Does anyone out there know for sure what variety of normal lens was originally supplied with the original Autoreflex T(1)?

Was it the Hexanon with the chrome f-stop ring and no locking button as was fitted to the Auto-Reflex, one with a chrome ring and locking button, or the all-black variety as was furnished with the T(2)? Or possibly, did they furnish whatever happened to be in stock?

-jwk-

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2001

Answers

T-1 Normal Lens

I can't say for sure, Jim, but I do have a near mint 57/1.4 with a chrome distance scale ring, EE, and no lock. It is quite a nice lens, in matt black, and is definitely a T series lens, not an Auto Reflex model. Since it has no lock button, I have to assume it is an early model T lens of the T-1 era. But in all honesty, I don't know if a similar lens was made in all black. I have all black and black/chrome normal lenses with lock buttons for the T-2. It would not surprise me if an all black model was available for the T-1 series as well. I have the lens in question on a mint black T-1. It looks great, but an all black lens would look better. Assumptions are just assumptions, of course; your last statement may also be true, as I think Konica may well have mixed and matched near the end or beginning of their different models. Dealers, of course, could sell a brand new body and add a new lens that was on hand which might not be an original pairing, but who would know when it changed hands? And people like you and I buy camera bodies and put lenses on them all the time, so there are so many variables. It seems that Greg Weber and I discussed this once, and as I recall, he thought there was an all black, no lock version of the lens. I bought a new T-2 at Yokota AB in 71 which came standard with a 57/1.4 that had a lock button. It was a chrome camera, and I think it had a chrome ring lens, but my lenses are all sitting together, and I have to find the original box (trip to the attic) to be sure which is which. My first Konica, a black FT-A (T-1) came standard in Japan with a 57mm/1.2, all black, with a lock button. This was the standard lens that was provided with the camera. I bought 135/3.5 and 28/3.5 Hexanons within the next six months, and neither had lock buttons. This was in late 69, early 70. The T-1 hadn't been out more then a couple years, if that long. I'll check with Greg again, and see if he has an all black model, no lock, in hand, and let you know. I also like to think the all black lenses were made for the all black cameras, but I'm not certain that was always the case either.

FM

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001

The (an) answer ?

Fred,

This ebay auction looks as if it might have been an original.

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1213487746

Looking at my shelf, I also have a matte 57/1.4 with chrome EE ring and no lock. All the solid black variations have the lock button.

The OEM lens on my original T2 is a 57/1.4 all black matte with lock button, so that seems to have been standard by 72 when I bought that one in the PX at Ft. Gulick.

The lens that came on my Auto-Reflex is a 52/1.8, matte with chrome ring and no button. The 35/2.8 and 135/3.5 for it are the shiny finished ones.

-jwk-

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2001