Fujica ST801

The Fujica ST801 is a manual SLR 35mm film camera made by Fuji between 1972 and 1978. It was the first 35mm SLR to use viewfinder LEDs, replacing the traditional centre-the-needle metering, with a centre-the-light system. This electronic light metering system was developed to eliminate mechanical failure, and needle deviation caused by shocks.

with 55mm/1.8 standard lens image by clicks_1000 (Image rights)

Feature summary

• M42 mount. Fuji created a modification to the standard 42mm screw mount, adding a very small tab on the back of the aperture ring to communicate with the body's light meter and permit open-aperture metering. Fujinon lenses with this tab will fit on most other M42-mount camera bodies, but with stop down metering only.
• TTL average light meter, with LEDs
• open aperture metering using silicon photocells, which are faster and more sensitive than CdS.
• shutter speed up to 1/2000 s

Pros and Cons

Pros

• very bright viewfinder (probably next brightest to Bessaflex)
• LEDs of the light meter are visible in adverse light conditions, and show 3 stops over and under exposure in 1/4 stop increments
• open aperture metering (with Fujinon lenses)
• very compact for it's time.

Cons

• stop-down metering has to be used with non-Fujinon lenses. (Open-aperture metering is also available with TX-system lenses from Vivitar if the specific F/ST mount adapter is obtained.)
• slow flash synchronisation

Gallery

Body only image by Joel Emberson (Image rights)

black body photo image by Paulo Moreira (Image rights)

image by Yumi Abe (Image rights)

Links

• Fujica ST801 Manual at Mike Bukus Orphan Cameras
• Fujica ST801 at Sylvain Halgand's www.collection-appareils.fr
• Fujica ST801 at My 35mm Film Camera Collection