Show and Discuss "Cosina" Made 35mm SLR Cameras

[ic-racer]

The intention of the thread is to disucss 35mm SLR cameras made by Cosina with branding such as Nikon, Olympus, Canon, etc. Some examples below.

Do you have one of these? Or some other just like it?

 

[ic-racer]

The cameras in the first post may all be the same camera underneath. I can't say as I don't have a big enough collection of them to know.

Also, Cosina is said to have made these cameras too (Yashica and Kenko branded).

 

[ic-racer]

Two that I can compare side-by-side would be the Nikon FM10 and Yashica FX-3 Super 2000.

 

[ic-racer]

Of the two, FM10 and FX-3 Super 2000:

Common Characteristics:

•Metal body with plastic top, bottom and front
•Metal lens mount
•1/2000 top speed
•LED exposure indicator/TTL open-aperture metering/Silver Battery
•Center weighted with range 2-19EV
•ISO range 25-3200
•Mirror pre-release (with self timer)
•Metal latch on back
•Will accept high quality optics
•Meter-ON with light press of the shutter release
•Viewfinder dimmer than high-end Nikons
•Fixed focus screen with spit-image and microprism shows 92% of film gate
•Full pentaprism
•Hot shoe on top without PC connector on body
•No sensor for TTL flash
•Metal, vertical, FP shutter with 1/125 synch speed
•Hand grip
•Accept standard screw-in cable release
•In production and sold new in early 2000s


Exclusive to the FX-3 Super 2000:

•Ready-light indicator in viewfinder
•Slightly smaller body
•Metal back
•LED exposure indicators on RIGHT side of finder
•0.92 finder magnification
•Yashica/Contax mount

Exclusive to the FM10:

•Depth of field preview lever
•Multi-exposure lever
•Easier to lift rewind lever
•Second meter-on button (on front)
•Shutter release lock (when wind lever is all the way in)
•LED exposure indicators on LEFT side of finder
•0.84 finder magnification
•Nikon F mount; Except non-AI lenses will damage camera. Lenses without aperture ring can safely mount but expose at smallest aperture.


Quality control issues:
FM10: Rubber covering deteriorates; becomes sticky
FX-3 Super 2000: 2-sided tape used for mirror

 

[Ian C]

Although from the early 1970s, I have an Argus/Cosina STL 1000 using the M42 screw mount lenses. The manual mentions that in addition to the Cosina branded M42 lenses, Pentax M42 lenses can be used. I’ve used it with 1.55-volt silver oxide cells with reasonably correct readings compared to other reflected-light metered cameras. Mine has two PC terminals, one with instantaneous X-synchronization for electronic flash and the other with M-synchronization for medium flash bulbs. This version has no hot shoe for flash mounting. Thus, a flash bracket would have to be used for on-camera flash.

I believe that the shutter is a version of the Copal SQ. When the self-timer is engaged and the shutter release button is pressed, the aperture stops down simultaneously with the mirror rise, which eliminates all vibration other than that of the shutter. Judging from the photos I’ve made with it, everything seems to work properly.

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Argus/Cosina_STL_1000

https://www.cameramanuals.org/argus/argus_cosina_stl1000.pdf

 

[Ben Hutcherson]

I have an FM10 and had a Canon T60 at one time.

No real complaints about either as far as being a simple, reliable camera. I have a dislike of meter read-outs on the left side of the viewfinder, but will freely admit that's both a personal quirk and not something unique to these cameras.

I feel like the build quality is there, although the sort of tinny "ringing" mine make when firing the shutter always puts me off.

Still, though, for a basic manual focus, manual exposure camera that's not really missing any notable features I care about(I like having real MLU but pre-fire is functionally the same unless mounting a lens that requires it) they do the job and do it admirably. I appreciate how much lighter the FM10 is than other FM-series cameras.

 

[Paul Howell]

I have a late model Chinion in K mount that was made by Cosine. It is an OK but nothing special entry level camera.

 

[Chan Tran]

Cosina seems to be able to build camera in whatever level of quality they contracted to do.

 

[Tony-S]

I have a Canon T-60 but it died long ago.

 

[Ben Hutcherson]

Cosina seems to be able to build camera in whatever level of quality they contracted to do.

Aren't the modern Voigtlander items made by Cosina?

People I've talked to who have used the M mount Voigtlanders largely rave about them.

The M mount Voigtlander RFs seem to get a lot of love too. I know they made one "wide angle" one that I looked into getting but ultimately didn't. I looked at a few in person and they reminded me a lot of the basic Cosina SLR chassis of the cameras being discussed in this thread, albeit obviously without a reflex mirror...

 

[Milpool]

Aren't the modern Voigtlander items made by Cosina?

People I've talked to who have used the M mount Voigtlanders largely rave about them.

The M mount Voigtlander RFs seem to get a lot of love too. I know they made one "wide angle" one that I looked into getting but ultimately didn't. I looked at a few in person and they reminded me a lot of the basic Cosina SLR chassis of the cameras being discussed in this thread, albeit obviously without a reflex mirror...

Zeiss lenses too. I'm not sure if they still are, or which models but at least the ZF, ZE etc. were.

 

[Chan Tran]

Aren't the modern Voigtlander items made by Cosina?

People I've talked to who have used the M mount Voigtlanders largely rave about them.

The M mount Voigtlander RFs seem to get a lot of love too. I know they made one "wide angle" one that I looked into getting but ultimately didn't. I looked at a few in person and they reminded me a lot of the basic Cosina SLR chassis of the cameras being discussed in this thread, albeit obviously without a reflex mirror...

Yes they are made by Cosina. They also make Zeiss manual focus lenses for Nikon, Pentax like the ZF and ZK lines. Yes they can make them at all levels of quality.

 

[ic-racer]

I think I had started a similar Cosina thread back in 2011 when I got my Voigtlander Bessa rangefinder. This one does not get much use; I'm not a big fan of rangefiders. I find them hard to use.

 

[1957ExaktaVarexIIa]

Two that I can compare side-by-side would be the Nikon FM10 and Yashica FX-3 Super 2000.

I use some old FX-3s besides my Contax RTS IIs because I wanted to have some mechanical cameras for C/Y Zeiss lenses (and the Contax S2 is too expensive for me). Sure there is a kind of plastic feel about the FX-3. But they are useful tools to take pictures with those beautiful lenses.
When it gets dark, the FX-3's finder displays are more comfortable than those of FX-D or Contax 139, let alone Yashica FR I (though the latter feels much more "solid" and like "metal" than the FX-3).

 

[Ben Hutcherson]

I think I had started a similar Cosina thread back in 2011 when I got my Voigtlander Bessa rangefinder. This one does not get much use; I'm not a big fan of rangefiders. I find them hard to use.

I've never seen or handled one in person, but the one with the 21/28/35/50mmm frame lines did intrigue me a lot. Ultimately I passed on getting one because reportedly using a 50mm lens on one is a lot like using a 90mm lens on an M2(or a 135 on an M3) and it essentially would have been only really useful to me as a second body along side one with a more conventional finder.

 

[Lachlan Young]

I've never seen or handled one in person, but the one with the 21/28/35/50mmm frame lines did intrigue me a lot. Ultimately I passed on getting one because reportedly using a 50mm lens on one is a lot like using a 90mm lens on an M2(or a 135 on an M3) and it essentially would have been only really useful to me as a second body along side one with a more conventional finder.

It was the specific frame combinations that I wasn't super keen on - a 21/35/50 (or 28/35/50) frameline set would have been wonderful, but Voigtlander obviously wanted to sell 25's etc too. Same with the 75mm on their other bodies - it was only the specialist R2S/R2C that got 35/50/85 framelines (and they're pretty nice to use too).

 

[ic-racer]

In terms of the Bessa R4M viewfinder, I specifically choose that model because of the built-in 21mm viewfinder. Actually, since I brought up the topic, I got the R4M out and will put some film through it.

 

[4season]

Sticky rubberized finishes and plastic battery covers aside, how's the quality? Back in the day, I briefly handled the Bessa RF cameras and thought they seemed kind of cheaply made, but they can still sometimes be had for very little money, under brand names like Promaster.

 

[OAPOli]

I have the Canon T60. It's very lightweight so it's noticeably front-heavy with a lens. Not a fan of the all-plastic film and pressure plate rails, but I've never shot film with it.

 

[dynachrome]

In my collection I think some cameras which I thought were made by Cosina may have been made later by Phenix. I have had a number of Yashica FX-3, FX-7, FX-3 Super and FX-7 cameras overhauled and re-skinned. I do have an FX-3 Super 2000 but that model is very poorly made compared to the earlier FX-3/Super and FX-7/Super. The 2000 has mostly plastic gears. I also have two working Contax 267mt cameras. These all work with my Zeiss, Yashica ML and other Y/C mount lenses. Other Cosina type cameras I have include the Vivitar V4000 and V4000S, the Promaster 2500 PK Super, the Braun model with a Minolta MC mount (even though the camera is marked MD) with a top shutter speed of 1/2000, the Konica TC-X, the Olympus OM2000 and some other oddballs. When they are working properly they are light to carry and pleasant to use.

 

[ic-racer]

You have quite a collection of these.

 

[MFstooges]

I had FM-10 work camera which I considered as an 'upgrade' from my personal F-601 because it has DoF lever. I really liked that camera, cheap and reliable.

 

[MrChairman]

This might be of interest
A group of rebranded Cosinas

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Does anyone have an insight in terms of profit etc. as to why big companies like Nikon or Kyocera, which definitely don't lack production plants and emplyees, may decide to outsource some of their models?

 

[xkaes]

It's just cost. A good example is Minolta. Soon after they started making auto-focus SLRs & lenses in the mid 1980's, they moved all of their manual focus SLR & lens production to Seagull plants in China. (I assume much of their rangefinder camera production moved to China as well). Others did the same thing at the same time, such as Yashica -- and probably Cosina, too. Other companies tried Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea, etc.

When Minolta stopped making manual-focus SLRs, Seagull continued to make them, and sold them under the Seagull, and several other, labels -- from Argus to Zenit -- and they added a lot of nice features that Minolta SLRs never had. How about vertical, metal, mechanical SLR shutters with 1/2,000 shutter speeds? No battery needed!

http://www.subclub.org/minchin/