Konica Auto S1.6
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| Konica Auto S1.6 image by Paulo Moreira (Image rights) |
The 1967 Konica Auto S1.6 is for all practical purposes the last of the Auto S series and an update the earlier Auto S2 offering a 1/3-stop faster f/1.6 lens. It is also the last Konica rangefinder model for many, many years to offer fully manually exposure control (it also offers the shutter priority auto-exposure mode pioneered on the Auto S models). As a result, the Auto S1.6 can be used without any battery powering the internal meter, simply setting all exposure factors manually using a separate light meter or by eye. All subsequent Konica rangefinder models until the Hexar series cameras in the 1990s are auto-exposure-only, making them dependent upon a battery and a working, accurate metering system.
The Auto S1.6 is also one of the first Konica rangefinders to be fitted with a standard hot shoe (The other model that saw this feature added a short time earlier is the Konica Auto SE Electronic. The Konica IIIM of 1959 offered a hot shoe too, but it was non-standard and only usable with a special flash.)
Note: one of the problems addressed at the Auto S1.6 Repair link below is fairly common. The little mirror in the rangefinder comes loose. It's merely glued onto it's mount and sometimes the old glue just gives up. If you don't see the yellow double image rangefinder patch in the viewfinder and hear a slight rattle inside the top of the camera, this is very likely what happened. Don't panic, it's a pretty easy fix! Follow the link below.
