user settings are located on the lens barrel, making them easily accessible and readable.
  • The shutter speed selector dial is at the front, with the aperture selector lever at the bottom of the same dial.
  • The EV / LV scale is marked at the bottom front of the lens barrel, where the aperture lever travels with it, although it is not locked together.
  • The distance ring, supported with a finger rest, has a long travel for easy focusing.
  • The synch selection lever is half hiding at the right-hand side of the barrel.
• Inside the camera body is a wall-made, clean film track, supported by a rolling pin on the feeding side and double cogs on the takeoff side to ensure the correct size of each frame. The lock turnbuckle is connected to a ‘V’ shaped receiver that turns to lock the cartridge in place. A pin on the back door keeps the cartridge at the correct height. Both options are not seen on other models.

Konica IIIA

The Konica IIIA was a step up from the III, it took all the features of the III and improved on them. It is packed in a heavier and taller body, but retains the same feeling.

• The signature front lever is the same as the III; it takes two strokes to fully wind the film and cock the shutter.
• The bottom lock is the same as the III; see above.
• The rewind knob is replaced with a fold-down crank.
• The viewer is larger than the III, which was ample to begin with.
• The front has three windows; the middle is for the parallax frame.
• As a special gesture to me (I guess), the back viewer window is set about 10mm-3/8″ further to the left over the III.
• A small cover at the back, by the accessory shoe, is over the rangefinder mirrors adjustment.
• The lens barrel is different from the Konica III.
  • The focusing dial and synch lever are similar to the III.
  • The shutter speed selector and the aperture dials are coupled to retain a fixed EV/LV.
  • In front of the distance dial, the black ring is marked with the EV. To change, press this ring back and turn; it will uncouple the dials and select a fresh shutter speed. Depending on how you look at it, it can be a pain or an advantage. Either way, it takes getting used to.

For the collector, either model is worthy. They are widely available, although priced higher than other compatible cameras of the period. A working model will serve you forever and will well grace the shelf.

Konica III images

Konica IIIA images