When I first started collecting cameras around 2011 my focus was on compact rangefinder cameras like my Minolta Hi-Matic 7sii, my first serious camera. This Konica C35 was one of my first acquisitions. However, for some reason I never tried to use it. This may have been because although it’s a rangefinder camera it’s also fully automatic and the user has no control over either aperture or shutter speed. My Hi-Matic was shutter priority, but it also had the ability to manually set both aperture and shutter speed. Anyway for what ever reason I put the camera away and didn’t think any more about it until I recently bumped into it while cleaning.

A few specifications:

• Aperture Range: f/2.8-14 (auto only)
• Batteries: PX625 mercury (Now banned but can use zinc-air 675 hearing aid battery instead)
• Exposure Control: Automatic
• Film Advance: Manual
• Film Rewind: Manual
• Filter Size: 46mm
• Flash: hotshoe with PC sync connector
• Flash Sync: 1/25th sec.
• Focus: Manual
• ISO / ASA Range: 25-400, manually set. Includes some intermediate speeds such as 32, 64, and 320.
• Lens: fixed 38mm Konica Hexanon 1:2.8
• Manual Exposure Modes: No
• Made In: Japan
• Metering / Exposure: CdS / Automatic
• Minimum Focus Distance: 1 meter
• Self-Timer: Yes
• Shutter Speeds: Bulb; 1/30th to 1/650th sec.
• Viewfinder: Coupled rangefinder
• Weatherproofing: No
• Weight: 13 ounces
• Years of Manufacture: 1971-73

There’s really not a lot to say about the camera. It’s small, light and has a decent, but not spectacular viewfinder displaying frame lines, parallax correction marks for closer shots, and a co-incident rangefinder patch. Apart from focusing the only thing you can do is put in the battery and set the ISO. From then on it’s point and shoot. The camera displays the combination of aperture/shutter speed that it’s going to select, which I suppose is marginally helpful (certainly better than many of the later point and shoots which give no indication of what exposure settings are being selected). There’s a PC synch connection on the side and a hot shoe on top. The CdS cell is on the lens so if you use filters it will automatically adjust. There’s no way to turn the camera off so it’s best to keep the lens cap on when not in use so as not to drain the batteries.

Bulb (“B”) lets you set long shutter speeds. Hold the shutter button as long as you want. Aperture is set to f/2.8. Flash Mode: metering is disabled and the flash is linked to the aperture with a manually selected guide number (this time rotating the GN ring on the lens to the proper GN given by your attached flash). Flash Sync is activated when anything is plugged into the hot shoe. The shutter speed is set at 1/25th of a second.

That’s about all there is to it.