Description
Vintage Asahi Pentax (1957) Film Camera Comes with original case, not tested shutter is working
Pentax Asahi cameras are a cornerstone of vintage 35 mm photography, produced by Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. in Japan (later Asahi Pentax). They are best known for introducing reliable, high-quality single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras to both enthusiasts and professionals.
Overview of Pentax Asahi
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Maker: Asahi Optical Co., Japan
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Era: Late 1950s–1970s (classic vintage period)
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Film: 35 mm cartridges (36×24 mm)
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Format: SLR (single-lens reflex), mostly manual focus
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Key innovation: The Asahi Pentax series was among the first compact, affordable SLRs to combine a pentaprism viewfinder with interchangeable lenses, helping popularize SLR photography worldwide.
Asahi Pentax (1957)
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The very first Pentax-branded SLR, introduced in 1957.
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Lens mount: M42 screw mount (aka Pentax screw mount).
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Lens: Super-Takumar 55 mm f/2 (lens with M42 mount).
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Shutter: Focal-plane cloth shutter, speeds 1 s – 1/1000 s + B.
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Viewfinder: Pentaprism, fixed.
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Significance: First SLR with a pentaprism in a compact body, making composition much easier than waist-level finders.
