Vintage Chinon cameras

Chinon was established as a company in 1948 to supply parts to the newly emergent Japanese camera industry, producing its first 35mm camera in 1967 (the Chinonflex TTL, which was identical to the Ricoh Singlex TLS). Chinon suppled cameras to retailers in the West under whatever brand-name they required – Revue-flex for Foto-Quelle in Germany, Prinzflex for Dixons in the UK etc. Chinon was bought by Kodak Japan in 2004.

Chinon CS

Chinon CS
Date: Late 1970s
Country of origin: Japan
Type: SLR
Meter: Needle-match (visible in viewfinder), mercury battery
Shutter: Copal Square metal, running vertically
Speeds: B, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, /125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000
Focus: Manual
Modes: Manual
Misc: 1/125 sync speed, M and X flash contacts, stop-down button on camera front
Lens mount: Interchangeable M42
Standard lens: Auto Chinon 55mm, f/1.7

An incredibly well-built camera, probably second only to contemporary Nikons (with which it shares the Copal Square shutter).