was a Japanese manufacturer of, among other products,

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, film

camera A camera is an Optics, optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), ...

s, camera accessories, photographic and photo-processing equipment,

photocopier A photocopier (also called copier or copy machine, and formerly Xerox machine, the generic trademark) is a machine that makes copies of documents and other visual images onto paper or plastic film quickly and cheaply. Most modern photocopiers u ...

fax machine Fax (short for facsimile), sometimes called telecopying or telefax (the latter short for telefacsimile), is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material (both text and images), normally to a telephone number connected to a printer o ...

s and

laser printer Laser printing is an electrostatic digital printing process. It produces high-quality text and graphics (and moderate-quality photographs) by repeatedly passing a laser beam back and forth over a negatively-charged cylinder called a "drum" to d ...

s, founded in 1873. The company merged with Japanese peer

Minolta was a Japanese manufacturer of cameras, camera accessories, photocopiers, fax machines, and laser printers. Minolta Co., Ltd., which is also known simply as Minolta, was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1928 as . It made the first integrated autofocu ...

in 2003, with the new company named

Konica Minolta is a Japanese multinational technology company headquartered in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, with offices in 49 countries worldwide. The company manufactures business and industrial imaging products, including copiers, laser printers, multi-fu ...

History

The company traces its history back to 1873 (pre-dating

Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...

in the photography business) when

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

Rokusaburo Sugiura began selling photographic materials at his shop in Konishiya Rokubē, the biggest pharmacy trader in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

at that time. In 1878, Rokusaburō succeeded to his family and renamed Rokuemon VI (Rokudaime Rokuemon). He gave the original shop to his younger brother and launched a new shop, Konishi Honten (Konishi Main Shop) in the

Nihonbashi is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan which grew up around the bridge of the same name which has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The current ...

district of Tokyo. In 1882, Konishi launched a project to produce photography related materials in Japan: those products were imported at that time. In 1902, Konishi began to sell the "Cherry Portable Camera" (チェリー手提用暗函), the first Japanese produced end-user oriented camera. New products were released respectively, and Konishi Main Shop became the leading camera company in Japan. In 1921, old Konishi had his elder son succeed to the family and thus company head with the name, and in this occasion Konishi Honten was turned into a company Konishiroku Honten. The name Konishiroku was taken from the abbreviation of their names, ''Konishi Roku''emon. Pearl II

Konishiroku released their "Konica I" type camera in 1948, after which they would name their own company in 1987. Since 1949 Konica produced a

Medium format Medium format has traditionally referred to a film format in photography and the related cameras and equipment that use film. Nowadays, the term applies to film and digital cameras that record images on media larger than the used in 35&nbs ...

-camera ''Pearl''. From 1964 until 1975 Konica manufactured Medium format Omega-cameras , which used Konica's Hexanon-lenses; they were named ''Koni-Omega'' for the global market. Two models were named ''Konica Press'' for the Japanese market. Konica's

single lens reflex camera A single-lens reflex camera (SLR) is a camera that typically uses a mirror and prism system (hence "reflex" from the mirror's reflection) that permits the photographer to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured. With twin l ...

s pioneered

auto-exposure In photography, exposure is the amount of light per unit area (the image plane's illuminance times the exposure time) reaching a frame of photographic film or the surface of an electronic image sensor, as determined by shutter speed, lens ...

in cameras with focal-plane shutters and fully interchangeable lenses. The Konica Autoreflex of 1965 used an external

light meter A light meter is a device used to measure the amount of light. In photography, a light meter (more correctly an exposure meter) is used to determine the proper exposure for a photograph. The meter will include either a digital or analog calcul ...

cell to set the

lens diaphragm In optics, a diaphragm is a thin opaque structure with an opening (aperture) at its center. The role of the diaphragm is to ''stop'' the passage of light, except for the light passing through the ''aperture''. Thus it is also called a stop (an ...

automatically after the user selected a

shutter speed In photography, shutter speed or exposure time is the length of time that the film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light (that is, when the camera's shutter (photography), shutter is open) when taking a photograph. The am ...

. With the Autoreflex T of 1968, Konica improved this design into a

through-the-lens meter In photography, through-the-lens metering (TTL metering) refers to a feature of cameras whereby the intensity of light reflected from the scene is measured through the lens; as opposed to using a separate metering window or external hand-held light ...

, using the same automation system. (The user could also set the exposure manually on these cameras). Other camera makers eventually adopted auto-exposure as well, but Konica was the first. When Konishiroku got the new name Konica in 1987, the company employed about 4,935 people.Dominique Turpin, Xiaobai Shen: ''Casebook on General Management in Asia Pacific.'' Macmillan International Higher Education, 1999, ISBN 978-0-333-71792-9 S. 216 (). In the 1990s Konica signed its first major contract with

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...

providing leasing of copiers to the

Los Angeles Superior Court The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, is the California superior court with jurisdiction over Los Angeles County, which includes the city of Los Angeles. It is the largest single unified trial court in the United States. The ...

. This resulted in a major shift in the industry that had sold only copiers before. The County initial order of 250 copiers required Konica to redirect all of it inventory throughout North America to the County. On 5 August 2003, Konica merged with

to form

. In 2006, Konica Minolta exited the photography business. In March 2006, the merged company closed down its photo imaging division, which produced

color film Color photography is photography that uses media capable of capturing and reproducing colors. By contrast, black-and-white or gray-monochrome photography records only a single channel of luminance (brightness) and uses media capable only of ...

, color paper,

photo chemicals Photographic processing or photographic development is the chemical means by which photographic film or paper is treated after photographic exposure to produce a negative or positive image. Photographic processing transforms the latent image in ...

and digital

minilab A minilab is a small photographic developing and printing system or machine, as opposed to large centralized photo developing labs. Many retail stores use film or digital minilabs to provide on-site photo finishing services. With the increase in ...

machines. Its

digital SLR A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a digital camera that combines the optics and the mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera with a digital imaging sensor. The reflex design scheme is the primary difference between ...

camera section was transferred to

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

, which currently known as the

Sony Alpha , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's la ...

line.

Dai Nippon The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

(DNP) purchased Konica's

Odawara is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 188,482 and a population density of 1,700 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Odawara lies in the Ashigara Plains, in the far western por ...

factory site and continues to produce paper under its own brand, while Seapac acquired the Konica chemical factory.

Film

Konica was a major producer of 35mm film and related products, including film development processors and printing technology. While never equal to giants like

Fujifilm , trading as Fujifilm, or simply Fuji, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, operating in the realms of photography, optics, office and medical electronics, biotechnology, and chemicals. The offerings from th ...

, the recognized quality of Konica film ensured general presence on market. Originally Konica film and paper was sold under the brand name of "

Sakura A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of Prunus, genus ''Prunus'' or Prunus subg. Cerasus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especia ...

" meaning Cherry Blossom in English. In the mid 1980s, Konica launched its SR range of film, then SR-V (1987), SR-G (1989), Super SR (1991), Super XG (1993), VX and finally "Centuria" in 1999.

Cameras

35 mm rangefinder and viewfinder cameras

* Rubikon (1936?) Prototype of Konica I, development stopped by WWII, a few made after war * Rubicon (1936?) An X-ray camera that uses 35mm X-ray film, same chassis as Rubikon/Konica I * Konica "I" (1946) Konishiroku's first 35mm camera to see full production. Several variants (lenses, shutters, viewfinder, flash mount). * Konica II (1950) * Konica IIB (1955) (Variants with f3.5 and f2.8 lenses) * Konica IIB-m (1956) * Konica IIA (1956) First model to use the superb 48mm f2 Hexanon lens. * Konica III (1956) Variants with Konirapid-S & Seikosha MXL shutters, most with 48/2 lens, rarer version w/48mm f2.4 Hexanon * Konica IIIA (1958) Variants with 48/2 & 50/1.8 Hexanons * Konica IIIM (1959) Variants with Copal MXV & Seikosha SLV shutters, all with 50/1.8 Hexanon. Built-in meter, 1st Konica w/hot shoe (non-standard) * Konilette 35 (1959) Inexpensive 35mm with scale focus, Konitor 45/3.5 lens. Konica EE-Matic Deluxe (4) (7845717856)

* Konica S (1959) with

exposure meter A light meter is a device used to measure the amount of light. In photography, a light meter (more correctly an exposure meter) is used to determine the proper exposure for a photograph. The meter will include either a digital or analog calcula ...

. Lens variants: 45/2.8 Hexar, Hexanon 48/2, 48/1.8 * Konica L (1960) Hexar 45/2.8 lens, Seikosha L shutter, interesting fold down film door. * Konica S II (1961) only offered with Hexanon 48/2 * Konica S III (1963) new chassis, similar to Auto S, also uses 47/1.9 Hexanon same as Auto S * Konica EE-Matic (1963) AE only, selenium metering cell (no battery). Also sold as Wards xp500/500a. * Konica Auto S (1963) First CdS-metered, auto exposure camera. Also sold as Wards am450/am550, Revue Auto S. * Konica EYE (1964) Half frame camera. Also sold as Wards EYE. * Konica Auto S2 (1965) Also sold as Wards am551. * Konica EE-Matic S (1965) Downgrade of orig. EE-Matic, no rangefinder. Also sold as Wards xp400. * Konica EE-Matic 260 (196?) A version of EE-Matic using 126 film. Also sold as Wards cp301 & Wards 260. * Konica EE-Matic Deluxe (1965) Primary upgrade, wider ASA range for meter, improved lens. Wards xp501. * Konica EE-Matic Deluxe "New" (1965) Improved film take-up spindle, easier loading. Wards xp501a. * Konica Auto SE (1966) Wind-up "motorized" film advance. Great lens! Wards ep504, Revue Auto SE. First Konica with a standard hot shoe. * Konica Auto S1.6 (1967) Faster f1.6 lens. Hot shoe. * Konica EE-Matic Deluxe 2 (1967) Sold also as Wards rf450.

* Konica Auto S 261 (1967) A 126 film version of Auto S line, CdS metered. Wards cp302, Wards 261. * Konica C35 (chrome version) (1967) best seller compact camera. "Journey" nickname, for small size, portability. * Konica Electron (1967) * Konica C35 (black version) (1967) * Konica C35 Flashmatic (Japan) (1968) "C35 Automatic" (export). Chrome & black versions. * Konica C35 E&L (Japan) (1969) C35 economical model. No rangefinder. "C35 V" (export) * Konica Auto S3 (export) (1973) Great little camera based upon the C35 line. Fast lens. AE only. "C35 FD" in Japan. Auto S3 produced in black only. C35 FD produced in chrome, too. * Konica C35 EF (1976) first model with built-in flash. "Pikkari" *

Konica C35 AF The Konica C35 AF was the first mass-produced autofocus camera. it was first released in November 1977. Features This was an autofocus version of the Konica C35 Automatic camera. It featured a fixed- aperture Hexanon 38 mm f/2.8 autofocu ...

(1977) First

autofocus An autofocus (or AF) optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus on an automatically or manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system ...

, "Jasupin", 1,000,000 sold. Konica Top's red

* Konica C35 EF "New" Self-timer added. * Konica C35 EFP (1977) * Konica C35 EF3 (1981) "Color Pikkari" * Konica C35 AF2 (198?) * Konica C35 EFJ (1982) "Konica POP" (export markets) * Konica C35 MF (1982) Auto focus. "Jasupin Super". C35 MD-D, version with date back. * Konica C35 AF3 (1983) Auto focus. Last "C35" * Konica MG (1983) Also MG-D variant with date back. * Konica EFP2 (1984) * Konica MR70 (1985) * Konica AA-35/Recorder (1985) Half frame, various colors. Recorder: Japan. AA-35: Export markets. * Konica MT-7, MT-9, MT-ll (1986) "Multi" 7, 8 & 9 in Japan. * Konica EFP3 * Konica MR70 LX * Konica Off Road/Genba Kantoku/MS-40, 1988–2001, dust and water resistant Konica Big Mini BM-201

* Konica Z-Up 70 & Z-Up 70 VP * Konica Z-Up 80 & Z-Up 80 RC * Konica Tomato * Konica Kanpai Voice activated camera. * Konica Big Mini (BM-201), 1990emulsive.org 31 August 2019, Compact camera mega test: The Konica Big Mini's transparent ambitions
retrieved 4 December 2021. * Konica Z-Up 28W * Konica MT-100 * Konica Jump Auto * Konica Aiborg, 1991 * Konica Top's, 1991 * Konica Big Mini Neo, 1993, zoom, panoramic function * Konica Off Road 28WB Wide & 28HG7 * Konica BIG mini BM-510Z, 1993, zoom-lenses 35–70 mm * Konica Big Mini TR (BM-610Z), 1995, zoom-lenses 28–70 mmPopular Photography P. 20 (). * Konica Big Mini Nou 135, 1995, zoom-lenses 38–135 mm * Konica Big Mini BM S-100, 1996,

Advanced Photo System Advanced Photo System (APS) is a discontinued film format for still photography first produced in 1996. It was marketed by Eastman Kodak under the brand name Advantix, by FujiFilm under the name Nexia, by Agfa under the name Futura and by Ko ...

-camera * Konica Big Mini F, f/2.8 instead of f/3.5

* Konica Z-Up 60 * Konica Z-Up 90 * Konica Z-Up 110 * Konica Z-Up 120 * Konica Z-Up 130 * Konica Z-Up 135 (1995) * Konica Z-Up 140 (1996) * Konica Z-Up 150 (about 2003) * Konica Hexar (1991) (

) * Konica Hexar RF (2000)

110 film 110 is a cartridge-based film format used in still photography. It was introduced by Kodak in 1972. 110 is essentially a miniaturized version of Kodak's earlier 126 film format. Each frame is , with one registration hole. Cartridges with 12, ...

* Pocket 400: with ''Hexar''-lenses (focus 28 mm) and exposure automatic, about 1975

F-mount SLRs

The first series of Konica

single-lens reflex camera A single-lens reflex camera (SLR) is a camera that typically uses a mirror and prism system (hence "reflex" from the mirror's reflection) that permits the photographer to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured. With twin le ...

s used the Konica F

lens mount A lens mount is an interface – mechanical and often also electrical – between a photographic camera body and a lens. It is a feature of camera systems where the body allows interchangeable lenses, most usually the rangefinder camera, singl ...

, named after the first camera to use it. This was a bayonet mount, and is not compatible with later Konica lens mounts. The

flange focal distance For an interchangeable lens camera, the flange focal distance (FFD) (also known as the flange-to-film distance, flange focal depth, flange back distance (FBD), flange focal length (FFL), back focus or register, depending on the usage and sourc ...

of the F-mount was 40.5 mm, one of the smallest ever used for a 35 mm SLR. The diameter was 40 mm. It is not identical to

Nikon F-mount The Nikon F-mount is a type of interchangeable lens mount developed by Nikon for its 35mm format single-lens reflex cameras. The F-mount was first introduced on the Nikon F camera in 1959, and features a three-lug bayonet mount with a 44mm thro ...

, which has a much longer flange focal distance of 46.5 mm. *

Konica F The Konica F was the first 35 mm SLR camera produced by Konishiroku, released in February 1960.Konica FS (1962–1964) *

Konica FSW was a Japanese manufacturer of, among other products, film, film cameras, camera accessories, photographic and photo-processing equipment, photocopiers, fax machines and laser printers, founded in 1873. The company merged with Japanese peer Min ...

(1962-? *

Konica FP was a Japanese manufacturer of, among other products, film, film cameras, camera accessories, photographic and photo-processing equipment, photocopiers, fax machines and laser printers, founded in 1873. The company merged with Japanese peer Min ...

(1963-?) * Konica FM (1965-?) Konica Autoreflex T2 (13685892715)

Fixed-Lens SLR Camera

Konica Domirex The Konica Domirex was a prototype camera from 1963. Background It was a 35mm SLR, using an unusual mirror arrangement to eliminate the need for the mirror to flip up out of the way prior to exposure. It's still an "SLR", although it looks mo ...

(1963-?, prototype)

AR-mount SLRs

Konica Autoreflex TC 135 film SLR camera with Hexanon AR 135mm F3

Konica's second series of SLR cameras began with 1965's Auto-Reflex. This line came to an end in 1987 when Konica abandoned the SLR market. Konica's AR lens mount kept the same flange-film distance that the earlier Konica F lens mount had (40.5 mm), but it has a larger diameter of 47 mm. * Konica Auto-Reflex (1965–1968) Known as the ''Autorex'' in Japan. * Konica Auto-Reflex P (1966–1968) Known as the ''Autorex P'' in Japan. * Konica Autoreflex T (1968–1970) * Konica Autoreflex A (1968–1971) * Konica Autoreflex T2 (1970–1973) * Konica Autoreflex A2 (1971–1972) *

Konica Autoreflex A1000 was a Japanese manufacturer of, among other products, Photographic film, film, film cameras, camera accessories, photographic and photo-processing equipment, photocopiers, fax machines and laser printers, founded in 1873. The company merged with ...

(1972–1973) * Konica Autoreflex T3 (1973–1975) * Konica Autoreflex A3 (1973-?) * Konica Autoreflex T3N (1975–1978) * Konica Autoreflex TC (1976–1982) * Konica Autoreflex T4 (1978–1979) *

Konica FS-1 was a Japanese manufacturer of, among other products, film, film cameras, camera accessories, photographic and photo-processing equipment, photocopiers, fax machines and laser printers, founded in 1873. The company merged with Japanese peer Mino ...

(1979–1983) * Konica FC-1 (1980–1983) * Konica FP-1 (1981–1983) * Konica FT-1 (1983–1987) * Konica TC-X (1985–1988)konicafiles.com, Konica TC-X (1985-1988)
Retrieved 7 November 2020. Built by

Cosina is a manufacturer of high-end optical glass, optical precision equipment, cameras, video and electronic related equipment, based in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. History Cosina is the successor to Nikō (or "Nikoh"), a company set up as ...

Lenses

Konica SLR interchangeable lenses were named Hexanon. The optical quality of most Hexanon lenses is regarded as truly superb, particularly the older fixed-focal length (prime) lenses. Many camera manufacturers of interchangeable lenses produce a few great lenses among their line, but Konica managed to achieve near excellent quality over a broad range of focal lengths in lens tests conducted by several photographic publications over the years. Hexanon lenses were used by the Japanese government as the standard against which all other lenses were measured.

Digital cameras

* Konica Q-M 100, 1997 * Konica DG-1, 1998, rubber casedpreview.com, 28 November 2001, Konica DG-2 rugged digital camera
retrieved 5 December 2021 * Konica DG-2, 2001, rubber case, 2 MP * Konica Digital Revio KD-200Z, 2001 * Konica Digital Revio KD-300Z, 2001, 2x optical Zoom * Konica Digital Revio KD-500Z, 2002, 3x optical Zoom, 5 MPephotozine.com September 2003, Konica announce KD-510Z - 5 megapixel digital camera
retrieved 5 December 2021 * Konica Revio C2, 2002, very compact, 1,2 MP * Konica DG-3Z, 2003digitalkameramuseum.de, Konica DG-1 (1998), retrieved 5 December 2021
(German). * Konica Revio KD-410Z, 2003 * Konica Revio KD-420Z, 2003 * Konica Revio KD-510Z, 2003, 3x optical Zoom, 5 MP

References

Works cited

* Konica Minolta (2004).
Konica Minolta - History
'. Retrieved on November 6, 2005. * Konica Minolta (2003).
History of Konica
'. Retrieved on November 6, 2005. * Buhl, Andreas (2005).

'. Extensive Konica SLR site. Retrieved on November 6, 2005.

External links

The Konica AR System

*

(on the earlier cameras; well illustrated)
Konica
(on Camera-wiki.org)
Hexanon lenses
(mflenses.com) {{Konica Konica Minolta Photography companies of Japan Photographic film makers Electronics companies of Japan Defunct companies of Japan Defunct photography companies Defunct defense companies of Japan Manufacturing companies established in 1873 Manufacturing companies disestablished in 2003 2003 mergers and acquisitions Lens manufacturers